The Medicinal Steamed Chicken, after being wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed, exudes a unique aroma where freshness and richness coexist.
The elegant fragrance of the lotus leaf and the mellow richness of the medicinal herbs permeate each other, draping this traditional delicacy in a vibrant, natural garment and adding a touch of otherworldly charm.
"Using tin foil to wrap the medicinal steamed chicken makes the flavor more intense and direct, and the chicken is more tender and juicy. But in comparison, it lacks the fresh aroma and visual appeal that the lotus leaf provides."
Sensing the taste on the tip of her tongue and comparing the two options of tin foil and lotus leaf, Erina Nakiri slowly gave her evaluation. One could say that each has its own merits.
"The effect of tin foil can be achieved by adjusting the heat, but the fresh fragrance of the lotus leaf is something tin foil can't provide,
so let's use the lotus leaf."
"I was thinking the same thing. The lotus leaf is more malleable and adds a new flavor to the dish, complementing the other medicinal herbs. It's better."
Hearing Hisako Arato's words, Erina Nakiri nodded, clearly agreeing with her decision. The issue with tin foil could be solved through temperature control; in comparison, the benefits of using the lotus leaf outweighed the drawbacks.
"Then let's continue experimenting. If we keep trying, we'll eventually find the most suitable heat!"
"I'll call someone to deliver more chicken."
Inside the Tsukiten-no-Ma.
Seeing Subaru Mimasaka prepare the exact same ingredients as her, Hisako Arato's face showed no surprise. Instead, it was the judges on the platform who couldn't help but frown as they looked at the dish list handed to them from below.
"Have both of these contestants chosen steamed chicken for their dish?"
Hinako Inui whispered in a slightly probing tone.
"That kid seems to have been good at copying others' dishes in previous matches."
Taki Tsunozaki had clearly heard about it before, and her brow was now furrowed. Although the rules didn't explicitly prohibit imitating others' cooking, this kind of behavior was truly unpleasant.
"How on earth does he do it? Could someone have leaked his opponent's dish to him in advance? Come to think of it, something similar happened in the last match..."
Fuyumi Mizuhara's face was filled with curiosity. She was genuinely puzzled; unless one obtained the recipe beforehand, it would be difficult to replicate it so accurately.
Adding to that, someone in the previous match had also used their opponent's dish to create a counter-dish, which made her suspect that Totsuki had been compromised by some kind of pest, involving some sort of illicit deal.
"Whatever the reason, to do something like this is really shameless. If the rules didn't say it was allowed, I'd want to fail him directly."
Taki Tsunozaki couldn't help but mutter, a hint of disgust on her face. She also hadn't expected such a situation to occur in a Totsuki competition.
"Look at that young lady's composed appearance. She clearly isn't afraid of her opponent using this ability, which means she's not surprised and has prepared a way to deal with him."
"If she knew about her opponent's ability beforehand, she definitely would have made thorough preparations. I just don't know what method she'll use to counter him."
The judges discussed among themselves.
On the competition floor, the movements of Hisako Arato and Subaru Mimasaka were almost perfectly synchronized, causing the audience below to hold their breath, their faces filled with awe.
"Even though it's not the first time seeing it, Subaru Mimasaka's ability is truly absurd. Their steps are exactly the same, without a single difference!"
Looking at the scene before her, Ryōko Sakaki's face was full of shock. Although she had expected it, when she truly saw this scene, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
By simulating daily life, he can master his opponent's cooking. What about things outside of cooking? Has he mastered all of that as well?
The thought was terrifying! It was enough to make one shudder.
"He even replicated the use of the lotus leaf. Don't tell me he also copied a Lady Erina? What an unfair ability!"
Noticing Subaru Mimasaka take out a freshly picked lotus leaf from his basket, Hisako Arato's brow furrowed, and a hint of
chilliness couldn't help but rise in her heart. Using the lotus leaf was something she had discussed with Lady Erina Nakiri yesterday; it wasn't originally part of the recipe.
Her opponent had even copied this.
"Next up is where I make my improvements!"
Feeling the gazes of curiosity or fear from those around him, an exaggerated smile appeared on Subaru Mimasaka's face. He then added Chinese yam and Poria cocos to the lotus-leaf-wrapped chicken.
In addition, when marinating the chicken, he added extra honey and lemon juice to enhance its sweetness and fresh flavor.
After adding the herbs, he quickly wrapped the chicken in the lotus leaf, then wrapped another layer of tin foil on the outside, locking in the chicken's freshness while retaining the lotus leaf's aroma.
Finishing these steps, Subaru Mimasaka worked without pause, placing it into the preheated steamer while giving a provocative look at Hisako Arato,
who was currently massaging flavor into her chicken.
