Shokugeki: Start with an izakaya, making everyone cry

It's approaching noon.

The sky began to take on a deep blue color.

A few white clouds floated leisurely in the sky, as soft as cotton candy.

There was a gentle breeze.

Brought the faint fragrance of flowers and plants in the distance!

Pedestrians on the street either walked hurriedly or sat leisurely in roadside cafes, enjoying this rare and beautiful time.

At this moment, Zhang Fan, who had gotten up early, could smell a burst of fresh fragrance as soon as he opened the window.

……

After washing up.

He went to the kitchen and wanted to make some breakfast for himself.

"what?"

"Kikuchi, are you up?"

However, just as he stepped into the kitchen, he saw that extremely familiar and slim figure.

Since the closure of the Shunka-tei restaurant, she and the two girls, Kadozaki Taki, who were "homeless", naturally had to temporarily stay in an izakaya.

Therefore, it was not surprising that she appeared in the kitchen at this time, but it still made Zhang Fan a little confused.

"Zhang Fan, are you awake?"

Hearing the magnetic male voice behind him, Mu Jiuchi Yuanguo quickly put down the tools in his hands and couldn't help but turned around and smiled at Zhang Fan.

"Just woke up!"

"What are you doing?"

Zhang Fan came closer curiously and asked.

"Hey, planning on baking some muffins."

Mu Jiuzhi pointed to the unfinished muffins on the chopping board and replied softly.

……

Muffins originated in England.

The ingredients and methods are simple, the success rate is high, and it is very delicious. Whether paired with honey, cream, or fresh fruit, it can always bring out a different charm.

In the afternoon tea time, it plays an indispensable sweet role.

After all, this substance produced by adding water to flour and stirring has good stretchability and elasticity.

When making muffins.

Flour is the main ingredient.

The wet gluten formed by mixing flour and water into dough will produce water vapor when heated in the oven.

usually.

The higher the baking humidity, the greater the water vapor pressure.

The expansion force on wet gluten is also greater.

In this way, layer by layer of dough continues to expand due to heat until the water in the gluten is completely dried out.

In fact.

Knowledge of baking muffins.

Many people only stay at some low-level levels!

……

"Zhang Fan, the pancakes are ready. Would you like to taste them?"

Just as Zhang Fan fell into a brief period of thought, Mu Jiuzhi next to him picked up a small freshly baked muffin and shook it slightly in front of him.

The freshly baked almond muffins exude a rich aroma of egg and milk.

At the same time, it is mixed with a faint and charming almond scent, like a breeze caressing your face in spring, gentle and sweet.

"Ok!"

Zhang Fan came back to his senses.

Then, under Mu Jiuzhi's gaze, he took the toasted muffin and couldn't help but take a small bite.

"Huh? This smell..."

Fragrant, soft and sweet!

It has a soft texture when you bite it.

Although the ingredients needed are indeed a bit monotonous, with Mu Jiuzhi's careful baking, the aroma of the baked muffins can still be fully brought out!

Especially the unique sweet taste of almonds, which lingers in your mouth.

Quite literally.

Mu Jiuzhi is not good at desserts.

However, this level of baked pancakes should be considered top-notch in the entire Japanese dessert world.

……

"How do you like the taste of this almond muffin?"

Looking at Zhang Fan who closed his eyes and began to recall the taste in his mouth, Mu Jiuzhi on the side couldn't help but ask.

"Let me think first."

"Well, overall, this cake is pretty good."

“Although the heat control is indeed perfect, the pancakes are not burnt or mushy, and the flavor is fully brought out.”

"But there is still a small flaw. The ratio of flour to water is completely wrong, resulting in a lack of chewy texture when eaten...Also, almonds alone are not enough!"

"You can consider adding more honey, or even sugar!"

Swallowed.

Only then did Zhang Fan express his opinion truthfully.

"is it?"

Blinking his eyes, Mu Jiuzhi asked in confusion: "So there are so many details to make pancakes?"

"Then can you make me some almond muffins according to your idea?"

"of course can!"

Zhang Fan did not refuse.

