After this rabbit appeared, it drilled into the void without any hesitation, only staying for about two seconds, then it demonstrated to Hoshino Sora how it could move a hundred meters underground, reappearing outside the restaurant.
Erina Nakiri wasn't paying attention, and this phantom rabbit disappeared, causing the flavor of the dish on the plate to diminish by more than half.
Seeing this situation, Hoshino Sora was greatly shocked. This was the first time he had seen a phantom that could actively run! And after the phantom disappeared, the taste of the dish actually decreased significantly...
What on earth is going on...
"What's going on? The heat and timing were perfectly controlled, but the taste is just a little off. Huh? Hoshino-kun, you're here. You didn't say a word for ages, you scared me to death."
After tasting a bite of the rabbit meat, Erina Nakiri's brows furrowed. The taste was a bit different from what she had imagined. Although it was more delicious than ordinary rabbit, it was far from what she had expected.
It should be said that the aroma and form produced by the dish made Erina Nakiri know that it couldn't have just this much flavor, but the fact was that it only reached this level.
"I've been here for a long time. You were just too focused on your cooking, so you didn't notice me."
Seeing Erina Nakiri's surprised expression, Hoshino Sora said, quite speechless. He had been standing there for at least twenty minutes, and she hadn't noticed him, which only goes to show how focused she was.
"Is that so? Oh, right, Hoshino-kun, you should also try the taste of this dish. I clearly controlled every detail, but the taste just doesn't match up, or rather, it's not very good. Do you have any insights...?"
As she spoke, Erina Nakiri brought the dish to Hoshino Sora, wanting him to take it. However, Hoshino Sora not only didn't move, but instead opened his mouth wide.
Seeing this, Erina Nakiri's cheeks flushed, but she still pulled the plate back. Then she picked up a piece of rabbit meat and fed it to Hoshino Sora, while looking at him expectantly.
"Indeed, a lot of the umami has been lost. I think this has a lot to do with the escape of the Soul of Cooking."
Although I'm not entirely clear on the intricacies, after the Soul of Cooking escaped, this dish became a very ordinary Silver (High-grade) dish.
If it were before, Hoshino Sora would definitely have hailed it as a delicacy!
But now, this dish was somewhat underwhelming for him. Without its Soul of Cooking, it was just a very common, mass-produced item, and also the standard of an ordinary Far Moon graduate.
"Your dish has the form but lacks the soul, which is why it lost so much umami. However, why the Soul of Cooking would leave... that's something I'm also very puzzled about."
"Soul of Cooking?"
Hearing a completely new term, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but frown, her big eyes staring intently at Hoshino Sora, somewhat at a loss.
"The so-called Soul of Cooking is..."
Seeing Erina Nakiri's curious expression, Hoshino Sora knew he had to explain, so he brought out the same explanation that Hoshino Tani Ren had used on him back then.
And after Erina Nakiri listened to Hoshino Sora's explanation, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. If it was really as he said, then why would the Soul of Cooking she cooked escape?
Was it because her strength wasn't enough? Or for some other reason?
She closed her eyes in thought, unable to find an answer for a moment. Opening her eyes to look at Hoshino Sora, she found that he was just as puzzled as she was. At that moment, Erina Nakiri became a bit flustered.
"You take your time researching it. I'm going to go see what others are doing."
Shaking his head, Hoshino Sora no longer paid attention to the perplexed Erina Nakiri, and instead walked towards others.
Soon, Hoshino Sora strolled around the kitchen, then nodded with satisfaction. Everyone had a strong ability to accept new things, and each person was trying new dishes with completely new ingredients.
It seemed he couldn't fall behind either!
With a surge of determination, Hoshino Sora placed a recently caught mandarin fish with roe on the cutting board, then took out a pile of freshly picked vegetables from the Gourmet Manor.
He was going to create an improved version of the Pregnant Mandarin Fish, incorporating all the mutated ingredients from the Gourmet Manor to create a unique dish!
The Disassembly Knife in his hand changed form, quickly operating on the fish body. He removed the internal organs from the gills, scraped off the scales, then blanched it with boiling water, gently scraped off the dark membrane from head to tail without damaging the skin, and finally made diagonal cuts on both sides of the fish body.
