Looking at the instructions for Bouillabaisse written on the whiteboard, Soma Yukihira rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
"This dish… it's so similar to the cooking methods Dylan-sensei taught us two days ago. I never noticed before…"
Megumi Tadokoro stood in front of the cooking station, closing her eyes and recalling the cooking methods Dylan had just taught them two days ago, surprised to find that the two were quite similar.
"However, Dylan-sensei teaches the principles, while this dish teaches the method. Frankly speaking, what Dylan-sensei teaches is still more…"
As if thinking of something, Megumi Tadokoro's lips curved slightly upwards.
Throughout history, countless amazing chefs have had similar thoughts and ideas.
And in such a situation, simply mastering the dishes they've developed is undoubtedly like "drawing a tiger by following a cat's example"—imitating without truly grasping the essence. Only by grasping their core principles can one truly display a hint of divine prowess.
Three types of fish sliced thinly and prepared as sashimi together, leveraging their strengths and compensating for weaknesses, can elevate the dish's flavor.
Similarly, several types of fish are mixed together to prepare a dish, but this Bouillabaisse uses a stewing method.
There are countless paths, and all roads lead to Rome.
"Monkfish, sea bass, mussels… these ingredients combine for a very fresh flavor. For this Bouillabaisse, let's use these ingredients."
The so-called Bouillabaisse, though a world-famous soup, doesn't have a high barrier to entry in its preparation. Even an ordinary housewife can make it incredibly delicious, something people would linger over and remember deeply.
However, when made by a skilled chef, it will certainly be even more delicious.
With a practiced, elegant knife flourish, Megumi Tadokoro's face was serious. She then plunged the knife into the fish's head, using her shoulder strength to cut downwards, splitting the fish in half and expertly processing it.
By the time Soma Yukihira returned to his station, Megumi Tadokoro had already finished preparing the monkfish and sea bass, deboning them and perfectly filleting the fish.
As for the remaining bones with some meat still attached, they were used to make the fish stock.
"These bones aren't quite enough. We need to add a whole sea bass. Bouillabaisse stock requires additional fish meat."
Seeing Soma Yukihira, who had already chopped the side ingredients and was heating the pan, Megumi Tadokoro reminded him not to rush the process.
"Didn't the whiteboard say to use the leftover fish bones for the stock?"
Soma Yukihira asked, somewhat confused.
Since he had never made Bouillabaisse before, he didn't know the exact method for this dish. However, based on the whiteboard's content, it didn't seem difficult at all.
But why was this young girl in front of him stopping him? Was what was written on the whiteboard wrong!?
"That's how ordinary Bouillabaisse is made. In the Northern European regions, after fishermen catch fish, they sell the best-looking ones to customers. As for the rest, they take them home, remove the fish meat first, and use the fish bones to make the stock.
This is to prevent the fish meat from becoming mushy. That's why, before stewing the stock, the fish fillets are removed and cut into small pieces, only to be added to the pot for cooking after the stock is ready." Megumi Tadokoro briefly explained, then took another fresh sea bass, quickly butchered it, and placed it with the previous fish bones. together.
Beside her, Soma Yukihira nodded slightly after hearing her words, feeling a bit more appreciation for this girl. Then, following the content on the whiteboard, he began preparing the spice sachet for the Bouillabaisse.
Thyme, bay leaves, orange peel, parsley root, and fennel. Once prepared, he rolled them in cheesecloth, and a simple French spice sachet was completed.
After finishing the sea bass, Megumi Tadokoro officially began cooking. She poured olive oil into the heated pot, added an onion, then added fennel root, celery, and garlic, along with bell peppers, deseeded bird's eye chilies, and star anise, stir-frying until fragrant.
Once the vegetables softened, she added the fish bones and fish meat, continuing to stir-fry until the fish meat turned completely white. Then, she added a spoonful of tomato paste and two peeled, diced tomatoes.
"And pastis, right?"
Soma Yukihira shrewdly handed over the pastis, watching the fish meat in the pot begin to release its aroma. Thinking of the girl's practiced movements, he was inwardly slightly surprised.
"That's right, it's a specialty of Marseille, France."
Megumi Tadokoro nodded, took the pastis, and poured it in. At this moment, Soma Yukihira also brought over pre-boiled water, offering a small help.
"Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. During this time, please help make a baguette." She tied the pre-prepared spice sachet with string, ensuring the spices wouldn't leak out, and then placed it into the pot. Soma Yukihira then saw her add a bit of saffron, which wasn't on the whiteboard.
The baguette recipe was also on the whiteboard. Although it wasn't an ingredient used in the Bouillabaisse, it was an important accompaniment to it.
"Once baked, slice it thinly, toast it again, then spread garlic paste on it to make it fragrant."