……

First, prepare the low-gluten flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and put them into a cooking bowl.

Stir well and set aside.

Pour eggs, milk and oil into a bowl and stir until no oil is visible.

Next, sift the previous powder into the liquid.

Then, use an egg beater to mix well.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Just like that, the batter is done!

Due to the lack of ovens capable of baking, Zhang Fan could only use the more traditional frying and baking methods to make these pancakes!

He first prepared a frying pan, then scooped up the batter with a spoon and poured it down from 20cm above the pan.

At this time, the batter will automatically flow into a circle.

After pouring, turn to low heat and start frying slowly. When you see many bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, turn it over until the back is evenly colored, then turn off the heat immediately.

Then, when you make the next pancake, cool the pan down, rinse the bottom of the pan directly with water, pour the batter in, and then turn on the fire to fry.

Finally, when all the pancakes are fried and baked, they are served on a plate.

But when assembling the dishes, Zhang Fan spread honey on the surface of each pancake, and also added fried eggs and bacon for garnish.

in this way.

The fragrant and beautiful muffins are now done!

……

"How about it?"

"How does that compare to the almond muffins you made?"

Zhang Fan quickly finished making the pancakes, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and couldn't help but look back at Mu Jiuchi, whose eyes were full of curiosity.

"Excuse my stupidity."

"After watching it once, I still don't know where the difference between the two lies."

Mu Jiuzhi's face suddenly turned red due to this soul-piercing interrogation.

Looking at her shy and helpless expression, Zhang Fan was stunned at first, and then he understood something.

"Then try it first."

“I believe this muffin will surprise you.”

"Oh well."

Hearing this, Mu Jiuzhi obediently reached out and picked up a small muffin, ready to taste it.

……

Seriously, just look at the appearance.

The muffins Zhang Fan made were indeed very different from the ones she learned to make from the cookbook.

Pancakes like Zhang Fan's, in addition to being more beautiful, actually exude a rich egg and milk aroma, mixed with a light meat aroma. And perhaps because of the frying and baking, the heat is stronger and the water vapor evaporates faster!

Therefore, when you hold it in your hand, you will feel it is crispy.

"Gao"

A light bite.

You can feel the pleasure of the layers of puff pastry breaking in your mouth, as if every bite is a dance of your taste buds.

This crisp feeling and the unique aroma of almonds complement each other, making the whole muffin full of tempting sweetness.

The filling is richer.

The rich and dense taste of almonds is slowly released in the mouth, bringing a deep and lasting satisfaction.

Moreover, the almonds have just the right sweetness.

It’s not overly sweet, but perfectly balances the crispiness of the crust.

This makes the whole muffin have distinct layers of taste, and you can taste different delicious flavors in every bite.

This muffin even has a light milky aroma, which blends with the almond aroma to make the whole muffin taste richer, as if it can make people taste a full sense of happiness in their mouths!

Finally, as you chew, the texture of the muffin gradually changes.

From the initial crispness to the final softness, this change not only enriches the taste, but also allows Mu Jiuzhi to feel the passage of time and the beauty of life while enjoying the food.

This feeling is indeed unexpected!

Especially the crispy and sweet taste made Mu Jiuzhi feel incredible!

"This...this pancake is so delicious!"

Light and tasty.

Sweet but not greasy.

It also comes with fried eggs and bacon!

Mu Jiuzhi, it was the first time I ate such delicious pancakes.

The muffins were coated with layers of honey, and they tasted very sweet.

But the amount used is controlled very precisely so as not to seriously affect the flavor of the muffins themselves!

She continued to bite down, and she could actually eat fried eggs and bacon. This unexpected surprise instantly intoxicated Mu Jiuzhi, so much so that she quickly ate the pancake in her hand after just a few bites!

"Did I finish eating so quickly?"

Finally, Mu Jiuzhi came back to his senses and saw that his hands were empty, so he muttered to himself with a puzzled look on his face.

Then she looked at the fragrant muffins on the table and couldn't help hesitating, "Zhang Fan, can I have another one?"

"Eat it if you want!"

"These things are definitely made to be eaten, so it doesn't matter who eats them, right?"

