Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

Most of the fishmongers at this time in the market have already closed up shop, with only one or two still selling fish.

Chen Yuxing walked up to a stall that was still open for business.

The fish stall owner, an older man, was cleaning his cutting board, seemingly preparing to close up shop.

"Young man, you're still buying fish so late?" The uncle looked up at him, continuing to work without stopping. "Come back tomorrow morning. The fish aren't very fresh these days. Come back tomorrow morning; we'll have better fish then."

"I need it tomorrow, so I wanted to come and take a look beforehand, but I couldn't find anything suitable."

Chen Yuxing squatted down to look at the few remaining saury in the freezer.

The fish's body was still relatively intact, but its eyes had started to become sunken, and the color of its gills had darkened considerably, indicating that it was no longer very fresh.

Chen Yuxing shook his head. It seemed he really would have to come back tomorrow morning to buy them, as the fish weren't very good these days.

Just as Chen Yuxing was about to turn and leave, the uncle called him back.

"You're a student from Totsuki Academy, right? A white-haired student just came over and picked out some fish." The uncle put down his rag and looked at him curiously, asking, "Do you two have some kind of competition tomorrow? Why are you both choosing fish so late at night?"

"Yes, there's a competition at our school tomorrow, and the topic is saury, so I came to check it out."

"I see." The uncle nodded. "Then it's definitely necessary to choose a good one."

"Come to my place tomorrow morning, around six o'clock. The first batch of goods will have just arrived then, and I'll save a few good ones for you."

"Thank you in advance, uncle."

After thanking the uncle, Chen Yuxing turned and went back.

He woke up very early the next morning, before the alarm clock even went off.

When Chen Yuxing washed up and came downstairs, Grandma Wenxu was already busy making breakfast in the kitchen.

I saw him get up, scoop out a bowl of porridge, and hand it to me.

"Let's go after we finish breakfast."

Chen Yuxing drank a bowl of porridge, pushed open the door, and walked towards the market.

Because it was so early, there weren't many people on the road. When he arrived, the stalls were already full of unloaded seafood. The uncle from last night waved to him when he saw him.

"Young man, you've come at just the right time!" The uncle bent down and pulled a saury out of the styrofoam box. The fish was shiny and its gills were still bright red. "It just arrived. Look, it's absolutely fresh."

Chen Yuxing took it and examined it carefully.

The fish has a slender body, a bluish-black back, a silvery-white belly, and bright, clear eyes. It is indeed a good fish.

"They're all good fish, uncle, give me ten."

When they returned to the Polar Star Dormitory, everyone else had gradually gotten up as well.

Chen Yuxing took the saury out and placed it on the cutting board. He picked up a kitchen knife and used the tip of the knife to cut behind the gills. Then he cut open the belly of the fish and took out all the internal organs and threw them away.

Remove the gills from the fish and scrape off the black membrane on its belly before rinsing it under running water.

He put the fish in a basin, poured in cooking wine, sprinkled ginger slices and scallion segments, and marinated it simply for a while.

Taking advantage of this time, he rummaged through the cabinet and found a bottle of fermented soybean paste.

Heat oil in a frying pan, then place the marinated saury, patted dry with paper towels, into the pan one by one.

The fish skin curled up in the hot oil, and the sizzling sound, along with the aroma of saury oil, filled the entire kitchen.

Fry until one side is golden brown, then flip it over and fry the other side in the same way.

Chen Yuxing put all the fried fish aside, leaving the bottom of the pan with fermented bean paste to stir-fry until the oil turned red.

Then sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant and hot. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then push the fish back to the center of the pot and simmer over low heat.

The broth started bubbling in the pot, and the red oil from the fermented bean paste and the color from the soy sauce began to seep into the fish.

Chen Yuxing lifted the lid to check the reduction of the sauce, then put the lid back on and simmered it for a while.

"It should be about time now."

He placed the fish on a plate, poured the broth over it, and sprinkled some chopped cilantro on top.

Daigo Aoki suddenly appeared at the doorway and looked inside: "What's that smell! What are you doing so early in the morning, Hoshino?"

"How about braised saury with fermented soybean paste? Come and have a taste."

Before he could finish speaking, everyone in Polaris Dormitory rushed in and had a taste.

After everyone had finished tasting, Soma Yukihira looked at Chen Yuxing with some curiosity and asked, "The final is in 3 hours, Yuxing, are you planning to make this?"