Watching Soma Yukihira immediately begin kneading dough, Megumi Tadokoro gave her instructions, then stood aside to wait, her gaze fixed on the soup in front of her.
However, now, as she looked at the pot, there was no nervousness in her eyes, only maturity and composure.
Constantly monitoring the heat in the pot, when she felt it was ready, Megumi Tadokoro removed the spice sachet and star anise from the pot, then took out a high-speed immersion blender.
This tool serves the same purpose as a high-speed blender, similar to an egg whisk, but equipped with blades, used to pulverize the cooked fish soup.
As for why this is done, it's naturally to perfectly meld the flavors together.
This is the most obvious difference between Chinese fish soup and French fish soup:
One prefers clear broth, the other prefers thick soup. Neither can be said to be better or worse; it's simply a difference in national taste.
As the fish soup in the pot was blended into a fine puree, Soma Yukihira pushed a strainer towards her, which made Megumi Tadokoro look at him with a hint of admiration.
"You're quite meticulous. It seems what you said at the opening ceremony had some basis."
"Such small matters aren't worth praise."
Megumi Tadokoro's voice was gentle. As she spoke, she poured the Bouillabaisse, which had turned into a thick puree in the small pot, into the strainer, filtering out all the large solid residue.
Beside her, Soma Yukihira shook his head and said something, while his eyes were fixed on her. This girl's culinary skills seemed to be higher than he had imagined. high.
And this was just someone he had casually encountered.
Feeling… a little excited!
As soon as he thought that his future opponents would all possess such skill, Soma Yukihira's body trembled slightly, and his lips curved into an involuntary upward turn.
This school really was the right place to come!
"Finally, it's time for the finishing touches."
Two hours to make this dish was more than enough, because if one was fast, this dish could be finished within forty minutes.
However, now there was an additional "SS" ranking. Accumulating ten such rankings would earn a personal lesson from Dylan-sensei.
For everyone present, this was an extremely tempting offer.
In other words, everyone would go all out, cook in their best state, and even improve their dishes, just to get the highest rating.
But she didn't care. After all, she received special personal tutoring from Dylan every day. Moreover, she didn't think anyone here could surpass her.
Thinking of what that figure had said to her that day, Megumi Tadokoro's heart warmed, and a strong sense of confidence surged within her.
The filtered fish soup was poured into a clean pot. Then, some potato cubes and fennel root were added, along with salt and white pepper, until the pot was simmering.
While she was doing this, Soma Yukihira had already finished preparing the sauce, a garlic aioli, also listed on the white board.
One egg yolk, a little sweet paprika, a few strands of saffron, two minced garlic cloves, a spoonful of Dijon mustard. While adding olive oil, quickly whisk.
Watching the sauce emulsify quickly, Megumi Tadokoro nodded in satisfaction. She then removed the cooked vegetables and began adding the previously cut fish fillets.
"First, add the monkfish. After five minutes, add the sea bass and mussels. Then, after another three minutes, remove them. This ensures that each ingredient is at its most optimal."
Knowing that Soma Yukihira was an outside chef, likely from a small diner, and had little experience with Bouillabaisse, Megumi Tadokoro meticulously explained her experience to him.
This was her usual style: gentle with people, and teaching others about cooking also helped solidify her own knowledge.
"I understand. But for Bouillabaisse, isn't it better to use more fish for a richer flavor? Why are we only using three kinds?"
Soma Yukihira asked, somewhat confused, pointing at the words on the whiteboard as he spoke. He did not feel embarrassed asking a young girl for advice.
"That's true. If you use many types of seafood, the flavor will be exceptionally rich. But I currently don't have the ability to perfect them all."
Hearing the question, Megumi Tadokoro hesitated, then somewhat awkwardly scratched her head.
She had coincidentally learned this soup in Dylan's class. At that time, Dylan-sensei used seven types of seafood to make an incredibly amazing pot of fresh soup.
Its quality naturally reached Flowing Light.
Later, someone tried to replicate this feat, but the dish they made wasn't even as good as a third-grade dish, and they were ridiculed for it.
And under their curious questioning, Dylan revealed the answer.
It turns out that the more seafood used, the harder it is to master the balance of flavors.
Only those with very rich experience can master multiple types of seafood, allowing the soup to have the flavor of each type without cross-contamination.
There are also innovative chefs who combine individual flavors into a unified whole, gathering all the flavors into one soup to achieve a brand-new taste experience.
But this method is more difficult than the former because it requires perfect control over ingredient ratios to ensure the soup doesn't taste bad.
Seafood, when prepared individually, is fine. But once mixed up, it becomes very troublesome to handle. Fujian's Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and this
Bouillabaisse, also share a similar ingenuity.
And this also explains a problem.
The path of culinary arts, all roads lead to Rome.
"Finished."