"Yeah, thank you very much."

Hearing this, Mu Jiuzhi's eyes lit up.

He quickly picked up another muffin and started eating it with relish.

In the end, she was eating a muffin in her mouth, holding a muffin in her hand, and looking at another muffin.

Such a good way of eating.

If you didn’t know, you would think she had been hungry for several days and nights!

……

Color on muffins.

The reason why it is slightly brown is due to the chemical reaction between protein and sugar under high temperature.

This reaction is actually the Maillard browning reaction.

The temperature of this reaction must be between 140 and 170 degrees Celsius. If the color is not dark, it means that the baking temperature is not high enough or the baking time is not enough.

of course.

It could also be that there isn’t enough sugar.

Therefore, the purpose of brushing on layers of honey is far more than just increasing the sweetness.

"Phew, so satisfying!"

Gradually, Mu Jiuzhi, who had already eaten several pancakes in a row, couldn't help but exclaim.

In terms of cooking skills, Zhang Fan is really strong.

Not only was her knowledge of baking pancakes far superior to Mu Jiuzhi's, but even her understanding of how to use and use many ingredients was something she would find difficult to achieve in her lifetime.

……

Time passed quickly and it was soon time for the izakaya to open for business.

The first diner today was none other than Leonora Nakiri, who had been there last night!

"Whoo~"

“At the entrance.”

“Although it tastes a little bitter, after swallowing it, there is an endless sweetness that lingers in your memory.”

"It's quite interesting. Whether it's the brewing process or the taste and flavor of this wine, it's different from the dandelion wine brewed by those wineries outside."

“In terms of quality.”

"The dandelion wine at the izakaya is undoubtedly the most delicious wine in the world!"

Savor it carefully.

Leonora closed her eyes with great satisfaction!

As the director of Nakiri's international research department, she is involved in molecular cuisine, various novel theories and research on cuisine, or a brewing method that only requires two layers of porcelain bowls to reduce the distillation process once...

Leonora, can quickly understand the truth.

Therefore, she knew very well that the dandelion wine in this izakaya was not brewed using the most advanced distillation method.

However, the taste of the wine brewed using such primitive methods was so unique that she had always been puzzled.

"Zhang Fan, did you brew this dandelion wine yourself?"

Then, Leonora slowly raised her head and asked Zhang Fan.

“It must be home-brewed.”

Zhang Fan just responded calmly.

"Can you tell me the secret recipe for brewing this dandelion wine?"

Leonora continued to drink a sip of dandelion wine, her expression showing that she was still reluctant to leave.

“Clean the grapes, rinse them with warm water, then crush all the wild grapes, pour them into the wine barrel, add dandelion roots and sugar and stir thoroughly.”

"Finally, cover it with a lid and seal it for fermentation."

"Hmm, what next?"

"What do you mean by "then"? That's it!" Zhang Fan replied with a shrug.

"Gone?"

"Is the method of brewing this wine so simple?"

When Leonora heard this, her eyes showed disbelief!

Such a simple brewing method can refine the flavor of dandelion wine to a very unique level.

If there is no trick involved, she won't believe anything you say.

“It’s not that simple actually!”

"After all, there is a lot of knowledge involved."

“You have to know that before brewing, you need to determine the style and various parameters, and the most influential factors in the brewing of dandelion wine are the selection of hops and special malts!”

“Both of these factors determine the flavor of the beer, especially for hop-heavy styles like APA or IPA.”

“Also, the types of hops.”

“It also determines the type and complexity of the aroma of the wine.”

"For example, is it more floral? Or more pine scent? Or more fruity?"

"As for the dandelion flower, it is different from its roots and leaves. It can be considered a kind of nectar under extreme conditions!"

"But in the brewing process, you still need some condiments to make the perfect wine, which requires raisins and a little orange juice!"

"Only in this way."

“The finished product has a sweet and refreshing taste, with unique floral and fruity flavors.”

"Oh, I get it."

“It turns out that something strange was added during the brewing process.”

Leonora, after listening carefully to Zhang Fan's explanation, finally understood.