Shokugeki: Start with an izakaya, making everyone cry

"Really."

"Every time he makes a new dish, he has to go out of his way."

"The tofu material itself is extremely soft and tender. It is very difficult to make it into a ball shape and then stuff it into ham, and it is completely unnecessary!"

"Cut the tofu into domino pieces and steam and boil it with the ham. Maybe it will be even better."

"Why...why is there any need to go through so much trouble?"

On the side, Nakiri Erina, who was watching with curiosity, only felt puzzled.

Apparently Zhang Fan's new dish was the same as before, breaking her cognition again.

……

When it comes to cooking, keep it as simple as possible.

Even Erina, who used to believe in noble cuisine, always pays attention to convenience and speed.

For example, there is a dish called "Eggplant", which uses more than a dozen "kunkun" to match one eggplant.

This kind of indistinguishable dishes often disgusts Erina, who has the talent of God's Tongue, because she never knows whether the last thing she eats is eggplant or chicken.

In essence, the process of cooking should be to eliminate all unnecessary tricks.

The simplest and most effective way to bring out the original and richest taste of food!

But the steamed tofu dish with ham that Zhang Fan is making now goes in the opposite direction, abandoning simplicity in favor of complexity. Does it take a lot of effort to make the square tofu cubes into small balls?

"Oh, I really don't understand it at all."

"What is his intention in making this dish?"

In the end, Erina, who couldn't figure out anything, could only rub her temples with a headache, and continued to calm down and watch Zhang Fan's cooking.

……

Wait until steamed.

The salty flavor of the ham is all in the tofu.

Especially the moment when the steamer was opened, a rich and complex fragrance spread from all directions, violently permeating the entire izakaya.

Such a fragrance, just imagining it is enough to make people feel relaxed and happy!

However, imagination is still imagination.

In reality, the appearance of steamed tofu with ham is indeed a bit miserable.

Because it is a bit unsightly to poke 24 small holes in a whole piece of ham and then stuff 24 tofu balls into it.

"This……"

"Shopkeeper, can you tell me the name of this dish?"

Eyes widened, knowing how troublesome it was to make this dish and how amazing the creativity was, Annie hurriedly looked up at Zhang Fan and asked.

"Despite the ugly appearance, this dish has a very nice name, it's called Twenty-Four Bridges on the Moonlit Night."

"Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlit Night?"

"Could it be...an ancient poem from the Celestial Dynasty?"

Annie thought for a while and said again.

"clever!"

"The twenty-four bridges refer to the 24 small holes."

"As for the bright moon, it is a tofu ball as beautiful as the bright moon."

Zhang Fan, please explain.

"Huh? After hearing what you said, I am looking forward to this dish even more."

Annie came back to her senses, and then her eyes rested on the dish of ham and steamed tofu. Finally, her bright eyes flashed, and she couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks to taste it!

……

Add a slice of ham.

Its mellow meaty aroma instantly fills your mouth and is intoxicating.

Try another piece of tofu, the smooth and tender texture seems to be dancing on the tip of the tongue, and the faint bean flavor is even more memorable.

If you taste it carefully, you can also find that the salty aroma of ham and the lightness of tofu complement each other.

Ham adds a layer of texture to the light tofu, and the delicateness of the tofu dissolves the greasiness of the ham, making it more refreshing. The overall taste is rich and balanced.

“The ham has a strong flavor and the tofu has a light flavor.”

"One strong, one light, one meaty, one vegetarian, two extreme ingredients are blended together."

"The steamed tofu fully absorbs the salty flavor of the ham, making it smooth, tender and juicy. Coupled with the intrusion of scallion oil, it locks in the aroma of the ham and brings out the freshness of the tofu."

"Eat the two together, and the different flavors collide and blend in your mouth."

"It's amazing. You can create such an amazing taste experience just by using such ingredients. You are worthy of being the owner Zhang!"

After swallowing, Annie's eyes became a little blurry.

This dish was originally used by Huang Rong in order to earn Hong Qigong's Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, so it was natural that he put great care into it.

Although if you want to make tofu as white and tender as the bright moon, you need Huang Rong's own martial arts orchid acupoint brushing hand to complete this impossible task!