Letting out a long breath, Megumi Tadokoro looked at the dish in front of her, focusing her mental energy to the extreme, then carefully extracted the fish meat from the pot.
The cooking was complete; all that remained was plating.
French cuisine is extremely particular about presentation.
However, for Megumi Tadokoro, who had received three years of elite education at Totsuki Academy, these were minor details. She arranged the plate within minutes, and walked to Roland Chapelle.
"Chapelle-sensei, please taste it."
Looking at the stern-faced man in front of her, whose expression softened slightly upon seeing her, Megumi Tadokoro's heart stirred.
Although he was known as the "chef who doesn't smile," when facing talented juniors, his expression would unconsciously soften.
When he tasted a sufficiently delicious dish, he would also reveal a smile, surprising everyone.
There's no such thing as a chef who can't smile. It's just that your cooking doesn't bring him joy. The reason, in the end, comes down to four simple words:
"You're bad? Practice more!"
"Ah, Tadokoro-chan, is this the Bouillabaisse you've finished? Let me taste it."
He lowered his gaze to the dish placed before him.
A portion of fish meat, a portion of fish soup, a portion of aioli, and a slice of baguette spread with garlic paste.
A very standard Bouillabaisse.
Without hesitation, Roland Chapelle picked up a spoon and scooped some fish soup, and under the gaze of Megumi Tadokoro, Soma Yukihira, and several other students,
raised his hand and brought it to his mouth.
"This is…"
Closing his eyes, he seemed to be in a verdant illusion.
The various spices used in this dish appeared in this illusion, transforming into little figures, holding hands and surrounding him.
They sang warm melodies, instantly calming his restless heart.
The freshness of thyme, the fragrance of bay leaves, the intertwining slight bitterness and sweetness of orange peel, and the unique aroma of parsley root, along with the faint
pungency of fennel, slowly released during the stir-frying with olive oil and vegetables, setting a complex yet harmonious base for the fish soup.
"I don't know why, but the flavor of this soup is so mellow and its taste is even richer. You should have only used monkfish, sea bass, and mussels, right?"
Opening his eyes, a faint blush appeared on Roland Chapelle's aged face. He then looked at Megumi Tadokoro and voiced his doubt.
"That's right, we mainly used these three ingredients.
However, when I was stewing the fish stock, besides using the bones from two fish, I added an entire sea bass. That's what made its flavor even more profound."
Megumi Tadokoro's hands hung naturally at her sides, her face radiating confidence and assertiveness. She confidently revealed her secret to making the soup's texture more mellow.
"You added a whole fish? No wonder the flavor is so rich.
It's usually said that this soup needs many types of seafood stewed together to achieve richness, but your method is also perfectly fine.
Knowing your weakness and compensating for it with other methods, you truly haven't disappointed me."
Hearing her answer, Roland Chapelle murmured to himself. As a Special Grade Chef, he naturally understood Megumi Tadokoro's creative thin king in an instant.
Because she couldn't master many types of seafood, she only used three kinds to establish the flavor base. However, this would reduce the soup's richness. To prevent this from happening, she added an entire sea bass.
Hearing his praise, Megumi Tadokoro merely smiled humbly, and her composed demeanor made Roland Chapelle nod secretly.
However, he was also very curious.
What exactly happened to transform this formerly timid girl, whose culinary skills weren't particularly refined, into this person?
She must have experienced some trials and tribulations.
"For this dish, I won't give a temporary evaluation for now. I'll wait until the dishes from the other two groups are presented, then I'll decide which dish receives the S-rank evaluation."
Withdrawing the smile from his face, Roland Chapelle let out a sigh, saying this.
Beside them, Soma Yukihira witnessed all of this, and his curiosity about the dish's flavor was piqued. He immediately decided to replicate a portion to taste once he returned.
Now he could confirm that this young girl in front of him was very capable.
"I really want to have a cook-off with her."
Such a thought appeared in his mind and became unstoppable, but it was clearly not the best time now. So, Soma Yukihira closed his eyes, preparing to put it out of sight, out of mind.
"My dish is complete."
Just then, another male voice rang out. He turned his head to see that the person was Ueno San, who had just spoken about a cook-off. At this moment, he was holding
Bouillabaisse, plated identically to Megumi Tadokoro's. Soma Yukihira's eyes couldn't help but show a hint of complexity.
For this Bouillabaisse, because he didn't know the method, he hadn't helped much. In a sense, his cook-off with Ueno San had turned into a cook-off between Megumi Tadokoro and Ueno San.
However, judging by the other person's appearance, he didn't seem to mind this at all.
That's right, Ueno San simply wanted to compete with a strong opponent; who his rival was didn't matter at all.
After realizing that his importance to Ueno San was negligible, Soma Yukihira felt somewhat uncomfortable, though he couldn't pinpoint why.
