Shokugeki: Start with an izakaya, making everyone cry

In the Neon Country, which is trapped in a low-desire society, Duansheli and Uniqlo are popular.

Only ramen restaurants, dessert shops, late-night restaurants, izakayas, sushi restaurants, etc., can still have long queues.

Perhaps under the bad economic situation, people have put all their desires into the pursuit of delicious food, right?

What's more, game ingredients like bear paws, something that is not often available in daily life, and something that represents natural growth rather than artificial catalysis, can arouse the desire in the heart.

Especially, when it comes to "eating".

As a foodie, Kobayashi Gentian actually has the most say.

Si Yingshi once commented that she has three different looks, namely:
  She is a gourmet who has eaten all over the world, a serious explorer of unknown ingredients, and a barbarian who dares to handle any ingredient.

Even Isek Hui, who is currently the seventh seat of the Ten Elites, is always in a state of "coding" every time she thinks about her cooking.

It can be seen that Kobayashi Rgentian is not just a foodie.

She also has more understanding than ordinary people when it comes to strange ingredients.

After all, for her, all game ingredients from nature can satisfy a lot of desires!

……

soft!
  Really tender!

There's not even a little bit of odor.

The meat is always a bit tough and chewy, and with various seasonings such as honey, the aroma is particularly strong.

It is not even an exaggeration to say that its taste and texture are far better than A5 grade beef.

After Kobayashi Ryodan regained consciousness for a moment, her eyes were suddenly full of greed. She started chewing slowly and carefully, and immediately turned to wolfing down large chunks.

I began to constantly want to feel the mellow taste of the bear paw meat being crushed in my mouth and the thick gelatin gradually dispersing in my mouth.

In the end, she devoured the entire plate of orchids and bear paws.

Even if there was a little bit of gravy left, she mixed it with some rice and ate it all.

"Shopkeeper, your food is really good."

"I think that few people can surpass me in bear paws, but you can have a deeper understanding."

"Anyway, you give me the feeling that you can cook anything and any ingredients. It would be great if I could graduate from Totsuki Academy immediately and stay with you."

Finally, after savoring the delicious taste of bear paws, Kobayashi Ryo couldn't help praising and sighing.

"Food has its own texture and its own logic."

"Most of the time, we are busy trying to find food, and we are used to stealing from nature."

"Game ingredients often mean unnecessary high prices and irresponsible damage to the ecological chain, so how to continue to eat them is also a test for a good eater."

Hearing this, Zhang Fan just smiled lightly and replied.

Xiaolin Ringtong was stunned for a moment, then nodded, deeply convinced.

There is a very mysterious saying about bear meat: its fat melting point is very low, close to room temperature, so if there is anything that can melt in your mouth, this is it, right?
  Of course, if you want to make it as sticky and glutinous as Zhang Fan's orchid bear paw, you need extremely high cooking skills.

On this point, not even Kobayashi Ringtong himself can question this.

……

In fact, in the original plot.

Kobayashi Ringtong's character is actually a bit casual and unrestrained.

When Nakiri Hisashi launched an impromptu coup and she needed to make a choice, she knew that his policies and ideas might cause greater turmoil in Totsuki, but she still voted in favor.

It was precisely because of her vote that Nakiri Thistle finally succeeded in replacing Nakiri Senzaemon and became the new commander-in-chief of Totsuki with a slight advantage of one more vote.

It can be said that Totsuki Academy will gradually split in the later period and be completely divided into two forces.

She was behind the scenes and played a role in fueling the flames!
  However, if we look at it as a matter of fact, can you say that she is a complete villain?
  Maybe she also deeply understands that the so-called "elite education" model in today's Totsuki Academy has brought many contradictions and problems.

Everything has actually reached a point where it should be overthrown and started over.

Judging from various performances in the later period, she was not a true supporter of Nakiri Thistle.

Therefore, in Zhang Fan's eyes, she is considered a relatively "positive" character, a character with a distinctive personality!

……

"Ah? Drinking alone under the moon?"

"The four big characters on this plaque are written very beautifully!"

"According to the address provided by the commander-in-chief, the location of the izakaya should be here, right?"

At this moment, Zhang Fan was clearing the dishes.

