Shokuki: Start with an izakaya and make everyone cry

time.

A little, a little bit back.

After Chaoyang Saiba left the three-star dessert shop, at that moment, a sense of failure that she had never felt before suddenly pressed on Erina's heart like a heavy boulder.

Her eyes gradually lost their former glory, as if shrouded in an invisible haze, and the light gradually dimmed.

at the same time.

That soft yet tough body.

This strong body that had supported her countless challenges and struggles seemed to have had all its strength suddenly taken away at this moment, limp and losing its support.

Slowly.

Almost, even more so, he fell back helplessly.

Immediately afterwards, Erina collapsed to the ground as everyone was stunned.

At this moment, the ground felt extremely cold, piercing her skin through her clothes, but it was nothing compared to the biting chill in her heart.

The surrounding sounds began to become blurry.

The noise of the crowd and the smell of food were all moving away from her, leaving only the sound of her rapid and heavy breathing echoing in her ears.

…

"Hui...Miss, are you okay?"

Seeing this situation, Hisako was so anxious that he quickly came over to help Erina up.

"fine!"

"I'm just a little tired."

Erina spread her hands helplessly.

She raised her palms upward, as if she was seeking some solace from the world, but she knew very well that no one could relieve her helplessness.

Like Si Eishi, Kobayashi Ryodan, Dojima Gin, Shinomiya Kojiro and others, she underestimated the strength of the late-night cook. Although she was defeated without a fight, she was somewhat unwilling to do so, but more importantly, she was worried about the future. The fear of uncertainty!

However.

next moment.

But her eyes became firm.

She knew that she was in a very awkward situation now, but that didn't mean she would be there forever.

"It seems that with the strength of us alone, it is difficult to compete with the late-night cooks. And the only hope at the moment, no, I should say that the chef who can defeat all the late-night cooks is Zhang Fan!"

In the end, Erina just said this lightly.

…

night.

Step into this cozy izakaya.

It feels like you have traveled through the hustle and bustle of the city and come to a small world full of stories and warmth.

The air is filled with distinct aromas, interwoven into an intoxicating symphony of the senses.

First of all, there is the irresistible aroma of wine, which lingers gently on the tip of the nose, with a hint of drunken temptation. Sake is as clear and translucent as spring water. Its aroma is elegant and long, as if it can wash away the dust in the soul!

Plum wine, on the other hand, has the sweetness of the fruit and the mellowness of the wine.

The two blend perfectly, exuding a pleasant fragrance that makes people want to take a sip and feel the unique charm.

Immediately afterwards.

The aroma of food poured into the nasal cavity not to be outdone.

Each of them is unique, but they coexist harmoniously, forming a feast for the taste buds.

The aroma of grilled fish, with the slightly smoky flavor of charcoal and the deliciousness of the fish, allows people to see that under the golden and crispy skin, the tender and juicy fish is waiting to be savored.

The fresh sashimi on the sushi exudes the freshness of the ocean and the sweetness of the fish. Every bite is a tribute to the sea.

In addition, there are also those hot snacks, such as:

The fried golden and crispy chicken pieces are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, full of aroma.

Or that bowl of hot ramen, the soup is rich but not greasy, the noodles are elastic, paired with fresh barbecued pork and green onions, every bite is full of happiness!

Although it has been upgraded and renovated two or three times, the area of ​​​​this izakaya is still not very large.

However.

The aroma of wine and food are always intertwined, creating an indescribable warmth and comfort.

People sit around, raise glasses and drink together, talk and laugh, and enjoy this rare relaxation and freedom. Here, time will become very slow, making people forget the busyness and fatigue of the day and just want to immerse themselves in this beauty. among.

At the same time, it also makes people forget the fear caused by cooking late at night these days!

…

At this moment.

The former commander-in-chief mentioned Senzaemon while silently drinking beer alone.

All he saw was a cup of golden-colored beer with fine foam being gently placed in front of him.

The delicate foam is as light as clouds, slowly dissipating in the air, leaving behind delicate lines. When you open the bottle cap, a fresh malty aroma comes to your nostrils. It is the summer afternoon breeze, carrying the fragrance of the fields.

After taking the first sip of beer, the cold liquid instantly activated every taste bud.

The sweetness of the malt and the light bitterness are intertwined, just like the ups and downs of life, leaving people with endless aftertaste.

"call!"

"What a pleasure."

Sighing from the breath of alcohol, Senzaemon sighed.