He had come to Totsuki explicitly to humble everyone, but now, it seemed no one really paid him any mind.
"Ueno? From last year until now, your pro gress has also been extraordinary. Let me see what you've achieved after settling in during the winter break."
Looking at the man in front of him, Roland Chapelle spoke.
This young man was also an underachiever before, but after the midterm exams, he suddenly entered a period of rapid growth in strength.
Now, even among the remaining 50 students, he could be considered a standout.
"Oui, Chef!"
Ueno San skillfully said in French, as he placed his dish in front of Roland Chapelle. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at
Megumi Tadokoro, a surge of fighting spirit in his eyes.
He knew this girl with the blue braided pigtails, not because she was strong, but because she was always by Dylan-sensei's side.
Over the past few months, he had repeatedly seen her enter Dylan's house, staying for an entire afternoon. It was clear she was receiving private tutoring.
"Your Bouillabaisse has a very rich flavor. You must have used quite a few ingredients, right?"
"That's right, I selected several kinds and allowed their flavors to meld in the soup." After scooping a spoonful of soup and bringing it to his mouth, carefully savoring its taste, Roland Chapelle looked towards Ueno San's cooking station.
Cobia, turbot, Barramundi, red rockfish, and gurnard…
The other side dishes were more or less the same.
No wonder the flavor was so exquisite; it turns out he used so many high-grade ingredients.
"Truly delicious!"
Roland Chapelle thought to himself, then picked up the bowl and directly took a large sip, feeling the umami so intense it made his eyebrows twitch, unable to stop praising.
This feeling was like being plunged into the ocean, surrounded by playful and frolicking marine fish.
Megumi Tadokoro brought out the flavors of three types of fish and seafood to their utmost, while Ueno San, in contrast, used a large quantity of seafood to release exquisite flavors, making the soup exceptionally delicious.
It was truly difficult to compare who was stronger or weaker between the two. Now, the only thing that could be compared was the deeper layers of flavor and the experience each dish brought.
He took a spoonful from each of the two fish soups. Roland Chapelle rarely showed such a serious expression, then closed his eyes, carefully experiencing the flavors.
Megumi Tadokoro's fish soup was very gentle, bringing a feeling of warmth and reassurance.
Ueno San's fish soup, on the other hand, gave him a sense of competition, with various flavors vying for dominance in the soup, like a frosty sky where all creatures contend for freedom.
Two completely opposite experiences.
"Little Tadokoro's is superior."
After comparing the two, and after pondering for more than ten seconds, Roland Chapelle came to a conclusion.
"Why?"
Ueno San frowned slightly. He didn't think his Bouillabaisse, made with numerous high-grade ingredients, would be inferior to Megumi Tadokoro's.
"In terms of flavor, you two are actually on par. But if we compare based on the story behind Bouillabaisse, Ueno, you lose."
Roland Chapelle's voice came, this time his tone was utterly certain. His brief hesitation was merely to prepare his words.
"Bouillabaisse is a dish made by the fishermen of Marseille, France, using the fish that were slightly less marketable after they had sold off the best-looking ones.
Of course, through historical evolution, Bouillabaisse has also developed various flavor variations due to different ingredients. Using high-grade ingredients is also one such preparation."
Roland Chapelle's voice rang out once more. As the head of Totsuki Academy's French Cuisine Division, he could be said to have extensively researched French cuisine.
"But one thing remains constant: drinking this soup should evoke a feeling of home. And a fish soup should bring warmth.
Your soup only brings a sense of fiery passion. All sorts of flavors intensely battle in the mouth, completely lacking any feeling of peace and comfort."
Roland Chapelle glared at Ueno San, pinpointing the biggest problem with his dish.
A long time ago in Marseille, fishermen's children hoped their fathers would bring back some fish so their mothers could make them a hot bowl of steaming Bouillabaisse. That was the feeling of home.
But Ueno San's dish had already betrayed the original intention of Bouillabaisse.
Hearing Roland Chapelle's explanation, Ueno San showed a thoughtful expression. He had never imagined that he would actually lose because of this— the feeling of home, a dish that warms people's hearts.
He seemed to have been too fixated on the taste of the dish, thus neglecting other aspects.
"Go back and learn properly. However, this time I can only give you an E-rank. When you can make Bouillabaisse that has the taste of home, I will grant you an A." Raising his hand to pat Ueno San's shoulder, Roland Chapelle's eyes held encouragement, but his words were merciless.
"I understand. Thank you, Chapelle-sensei."
A bitter smile appeared on his face. He hadn't expected not only to fail to achieve an S-rank, but instead receive an E-rank. This was truly fate's cruel jest.
The crucial point was that he truly couldn't refute it.
Bouillabaisse.
I'll go back and make a hundred more, until I can create the taste of home!
-
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