Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Alice Nakiri finished the sentence that Shirai hadn't finished saying, her eyes filled with a sense of seeking credit.

　This knowledge came from her during the Chinese New Year before the holiday. When the three of them were making dumplings together, Bai Yuan told her about it, and he gave an example of fish balls!

　"You're right, that's the most crucial reason. Because fish paste is very delicate, if it's hot water from the start, it can easily turn into fish slice and crab roe soup."

　Bai Yuan made a humorous joke. At that moment, Zhuang Lei on the field had already put all the fish balls into the pot and turned on the fire below to raise the temperature of the water in the pot.

　Before long, the sound of boiling water filled the air, and the chubby little boy began to roll around in the scalding pot.

　A rich, fresh aroma wafted over him, and Bai Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

　Chapter 247 Top 8 List: Arguing will be punished!

　"Only at the level of Grade 1 cuisine? It seems like guessing he's at the Special Grade level is giving him too much credit..."

　Watching Zhuang Lei's performance, Bai Yuan, sitting in the audience, shook his head.

　Think about it carefully, how many top-level chefs are there in a province? And not all talented young chefs will participate in the Youth Chef Competition.

　Compared to a few top-level chefs, first-class chefs are actually the main force in these kinds of competitions.

　However, their arrival caused many top chefs who could have qualified for the main competition to fail to make it, ultimately stopping at...

　Trials.

　"My dish is ready."

　However, Zhuang Lei didn't realize that his qualification was entirely due to luck. As he spoke, he walked confidently towards the judges' table.

　In this competition, he prepared his master's signature dish, and there will definitely be no problem this time!

　The only pity is that there aren't many ingredients available, so it's impossible to recreate all the deliciousness of this dish. In the current situation, it would be good if we could achieve half of its original flavor.

　"Please taste it."

　Shaking his head, no longer thinking about those meaningless things, Zhuang Lei placed the dishes in front of the judges and gestured for them to proceed.

　"Crab roe fish balls, this is a famous dish."

　"Let me try it first..."

　Looking at the fragrant crab roe fish balls in front of them, Jinshan and Chuqiu picked up spoons one after the other, scooped up the fish balls and brought them to their mouths.

　"I remember you're Chen Wen's apprentice. How's your master doing? Speaking of which, these crab roe fish balls are his signature dish."

　Zhang Zhong didn't rush to taste it, but looked at Zhuang Lei and said slowly.

　Clearly, he and Zhuang Lei's master were old acquaintances. Now that he saw the other's apprentice, he couldn't help but feel a little emotional, and it was perfectly normal for him to greet him and exchange pleasantries.

　"My master is in very good health. He goes out for a morning run every day and can't stop for at least one or two hours. Thank you for your concern."

　Facing the senior chef, Zhuang Lei bowed his head respectfully, secretly pleased with himself. In the world of business, connections matter, and with such a relationship, his chances of winning would increase significantly!

　"It's good that he's in good health. Lao Luo passed away last month. I saw him two days before he passed away, and he seemed perfectly normal at the time."

　It's truly lamentable how unpredictable life is. I only hope that before I die, I can pass on my skills.

　Upon hearing Zhuang Lei's words, Zhang Zhong nodded slightly, a hint of emotion on his face.

　He only took on two apprentices in his life, but unfortunately neither of them had the talent to reach the top level and could not inherit his mantle.

　Now, in the last few years of his life, he hopes to take on another apprentice and pass on all his knowledge to him, so that there will be a legacy.

　"This taste..."

　Thinking for a moment, Zhang Zhong scooped up a fish ball and tasted it. His relaxed brows immediately furrowed, but he was still unsure. Undeterred, he guessed that this fish ball might be bad, so he scooped up a new one...

　"Well, were you amazed by my cooking?"

　Because he was right in front of the judges, Zhuang Lei could clearly see Zhang Zhong's changing expressions. He felt smug inside, but his face remained calm and composed.

　"You can't do it like this."

　Putting down his spoon, Zhang Zhong looked at Zhuang Lei with a disappointed expression.

　"The fish balls you made have a terrible texture; you probably just added starch because you were lazy."

　While this can quickly achieve a chewy effect, relying solely on starch cannot truly create a chewy texture, nor can it make it springy and elastic.

　For professional chefs, even the slightest changes in flavor can be detected with a gentle touch of the tongue, and the same applies to texture.

　So the moment he took a bite, he showed a look of disappointment, because neither the texture nor the taste of this fish ball was very good.

　Many of these errors are in the details. If these errors can be corrected, the taste will definitely be improved by several levels!

　Making these mistakes means that the basics are not solid and that the student was definitely not paying attention in class.

　That was the real reason for his disappointment.