A lady in a gorgeous dress hesitated outside the door, then walked into the izakaya with light and elegant steps.

Looking closely, her long silver-white hair was randomly pulled into a loose bun, which looked a bit casual but elegant.

On the beautiful face, those eyes looking around are always full of tenderness.

Maybe it's because she is from Northern Europe and her skin is very fair. Whether it's a gorgeous skirt or some exquisite jewelry, she can't hide her inner confidence and noble temperament!
  "I don't have dazzling eyes?"

"How could it be...her?"

Zhang Fan raised his head slightly and glanced, suddenly stunned.

It's the time of accommodation and training. According to the current plot timeline, she shouldn't appear in Neon Country, let alone an izakaya, right?
  Of course, with his arrival, many butterfly effect events have appeared in this world, so he cannot treat them with the previous understanding.

Zhang Fan, who wanted to understand this, couldn't help but feel relieved!

……

Just arrived.

Leonora is naturally very interested in everything here.

Although this izakaya is of average size, it has a suitable environment, especially the handsome owner, whose eyes stayed on him for a long time.

Finally, Leonora Nakiri came to her senses and asked curiously: "Are you the shop owner, Zhang Fan?"

"Well, I am."

Zhang Fan responded lightly.

"Oh, that's really as the commander-in-chief said, very young!"

"You are also very handsome. No wonder my daughter Alice often mentions you on the phone. No, she praises you."

Because she had been living in Northern Europe, Leonora's tone of voice was always somewhat colloquial, and some words were even difficult to pronounce.

"Daughter Alice? So, you are Alice's mother?"

Zhang Fan couldn't help but touch the tip of his nose when he heard this, and asked knowingly.

"Yes, I would like to formally introduce you to you. I am Alice's mother, Leonora Nakiri."

"Accepted by the official commission, I returned to Totsuki Academy early to prepare to serve as the judge for the autumn selection."

Leonora Nakiri replied enthusiastically.

Although it was her first time here and she was not familiar with Zhang Fan, he left a very deep impression on her, which moved her deeply.

After all, compared to a cooking laboratory full of bad old men, this izakaya with a warm atmosphere will inevitably make Leonora feel comfortable and relaxed!
  In fact, there is still some time before the start of the autumn selection competition.

But on the one hand, I really can't worry about my daughter Alice.

On the other hand, I have been living in a culinary research laboratory in Northern Europe for these years, and my life has been quite boring, so I wanted to take this opportunity to go back to Totsuki and recuperate.

"Autumn selection? Are you already preparing so soon?"

On the side, Xiaolin Ringtong was a little surprised when he learned about this. You must know that as the second seat of the top ten, she has the authority to be responsible for various affairs in the entire academy.

If she wanted to hold the autumn selection competition, she, Si Yingshi and others would definitely convene a meeting of the top ten, and only after some deliberation could they make a decision.

As a result, even the selection of judges for the selection competition has been decided, but she has no idea about it.

"Oh, it's my fault too."

"I often give up my job and leave many things to Si Yingshi."

Knowing that it was his recent laziness that caused the trouble, Kobayashi Ryo sighed helplessly, seeming to blame himself.

……

"I heard from the commander-in-chief that your izakaya has a rule that diners can order whatever they want?"

Then, Leonora Nakiri blinked her bright eyes and asked expectantly.

The first time she heard about Zhang Fan's deeds was when Alice told her on the phone.

After returning to Totsuki Academy in person, the commander-in-chief also told her everything about the izakaya.

This made her inevitably interested in this very mysterious man, so she came to the izakaya when she had nothing to do tonight.

"Didn't you see the sign outside the door?"

"This izakaya is closed tonight, so we can't entertain you with food."

Zhang Fan frowned and explained to her.

"Not open?"

"Then what happened to her?"

Leonora, knowing the current situation, was naturally unconvinced.

She quickly stretched out a finger, pointed at Xiaolin Rgentian, who still had some oil residue at the corner of his mouth, and asked.

"Uh, okay."

Zhang Fan touched his forehead with his hand and replied helplessly: "For the sake of you being Alice's mother, I will make an exception again."

"There is a piece of salmon left in the freezer, how about I use it to cook for you?"