Afterwards, he turned his attention to Zhang Fan and said with a smile: "I said Zhang Fan, why don't you go to Totsuki Academy and comfort my granddaughter Erina?"

"I heard that she was defeated without fighting in front of the late-night cook leader, and her mentality was close to collapse. After returning to Yuanyue, she locked herself in the dormitory and was sad alone!"

"well!"

"Although she is Commander-in-Chief Yuanyue."

"But in the final analysis, she is just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl."

…

"hehe."

“I competed with late-night cooks.”

"They are all a group of gamblers who put their lives at risk. Most chefs in the cooking world can hardly resist their ruthlessness."

"It is reasonable for Erina to lose to them."

Zhang Fan said lightly.

In fact, there is one sentence that he did not say in front of Senzaemon.

According to the plot of the original work, Erina, who has the talent of the tongue of God, is definitely stronger than Saiba Chaoyang. And with his accidental crossing, it has directly changed Erina's life, causing her potential to be developed in advance!

So, in theory, just like the original Nakiri Azuchi coup, Erina should be able to solve this late-night cooking incident by herself.

However.

The butterfly effect.

It not only affects Erina, but also affects Saiba Chaoyang.

Under the planning of Nakiri Managi, he arranged the late-night cooking to invade the catering industry in Japan in advance.

As a result, he was like a Gu, constantly absorbing the power of a large number of elite chefs such as Saiba Shiroichiro, Dojima Gin, Shinomiya Kojiro, and Si Eiji, so that his own strength was improved to a point where even Erina couldn't beat him!

"Yeah."

"I just bought some bamboo fungus recently."

"How about I make you a Longjing bamboo fungus dish to taste?"

Retracting his thoughts, Zhang Fan continued to ask Senzaemon.

"Okay!"

"Thank you."

Senzaemon nodded in response.

...

Speaking of bamboo fungus.

The first thing that comes to mind for many people is the fresh and fragrant young shoots of bamboo.

Well, this is a very common misunderstanding.

In fact, bamboo fungus is also called bamboo fungus, bamboo ginseng, bamboo statue, net yarn fungus, fairy cage, etc. It is a kind of cryptogamous fungus parasitic on the roots of dead bamboo and belongs to the fungus kingdom.

Its shape resembles a mesh umbrella, with a delicate white mesh skirt at the top of the stem that spreads from the cap to the bottom, like a girl's gauze skirt.

Therefore, bamboo fungus also has many elegant names with artistic conception, such as "Snow Skirt Fairy", "Mountain Treasure Flower", "Fungus Flower", "Queen of Fungi", etc.

In the entire natural world, there are more than a dozen species of bamboo fungus, but there are only four types of bamboo fungus that people can eat on a daily basis, namely:

Long Skirt Bamboo Fungus.

Short Skirt Bamboo Fungus.

Thorn Bamboo Fungus.

Red Bamboo Fungus.

They can be found in the south of the Celestial Empire, the three northeastern provinces, and Southeast Asia.

Its rich nutritional value and delicious taste have made bamboo fungus listed as one of the "Eight Grass Treasures" along with Hericium erinaceus and Tremella fuciformis since ancient times.

And the so-called Eight Grass Treasures.

refers to the eight precious ingredients in the ancient Manchu-Han Banquet of the Celestial Empire.

The earliest knowledge of bamboo fungus should be said to have started from the notes novel "Youyang Zazu" by Tang Dynasty novelist Duan Chengshi.

It wrote: "In the Yanxiang Garden of Emperor Jianwen of Liang, in the tenth year of Datong (544 AD), a bamboo forest sprouted a mushroom, eight inches long, with a black head like a chicken head, and a handle like a lotus handle, which was hollow inside, with a white skin and a slightly red root."

Therefore, in ancient times, bamboo fungus has always been a tribute to the court, and only royal members can eat it.

Until the last few decades.

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of artificial breeding technology, large-scale production and cultivation of bamboo fungus have been achieved in more and more areas of the Celestial Empire.

From a precious ingredient monopolized by dignitaries in the past, it has gradually become a commodity and market-oriented ingredient.

In addition to Longjing Bamboo Fungus Soup in the Manchu-Han Banquet and Furong Bamboo Fungus Soup in the State Banquet, the processing of bamboo fungus has gradually become commonplace. Recipes such as bamboo fungus konjac chicken soup, bamboo fungus spareribs, fried bamboo fungus meat rolls, and home-cooked bamboo fungus eggs stewed in gravy have also begun to appear everywhere.