But with modern technology.

If you want to change the shape of tofu into a ball, there are many ways.

But no matter what, the core of this dish has never changed, that is, the pursuit of simplicity and complexity.

The chef needs to be thoughtful and pay attention to weight, clumsiness and size. Clumsy is better than skill and skill is better than strength. This so-called "Twenty-Four Bridges on a Moonlight Night" dish highlights the word "skill".

……

Gradually.

Anne, entered a wonderful state.

She came to the peak alone, and there stood a tall and straight knight, who seemed to be part of the mountain, blending in with the surrounding rocks and trees!

He was wearing a white robe, and his eyes were as deep as the sea, as if he had endless stories and secrets.

Under the dim reflection of the moonlight, he held a flute in his hand. The flute body was as smooth as jade, glowing with little bits of light.

Then, he played the flute gently.

That voice seemed to come from ancient times, both desolate and tragic!

The mountain breeze blew gently by, causing his clothes to flutter. His figure looked even more lonely under the moonlight, but extremely determined.

Finally, as the sound of the flute gradually subsided, Annie woke up as if from a dream.

"Miss, would you like to play the flute with me?"

The knight Zhang Fan slowly put away his flute and looked at Anne.

"I...I do!"

Anne was so excited that she agreed.

In the end, only the figures of the knights Zhang Fan and Annie were left on the mountain, and the melodious sound of the flute was echoing.

At this moment, how much Anne wishes that time would stop and let this beautiful picture become eternal, so that she can feel the unique charm and charm of the Chinese knights forever!

……

"Ah?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"Why does a mere dish of ham and steamed tofu make me...I can't do it...I really can't do it anymore!"

After coming back to her senses from the fantasy scene, Annie immediately trembled all over and rolled her eyes.

After a while, she finally became calm and rational.

"The owner, they all say that heaven has always been about the coordination of yin and yang and the art of balance. I think this should be even more true when it comes to cooking delicious food."

"Does this Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night dish also embody this kind of thinking?"

"As expected of an executive."

“My views on cooking are really different from ordinary people’s.”

Zhang Fan couldn't help but gasp when he heard this. Then he thought about it, nodded and said, "Actually, as long as it is Chinese food, it will basically follow the principles of Yin Yang and Five Elements."

"The division of yin and yang can be viewed from many angles."

"Animals that love to move are yang, such as cows and sheep, and animals that love quietness are yin, such as lazy pigs."

"Foods with low water content belong to yang, such as ham and carrots." "Foods with high water content belong to yin, such as tofu."

"So, this Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night dish indeed embodies the traditional idea of ​​​​coordinating yin and yang."

When Annie heard this, she thought for a moment and came to a deeper understanding: "In other words, when it comes to Chinese cuisine in China, it is often enough to pay attention to what is suitable for you."

"There is no need to pursue the so-called high-end food in the past. As long as it is consistent with the balance of yin and yang and does not damage the body's health, even ordinary people's dishes and popular food can be the best!"

"almost."

"In my opinion, every ingredient has its own nutrition and uses."

"Although bitter melon is bitter, it still has its nutritional value and functions, while honey is sweet and cloying, but it also has wonderful benefits."

"It depends on how you dig out the value of these ingredients!"

"Ok!"

"That's a good point, I quite agree."

Anne said with deep understanding.

……

"Alice, are we in the wrong place?"

"Mom, no, Zhang Fan's pub has been renovated, right?"

At this moment, Leonora and Alice, mother and daughter, came to the izakaya together. When they first came in, their expressions and attitudes were different.

"furnish?"

"It seems that Zhang Fan is indeed quite capable!"

Walking towards the dining area near the cooking table and finding a seat to sit down, Leonora couldn't help but sigh.

Today, she was a bit simple in her dress, only wearing a lavender dress, but this dress perfectly outlined her S-shaped figure.

And that mature and charming temperament, anyone will be trapped in it without knowing it, unable to extricate themselves.

"What a rare visitor!"

"Boy, this is the new coffee from the izakaya, please taste it carefully."

After bringing two cups of coffee, Zhang Fan looked at the mother and daughter and couldn't help but smile.

"Zhang Fan, good... long time no see."