"Originally, I wanted a side of sweet and sour pork ribs. After all, I heard from Alice that this dish involves a lot of knowledge about molecular gastronomy."

“But it was recommended by you, so it’s not too bad after all!”

Leonora Nakiri seemed a little embarrassed when she heard this, but in the end she nodded.

"OK, just wait a moment."

After saying that, Zhang Fan returned to the cooking table and prepared to cook smoked salmon.

……

Compared with Southern Europe, which is known as the "Kingdom of Food".

The presence of Northern Europe in the food world is much lower, but this does not mean that the food of Northern Europe is inferior to that of Southern Europe.

In fact, among the restaurants reviewed by the WGO Food Organization every year, more than ten stars are awarded to Nordic restaurants. Even NOMA, the "world's number one" restaurant, is also in Copenhagen.

Well, speaking of Northern Europe, most of the well-known delicacies are related to the sea and forests, such as:

cod.

Herring.

oysters.

Arctic Bay.

Red shrimp.

Some people say that the Nordic people all have "sea water flowing in their veins", and [-]% of them contain fish.

Among many seafood products, salmon and king crab can be called the double wall of Nordic seafood.

Smoked salmon, in particular, is a common and classic dish among Nordic cold dishes. It can be eaten in a variety of ways, including breakfast, appetizers, and wine.

It is marinated with coarse salt, cracked black pepper, dill, bay leaves, thyme and other spices, and uses fruit wood chips as smoker. The finished product has a unique aroma.

……

At this moment, I saw Zhang Fan peeling the salmon and then using kitchen paper to absorb the water.

Add the white wine and massage it into the flavour.

Prepare dill, basil leaves, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, chopped, and black pepper.

Mix brown sugar, kosher salt, dill, black pepper, basil leaves, parsley leaves, bay leaves, thyme, and coriander seeds until evenly spread, apply to salmon, and massage for 2 minutes.

Put the fish skin on, seal it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Then take out the salmon, remove some of the coarse salt, and wrap it in tin foil.

Mix the fruit sawdust, tangerine peel, and black tea evenly to make the smoking material, and put it into the iron plate.

Place the iron plate on the fire and heat it to allow the smoked material to fully burn.

After the fire is extinguished, immediately put it into the smoker, cover it, seal it, and then smoke it three times to make the smoke flavor more intense.

Take out the salmon, wipe off the remaining material on the surface, and cut it diagonally into bite-sized pieces with a knife.

"Strange, isn't he from China?"

"Why does its own cooking technique reflect the style of Nordic cuisine?"

Leonora Nakiri had a clear view of the whole process, and she couldn't help but feel very shocked.

……

In Zhang Fan's eyes, although Nordic cuisine is somewhat unpopular, it has many similarities with Japanese cuisine.

First of all, from a geographical point of view, both are in the same northern land, both are surrounded by the sea, and there are no geopolitical and cultural disturbances.

Perhaps it is for these reasons that both can develop the purest form of life.

For example, when it comes to the treatment of salmon, Japanese cuisine also has a smoking method, as well as smoked salmon.

Of course, there must be a difference between the two.

For Japanese-style smoked salmon, low temperature is generally used to slowly push the woody aroma in, so that the salmon will not be smoked so quickly and the meat will maintain its elasticity.

The smoked salmon in Northern Europe uses the hot smoking method, using high-temperature fireworks to smoke the whole salmon until it is cooked.

The whole process is very natural, and no other ingredients are added, focusing on the original flavor of salmon.

"Don't be stunned. Eat it quickly. This is a Nordic dish that is different from Japanese smoked salmon. I believe you, a foreigner, will like it."

Seeing Leonora Nakiri who was stunned, Zhang Fan could only remind her.

"oh, I understand now!"

After hearing this, Leonora Nakiri came back to her senses, and then she tasted it carefully under his gaze.

Take a bite, and the fragrant and delicious aroma lingers in your nose.

Especially when you pick up a piece of fish and put it in your mouth, you can feel the freshness and deliciousness of the fish. The sudden umami taste is simply intoxicating.

The fish meat, with its sweet and sour taste, seemed to be a fusion of all the flavors she could think of in the world!

In short, just one word:

wonderful! (End of chapter)