…

Time passes.

Zhang Fan, who is making Longjing Bamboo Fungus, is taking the last step.

He took out a bottle of wine, opened the bottle cap, and suddenly a pure and subtle fragrance overflowed. The wine in the bottle was as pure and clear as a mirror.

The air was immediately filled with the aroma of wine. A light sniff made it seem as if the whole body was about to be drunk. There was no thick sweetness, no alcohol that stung the throat, only a faint fruity aroma, a light sourness, but also a mellow body.

He first gently opened the lid of the bowl, and the aroma of the Longjing bamboo fungus, which had not yet been formed, immediately filled the entire izakaya.

It was hard to imagine.

Such a dish was still an unfinished semi-finished product?

Then a stream of sake was poured into the bowl and poured over the Longjing bamboo fungus.

So much so that, in that brief moment, the brain of Senzaemon almost short-circuited: "Huh? This is..."

...

Actually, to be precise.

The Manchu-Han Banquet did not originate from the palace, but from the officialdom of Jiangnan.

And this dish of Longjing bamboo fungus just made is the soup of the Manchu-Han Banquet.

Longjing bamboo fungus belongs to Zhejiang cuisine.

The main ingredient is bamboo fungus, the taste is fresh, the process is steamed, and the difficulty is advanced.

The main ingredients are dried bamboo fungus, and the ingredients are fish paste, peas, water-soaked hair algae, cooked ham, rapeseed, bean sprouts, and egg white.

Obviously, the ingredients needed are also very ordinary, but as a stream of sake slowly flows down, an unusual Longjing bamboo fungus is born.

Remove fishy smell.

Enhance flavor.

Regulate fragrance.

Increase tender, smooth and slippery taste.

The effect of sake is immediately brought to its fullest at this moment.

Especially this kind of sake, which is clear and transparent, fragrant and pleasant, with a pure taste, soft and refreshing. Its sour, sweet, bitter, astringent and spicy tastes are harmonious, and the alcohol content is above 15%-17%. It contains a variety of amino acids and vitamins, and is a nutritious beverage.

"OK, my Longjing bamboo fungus is really done."

Zhang Fan took a deep breath and said.

And the one who mentioned Senzaemon over there couldn't help showing a greedy expression.

"Then."

"I'm not polite."

After saying that, he couldn't wait to taste it.

Although bamboo fungus is listed as a tribute to the court, this kind of food always has a very strange smell before it is processed, a bit like the smell of soap, detergent and the like.

Moreover, if it is left for a long time, it will have a sour taste.

But as long as it is soaked in clean water first to remove the odor left during processing, it will become fragrant and delicious.

...

Distinguish the quality of a dish.

Often you can know it roughly at the first bite.

Nakiri Senzaemon only took a small bite and stood there like a log, staring blankly at the Longjing bamboo fungus in front of him in disbelief.

In this situation, it seems that he simply cannot believe his taste buds, as if struck by a bolt from the blue, and is completely attracted by this Longjing bamboo fungus.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally slapped the table and praised: "Delicious!"

"The shape is complete, the skirt is long and even, the color is light yellow, the smell is fragrant, and the taste is delicious. Bamboo fungus is a very difficult ingredient to handle. After all, this ingredient itself has a strange taste."

"But the Longjing bamboo fungus dish you made, Zhang Fan, tastes so delicious."

"What's going on?"

"Is it because of the sake? Removing fishy smell, enhancing flavor, and adjusting fragrance, isn't this the role of sake?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"The fish paste slices in the bowl, this... is impossible, why... would there be such a thing?"

...

The chef's approach often determines the characteristics of the dish.

After the fish skin and bones are peeled and the fish meat is minced, it is called fish paste. Therefore, among many dishes, dishes made with paste as the raw material are the most delicate in operation, complex in procedures, and delicate in finished products.

Although with the development of cooking technology, today, paste dishes have been widely used in high-end banquets and general banquets.

But the incredible thing is that Zhang Fan actually broke away from the previous dull and old methods, and the fish paste he made became more delicate and smooth, white in color, and beautiful in shape.

There is no doubt that from the selection of raw materials, knife processing, water mixing, to adding salt to tighten the strength, product shaping, cooked and plated...

Every step.

Every detail.

Zhang Fan can do it perfectly, without any flaws.

Yes!

This is the strength of Zhang Fan! (End of this chapter)