Take 3 fragrant shiitake mushrooms and dice them, and dice the cooked winter bamboo shoots.
Then add some small ingredients: mutated green onions and ginger with a bit of yellow wine.
Dice the sea cucumber, and mix it with minced Black Mountain pork, fragrant shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, Small JZ egg white, cooking wine, fine salt, and cooked lard to form a paste. Insert it into the fish belly through the gills, making it look plump and bulging. It even looks a bit like a meat-stuffed fish.
Looking at the shape of the fish in front of him, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but smile, and then came up with a vivid and descriptive name for it: Meat-Stuffed Fish. It really did look like it.
Sauté the green onions and ginger in the pot until fragrant, then add water, a bit of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, yellow wine, and finally a bit of salt, sugar, and pepper. No need to add any extra large spices, because the original flavor of the fish is desired.
Then this sauce can be set aside to wait. Originally, another pot would be set on the stove with plenty of oil. Although the fish could be directly stewed, fish that has been fried first and then stewed is more fragrant.
Since he was making gourmet food, Hoshino Sora naturally wanted to be perfect.
Of course, there's a point to note here: freshly killed live fish have a 'rigor mortis stage' and need to wait for a period of time. If they are immediately deep-fried, the outer skin can easily burst, which would affect the appearance of the Pregnant Mandarin Fish.
This was also Hoshino Sora's experience from making fish for so many years.
Put two dried chilies in the oil pan, heat the oil to five or six parts hot, then put the plump mandarin fish into the pot, fry both sides for about ten seconds to set the shape, then use a strainer to scoop it out and transfer it.
The other one was prepared in the same way, and both were placed into the sauce that had been prepared earlier. The water should cover the fish, and it needs to be stewed for about twenty minutes. In the middle, more color can be added with soy sauce.
Halfway through the stewing, use a ladle to evenly pour the sauce over the fish. When it's almost done, scoop out the fish and plate it. Remove all the residue from the pot, then add cornstarch slurry, green garlic, and a little vinegar.
In the middle, it is also necessary to taste it and add a little saltiness if needed.
When the sauce in the pot thickens, turn off the heat and pour it over the mandarin fish that was served before it. As the two come into contact, a rich aroma bursts forth.
Especially the green garlic, it completely became the highlight of this dish.
"It smells so good! Is there a portion for me? Hoshino-kun."
Staring eagerly at the Pregnant Mandarin Fish in front of her, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but swallow, her mouth watering profusely. Then, disregarding her composure, she boldly came to Hoshino Sora's side to ask for the delicious food.
"You little glutton, you came over before the dish was even ready. I remember when we first met, you weren't like this. Back then, you really disliked my cooking."
"Times have changed! Now I love Hoshino-kun's cooking the most!"
"Your face changes so quickly, little glutton."
He put the dish aside, then reached out and pinched Erina Nakiri's tender white face, speaking with a hint of teasing, but he didn't make things difficult for her, directly handing her the chopsticks.
At this moment, a golden light flashed over the Pregnant Mandarin Fish, and then the vivid phantom of the mandarin fish, along with various vegetable phantoms, emerged from the dish. Hoshino Sora, with quick eyes and hands, swiftly closed the lid, locking the Soul of the Dish within this confined space.
"When I open the lid later, you eat it. Try to be as quick as possible. After you're done, I'll close the lid again."
Seeing that his strategy worked, Hoshino Sora looked towards Erina Nakiri behind him. She nodded seriously, seeing his grave expression. Then, a gap appeared in the dish, and the girl quickly extended her chopsticks to retrieve a piece.
A piece of fish with meat, enveloped in a golden glow, steaming hot, emitting a rich and astonishing aroma that made people tremble from the bottom of their hearts.
"Gulp..."
God Tongue was trembling, palpitating. Just seeing this dish had such an effect. Erina Nakiri could hardly imagine what would happen when she actually ate it!?
Unconsciously, the people around gradually gathered, their gazes focused on the fish on Erina Nakiri's chopsticks. The rich, savory aroma made their mouths water, but they all tacitly remained silent.
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