Chapter 93 The Competition Begins

"This dish was just something I tried out casually. As for what I actually wanted to make..."

Everyone in Polaris Dormitory gathered in the kitchen. Chen Yuxing leaned against the counter, looking at the plate of braised saury with fermented soybean paste that had been eaten clean. He pondered for a moment, then said mysteriously, "You'll find out when the competition starts."

"What! Ah Xing, why are you starting to keep us in suspense too!" Yoshino Yuuki pouted and grumbled at Chen Yuxing with some dissatisfaction.

"That's right! Everyone's been your support team, how come you didn't even tell us?" Daigo Aoki chimed in from the side.

Chen Yuxing smiled and shook his head without saying anything. He turned around and walked back to the counter, picked up the remaining saury and examined it.

Pacific saury is a representative fish of autumn.

Pacific saury has the highest fat content during this season, making its flesh plump and delicious, but it also has the strongest fishy smell.

Pacific saury is usually prepared by grilling with salt or eating as sashimi.

If his opponent were Akira Hayama, he would definitely work on the spices to suppress the fishy smell of the saury and enhance its aroma.

If I were to do the same, my chances of winning against Akira Hayama in a spice contest wouldn't be very high, not to mention that I don't use saury very often.

Chen Yuxing picked up a saury, made a small incision behind the gills with the tip of his knife, and then cut along the belly of the fish to remove and discard the internal organs before removing the gill lamellae.

I scraped the black fascia inside the fish's belly clean with my hands.

The main fishy smell of saury comes from this black membrane and the blood and bones. If it is not cleaned properly, no matter how well it is seasoned later, it will be useless.

Chen Yuxing rinsed the fish under the tap and placed all the cleaned saury on a plate.

"Salt, Sichuan peppercorns, white wine, ginger slices, and..." Chen Yuxing rubbed the seasonings onto the fish while quickly thinking of a recipe in his mind.

Although the first dish I made, the saury with fermented soybean paste, was quite good, it still falls far short of being comparable to that of Akira Hayama.

He needs a dish that is more distinctive and impactful.

Hunan cuisine, or more specifically, the Hunan-style cooking method.

The fish is prepared by pan-frying and grilling, using chopped chili peppers and fermented black beans to enhance the flavor.

The fish skin is fried until crispy, while the fish meat is kept tender.

Finally, use perilla leaves to enhance the aroma and remove any fishy smell. This method will result in a more flavorful saury than regular pan-fried saury.

Chen Yuxing pondered for a moment, then put the seasoned fish into the refrigerator to chill, before turning around to prepare the other necessary ingredients.

For example, chopped chili peppers, scallions, ginger, garlic, fermented black beans, and perilla leaves, etc.

He packed all the seasonings together, glanced at the time, and saw that there were still about two hours before the competition started.

There was still time. Chen Yuxing took out a prepared saury, used absorbent paper to dry the surface of the fish, and then made three cuts on each side of the fish.

The cut should be made just deep enough to reach the fish bone. This way, the heat can penetrate the fish more quickly when frying, and the fish meat can absorb more flavor.

Pour oil into a frying pan and heat it over medium heat.

When the oil was about 60% hot, Chen Yuxing put the saury in.

The fish skin sizzled and popped the moment it came into contact with the hot oil, and quickly turned golden brown.

He held the handle of the frying pan and gently shook it, allowing the hot oil to evenly coat the entire saury until both sides were golden brown and crispy.

Chen Yuxing scooped the cooked saury onto a plate.

Don't discard the oil in the pan; just add the chopped chili peppers and fermented black beans, and sauté over low heat until fragrant.

Add minced garlic and shredded scallions to the pan and stir-fry. When it's almost done, add sugar to neutralize the flavor of the chopped chili peppers, then drizzle in a little light soy sauce and cooking wine. Finally, add half a bowl of water and bring it to a boil over high heat.

The broth began to bubble in the pot, its bright red color and rich aroma spreading outwards.

At this point, Chen Yuxing put the fried saury back into the pot and kept pouring the broth over the fish with a spoon.

The saury began to glisten with oil after being soaked in the broth, and the flavors of chopped chili peppers and fermented black beans seeped into the fish through the pre-cut incisions.

He sprinkled a little perilla on the fish, covered the pot, and simmered it over low heat for about two minutes.