Alice blinked, looking a little happy.

"Alice, are you coming to the izakaya with your mother? Have you thought about what to eat?"

Zhang Fan continued to look at Alice and said softly.

"No, I just thought you could recommend it to us."

"Then I recommend the flame dumplings?"

"Flame dumpling? Could it be that this dumpling can spit fire?"

Alice, curious.

"How is that possible? The reason why it is called flame dumplings is because the dumplings look similar to flames." Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, then said angrily.

"Okay, let's have two portions of flame dumplings."

"OK, wait a minute then!"

……

In northern China, the main meat used to make dumpling fillings is pork.

The meat is still fresh as pork, and the vegetables are still fragrant as cabbage. These are the two ingredients that people in the north respect.

According to Zhang Fan’s many years of experience, plum blossom meat, front leg meat, and pork belly are all top-quality for dumpling fillings, while other parts are inferior.

Use pork that is 30% fat and 70% lean.

Then use the chopping knife technique to chop it into pieces!

Then add light soy sauce, salt and other seasonings to the pork filling, and stir thoroughly in the same direction.

In this way, when the "myosin" in the muscle cells encounters salt, it will run out of the cells and become very absorbent, making the meat filling sticky and sticking to vegetables and other ingredients.

“It’s not shrimp filling for Sheng Long dumplings, but pork?”

Seeing this, part-time worker Erina finally realized that these so-called flame dumplings were not shrimp dumplings, but pork dumplings.

"Erina."

"You...why are you in the izakaya too?"

Hearing such a familiar voice, Alice immediately raised her head and was shocked when she saw Erina's figure.

"I've been standing by your side for so long, and now you realize?"

Erina slightly lifted the hair in front of her forehead and said in a cold tone: "I have been working part-time here since the end of the residential training activity!"

"what?"

"Temporary worker?"

Alice is completely confused!

She never expected that Erina would stay in the izakaya in this way.

……

Seven are thin and three are fat.

This proportion of pork precisely achieves the ideal quality of lean meat with a little bit of white fat streaks.

This kind of meat is tender, has no tendons, and tastes juicy.

Because if it is all lean meat, it usually has low fat content, a thicker texture, and stronger toughness. When it is made into meat filling, it will definitely not taste that good.

But if the dumplings are too fatty or full of fat, it will also affect the taste of the dumplings and make diners lose their appetite.

of course.

No matter how good the pork is, it is still pork after all!

It doesn’t mean that using pork belly, front leg meat, hind leg meat, tenderloin, etc. will make a big difference.

"It still looks like it uses very ordinary ingredients."

"It's completely impossible to figure out through the meat filling what's the difference between this kind of flame dumplings and the usual dumpling materials?"

"I guess judging from the pork filling, it's just the appearance of the flames, right?"

Leonora, while drinking coffee, secretly observed what Zhang Fan was doing.

In the past, if she had seen the chef using this ordinary pork belly to make dumpling fillings, she would have been very disappointed.

However, knowing that Zhang Fan could not easily draw conclusions until the last moment of cooking, she always kept looking forward to it.

……

After making the pork filling, the next step is the dumpling wrappers.

I saw Zhang Fan pour the flour into the basin, then pour in the boiling water, and use a dough rolling pin to quickly stir it into lumps.

Next, sprinkle with cold water and break into small pieces to release the heat from the dough.

Finally, use those deft hands to knead it into dough, take out a wet cloth and cover it for later use.

According to the usual rolling method, roll the dough into round skins, then wrap it with pork filling, fold it in half into a semicircle, and use your hands to make patterns.

In this way, the green body of flame dumplings is formed.

"Fried dumplings?"

It wasn't until this moment that Leonora Nakiri understood.

This kind of flame dumpling is not so much a dumpling as it is similar to the fried dumplings of the Celestial Dynasty!

After that, take Wa Weng, which is unique to the Celestial Dynasty.

First put it on the grill, put all the dumplings on the bamboo fence that has been placed in Wa Weng Nei, then apply a layer of cooked chicken fat, cover it and heat it.

"and many more."

"How is this kind of thing possible?"

Leonora Nakiri noticed something and was so surprised that she covered her mouth. (End of chapter)