　"Not only the fish balls themselves, but the crab roe inside also doesn't taste good; it's processed too delicately."

　While this method maximizes the release of flavor, it leaves the taste bland after the first bite; only the first three pieces are delicious.

　Jinshan's voice rang out. Looking at the golden yellow wrapped in white in front of him, he couldn't help but shake his head. This taste was only slightly better than that of the street vendors.

　It's not even as good as some long-established stalls.

　"The only thing I did well was controlling the heat when cooking the fish balls. There was no uneven heating, which I would consider an advantage."

　Chu Qiu followed up with her evaluation, pointing out one of the few merits of Zhuang Lei's crab roe fish balls, which in a sense was a forced merit.

　"Besides that, I won't go into detail about the ingredients. Although onions and celery can also remove fishy smells, their effect is much less than that of scallions and ginger."

　In other words, the amount you add cannot be the same as that of scallions and ginger. You need to adjust the proportion according to the desired effect in order to achieve a satisfactory removal of fishy smell.

　Soy sauce provides saltiness, but it can make food appear dull in color.

　You're being far too arrogant and extremely careless. This is a youth chef competition, not a place where you can win by just making any dish!

　Zhang Zhong stared sharply at Zhuang Lei, his voice filled with disappointment.

　I was initially happy that my good friend had a successor, but I never expected that he was a good-for-nothing who hadn't inherited any of the cooking skills.

　"I..."

　Zhuang Lei's smile froze. Looking at Zhang Zhong's rather displeased expression, he realized that the other man didn't seem to be his helper, but rather...

　"I'll talk to your master about your education later. Now you can go downstairs."

　Zhang Zhong glanced at Erina Nakiri, who was coming up behind Zhuang Lei, and his voice was cold, completely lacking the enthusiasm he had shown at the beginning.

　Zhuang Lei, having been rebuked, dared not refute, but simply lowered his head.

　He silently retreated, feeling a chill run down his spine upon hearing Zhang Zhong's last words, as if he were about to face a violent storm.

　"Is this shrimp stuffed with fish maw...?"

　Looking at the beautifully presented dish even after being cut open, and recalling Erina Nakiri's cooking steps, Chu Qiu couldn't help but look at her and say something.

　"To be precise, it's fish roe and shrimp stuffed into fish maw."

　I mixed the fish paste and shrimp meat, stirred it well, and then stuffed it into the fish's belly.

　Next, simmer it slowly in the previously prepared fish bone broth for an extended period, allowing the flavors to meld perfectly. This is how you create the exquisitely flavorful fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish maw.

　Erina Nakiri began to explain the creative concept behind her dish.

　"I wonder what this dish, a combination of elements, will taste like..."

　Chu Qiu's face was filled with anticipation; the dish in front of her was simply too beautiful to be true!

　Fish maw, the main ingredient of this dish, has a pale yellow, translucent texture with a smooth and delicate surface, without the slightest wrinkle.

　And because of the stewing process, it looks plump and soft.

　Inside the fish's belly, shrimp paste is evenly filled, giving it a light pink color that contrasts beautifully with the fish's milky white, making it exceptionally tempting!

　"I feel that it would taste even better with ingredients like hot sauce, but this sauce is pretty good when resources are limited, with a rich shrimp and chicken flavor."

　"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, you probably used that old hen to render the chicken fat, then sautéed the shrimp heads in the pan until fragrant, and finally added scallions, ginger, cornstarch slurry, and salt to make a sauce."

　Zhang Zhong sniffed, fanned the sauce in front of him with his hand, closed his eyes to savor the flavor, and his voice rang out.

　As a seasoned chef, he can determine the preparation method of even simple sauces just by smelling them.

　"That's right. Because of the limited ingredients, I can only improvise with the available seasonings and adjust the sauce while maintaining a harmonious flavor."

　Erina Nakiri nodded, her gaze towards Zhang Zhong filled with surprise. She wondered if he also possessed the God Tongue, otherwise why would he speak so accurately without the slightest deviation?

　Not only was there no deviation, but they even reproduced the steps of the method, which is simply unbelievable!

　Wait, it seems that Mr. Zhang didn't actually taste it; he just smelled it briefly. Perhaps he doesn't have a divine tongue but rather an extraordinary sense of smell?

　For a moment, Erina Nakiri thought about many things, but her expression remained unchanged; she simply raised her hand and gestured for her to proceed.

　She was very confident in her cooking. Although she had stopped at the beginner level due to limited ingredients, it was still a top-grade dish, not something that Zhuang Lei's mere first-grade dish could compete with.

　What's more, that guy's cooking was riddled with flaws; from the outside, it looked like a plug full of holes. If he could win, it would be a rigged affair.