The perilla leaves, once cooked in the hot pan, begin to release their unique, refreshing aroma, which intertwines with the oily fragrance of the saury and the spiciness of the chopped chili peppers to create a complex flavor.

After simmering for a while, it's ready to be served. Chen Yuxing first took the saury out and placed it on a plate. Then, he turned up the heat to reduce the remaining broth in the pot and poured it over the fish.

Finally, sprinkle some perilla leaves and white sesame seeds on the plate, and it's done.

The saury lay flat on the plate, its skin fried to a golden brown and crispy, covered with a layer of bright red sauce.

The combination of the emerald green of perilla and the snow-white of sesame seeds creates a beautiful color contrast, making it look incredibly delicious.

Chen Yuxing picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth to taste.

The fish skin is crispy, and the fish meat is tender.

Furthermore, the spiciness of the chopped chili peppers and the saltiness of the fermented black beans complement each other perfectly, while the refreshing aroma of perilla leaves finishes the dish off, effectively eliminating any fishy smell.

"Then this is the dish."

Chen Yuxing put down his chopsticks and smiled as he looked at the dish in front of him.

……

Time flies.

On the day of the final match, the venue, which had witnessed the birth of countless legends, was packed with spectators.

The final of the Autumn Selection Tournament will see the two best first-year students compete for the ultimate title.

Everyone from Polaris Dormitory arrived early and secured good spots in the front row.

Yoshino Yuuki held up a new banner that she had made overnight.

The image depicts a chibi version of Chen Yuxing, arms crossed, looking domineering, with the words "The Uncrowned Tyrant of Polaris Dormitory" written next to him.

As before, Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato stood upright on either side of the flagpole, acting as human flagpoles.

Soma Yukihira leaned on the railing, looking at the stage below with great curiosity: "What kind of dish is Hoshi preparing? Why is he being so mysterious..."

Tadokoro Megumi sat next to Granny Fumio, holding her amulet in her hand and closing her eyes, as if she were praying for Chen Yuxing.

Ryoko Sakaki and Ikumi Mito sat calmly in their seats, waiting for the match to begin. Miyoko Hojo sat beside them, looking at the match field with some anticipation.

Meanwhile, the lights came on first at the judges' seats.

The judges then came out one by one.

The first to emerge was Senzaemon Nakiri. The Supreme Commander was still wearing his signature black kimono. He walked to the center of the judging panel, sat down, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

Next to emerge was Gin Dojima, who was wearing a dark gray suit. Under the lights, his imposing figure and cold face were quite imposing.

Dojima Gin walked to the left side of the judges' panel and sat down first, placing his hands on the table and scanning the entire room.

When the third judge appeared, the entire moonlit sky fell silent.

She was a woman wearing a white dress, with long, silvery-white hair cascading down her back. Her elegant demeanor made her seem like a figure who had stepped out of an oil painting.

Leonora Nakiri.

The leader of the Nakiri International Research Association, and also one of the inheritors of the Nakiri family bloodline, and the mother of Nakiri Alice.

She lifted her skirt and slowly walked onto the judges' table, nodded slightly to the audience, and then sat to the right of Senzaemon Nakiri.

"Mom! Why didn't you tell me you were coming back to China?!"

A gasp suddenly came from the audience.

Alice Nakiri stood up from her seat and looked at the white-haired woman on the judges' panel with disbelief, while Ryo Kurokiba next to her just yawned lazily, as if he already knew the news.

"Oh dear, Mom wanted to give you a surprise." Nakiri Leonora waved in her daughter's direction and said with a smile in Japanese with a very obvious foreign accent, "And I heard that someone beat you, Alice, in this competition, so how could Mom not come and see?"

Alice clearly wanted to say something more, but Kurokiba Ryo pulled her back and said something to her, so she sat down again with a sullen look on her face.

Meanwhile, at the Polaris Dormitory, Marui Zenji adjusted his glasses and began to introduce Nakiri Leonora to everyone: "Nakiri Leonora is the head and commander of the Nakiri International Research Department, which is based at the headquarters in Denmark. This organization is dedicated to creating new cuisines and molecular cooking with the latest science."

"It is said that she is also one of the most talented people in the Nakiri family, and like the Commander-in-Chief, she has the special physique of 'clothes tearing', except that hers should be called 'speech tearing'."