　At that time, even if she doesn't say anything, Bai Yuan will come up and seek justice for her!

　"Try it."

　"With such an exquisite presentation and an exceptionally enticing aroma, the taste must be quite good."

　"We'll have to try it to know for sure."

　As they chatted back and forth, Jinshan and Chuqiu simultaneously reached out with their chopsticks and picked up fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish belly, which was cut into small pieces, evenly arranged on a plate, and drizzled with sauce.

　Upon tasting the dish, the first thing they experienced was the incredibly soft and tender texture of the fish maw, its light and bouncy flavor seemingly melting gently on their tongues.

　Next, the bouncy texture of the shrimp paste contrasts sharply with the fish maw, and the sweetness of the shrimp meat, enhanced by the combination of fish paste and starch, appears firm and elastic.

　The most surprising element is the fish roe mixed in with the filling. The jet-black fish roe bursts gently in the mouth with the movement of the palate, releasing a rich ocean flavor that instantly elevates the taste of the entire dish!

　"Indeed, the salty and savory flavor of the fish roe and the sweetness of the shrimp paste intertwine to create a unique taste sensation! The fish paste added in the middle acts as a good binder, making the texture even smoother and more delicate."

　Chu Qiu nodded approvingly. Although it was just a combination of a few ingredients, it was just right, and none of them seemed superfluous.

　"Speaking of texture, you can clearly feel the different textures of the shrimp and fish pieces when you chew. Was this intentional?"

　Jinshan looked at Erina Nakiri and asked her about the secret of the shrimp and fish.

　"That's right. In order to add layers to the dish and prevent it from becoming greasy after just a couple of bites, I processed the shrimp and fish pieces into three different sizes to create layers."

　Erina Nakiri nodded. After discovering that Zhuang Lei had mashed all the crab roe into a paste, she took out the sliced ​​shrimp and fish pieces and temporarily added a layer of minced meat, creating a triple texture.

　"The simmering of the broth gives this dish its soul. The fish maw and shrimp paste fully absorb the essence of the fish bone and chicken broth, resulting in a rich but not greasy soup with layers of umami flavor. It is simply a rare delicacy!"

　Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Kinzan was genuinely impressed. This dish was exceptional in every aspect and had been brought to its fullest potential.

　"The soft and glutinous texture of the fish maw, the bouncy and tender texture of the shrimp paste, the bursting flavor of the fish roe, and the umami of the broth together create a feast for the senses!"

　Zhang Zhong closed his eyes as he spoke, thoroughly enjoying the taste in his mouth; this was truly...

　The dishes should be featured in the competition, not the perfunctory ones like those made by Zhuang Lei.

　"The moment you bite into the fish belly, it's as if you're in a soft sea of ​​clouds. The soft and glutinous texture of the fish belly melts in your mouth like clouds, bringing a light and warm feeling."

　Beside him, Jinshan also closed his eyes. At this moment, he felt light and airy all over, as if he were floating among the clouds.

　But when their teeth touched the shrimp paste, the scene suddenly changed, and they were almost instantly transported to a shimmering ocean.

　"The bouncy texture of the shrimp paste dances on your tongue like ocean waves, and its fresh and sweet taste is like a sea breeze, bringing a refreshing and energetic feeling!"

　Immersed in the ocean, feeling the rising and falling waves around him, Jinshan was filled with bliss, as if his whole body had been cleansed.

　Next comes the flavor of the fish roe. When those tiny black fish roe burst on the tip of your tongue, the scene is instantly illuminated.

　Each fish roe is like a tiny star, releasing a rich umami flavor.

　These tiny stars, crushed by the tongue, fall onto the shimmering ocean, creating a magnificent picture.

　Then, the umami flavor of the broth from stewing the fish maw, like a stream, flows from all directions into the sea, nourishing every taste bud in the mouth and bringing a deep and warm sense of satisfaction.

　"This is really good! This kind of dish deserves to be featured in the Young Chef Competition!"

　Chu Qiu looked at the fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish maw in front of him, his face full of praise. The dramatic difference before and after made him subconsciously sigh.

　"It's not just the natural flavor of the ingredients, but also the carefully prepared sauce."

　Zhang Zhong's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to the sauce.

　"That's right. If the dish itself lays the foundation for deliciousness, then the sauce gives it its soul and makes it shine with new brilliance."

　Jinshan also nodded in agreement, and a delicious aroma wafted from his mouth. Because the ingredients used were from the same source as the dishes in front of him, the two complemented each other perfectly.

　"The chicken oil extracted from old hens has a rich poultry aroma, which can add a deep and warm umami flavor to the sauce."