Little did he know, all his actions were being watched by Hisako Arato, and even less did he know that she was looking at him as if he were a buffoon.
"Improving the precision of a dish is indeed better than constantly adding new things."
In the audience, Dylan couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene. He had already figured out Hisako Arato's idea: to counter change with constancy.
Adapting to the situation is quite good, but wouldn't it be more interesting to rely on one's solid foundation to create something far beyond the limits of the opponent's copy?
In a sense, it's an even greater demonstration of skill.
"She's not making any changes."
On the other side, Subaru Mimasaka was constantly watching Hisako Arato. When he noticed she made no changes and her expression remained
calm, he fell into deep thought.
"Fine, I'll let you see how wide the gap between us is. Why is it that incompetent people like you can still gain the appreciation of Teacher Dylan!?"
After a moment of thought, Subaru Mimasaka understood Hisako Arato's idea, and he laughed in anger.
If it were Teacher Dylan using this method against him, he wouldn't say a word, because his skill level was indeed much lower than Teacher Dylan's.
But Hisako Arato… he had learned everything about her from the time she enrolled until now by mimicking her, including being taught by Dylan and having her dish improved by Erina Nakiri.
It could be said that he knew everything about Hisako Arato. She was just an ordinary First-Grade Head Chef.
At this moment, he was Hisako Arato, and Hisako Arato was him. Fused with Subaru Mimasaka's culinary experience, this was the true face of the improved, innovative dish!
And now, this person dared to look down on him so much, daring to challenge the combination of Hisako Arato and Subaru Mimasaka with only the strength of Hisako Arato alone.
How could this not make him furious! The aroma spread everywhere, and both the judges and the audience couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"The advanced version of the Medicinal Steamed Chicken. Please, enjoy."
Placing the steamers containing the Medicinal Steamed Chicken in front of each judge, Subaru Mimasaka made a gentlemanly gesture of invitation toward them.
Seeing the dish served, the judges all focused their attention on it.
"An advanced version of the Medicinal Steamed Chicken?"
Reaching out to unwrap the outer layer of tin foil and looking at the lotus leaf underneath, Taki Tsunozaki muttered to herself while using her chopsticks to part the lotus leaf.
In an instant, the previously subtle fragrance of the lotus leaf spread in all directions, and the rich aroma of steamed chicken rushed to the tip of her nose.
"The fragrance of the lotus leaf is as wonderful as the prelude to a symphony, gently brushing past the nose, bringing a trace of natural charm and the coolness of summer."
Twitching her nose, Taki Tsunozaki closed her eyes. This fresh scent intertwined with the savoriness of the chicken, forming a unique aroma.
At this moment, she felt as if she were by a lotus pond in the early morning, feeling the gentle breeze and the beauty of the swaying lotus leaves.
Next, the fragrance of the medicinal herbs slowly rose, like the main melody of the music, elegant and profound.
The scents of Codonopsis, red dates, and Angelica intertwined, layered upon each other, forming a rich and harmonious medicinal aroma.
It made her body feel slightly warm.
"Because it uses a steaming method, compared to others, the steamed chicken has a firmer and more delicate texture. With every bite, you can feel the freshness and chewiness of the chicken."
Furthermore, the honey and lemon juice added during marination have added a touch of sweetness and freshness to the chicken, making the entire dish's
flavor more three-dimensional."
Hinako Inui spoke with a satisfied look on her face. Compared to cooking methods like stir-frying, deep-frying, and roasting, steamed dishes can retain
more juices and have a fuller flavor.
This cooking method better showcases the original flavor of the ingredients. It can be said that the fresher the ingredients, the more suitable they are for the steaming
method.
"The clever combination of lotus leaf and tin foil both preserves the fragrance of the lotus leaf and locks in the freshness of the chicken, making the whole
dish's flavor richer and longer-lasting."
Licking the residual chicken oil from her fingers, Sonoka Kikuchi's expression was jubilant. This wonderful taste was truly delightful!
"And this dipping sauce, the main components should be Sichuan peppercorn oil and minced garlic, right?
The flavor is rich, both spicy and fragrant, and it's absolutely delicious with the chicken!"
Beside her, Fuyumi Mizuhara's voice rang out. Compared to the original flavor of the chicken, she preferred eating it with sauce. This one bite
was incredibly satisfying!
"My dish is also ready. I invite the judges to taste it."
Just as everyone was enjoying themselves, Hisako Arato walked over gracefully from not far away, distributing her meticulously prepared dish to
the judges, her face full of confidence.
"This looks pretty good too. The aroma is rich, and it feels even more fragrant than the last one. This flavor is simply
fantastic!"
Sniffing the air, Taki Tsunozaki's voice held a hint of doubt. Logically, since their steps were identical, and Subaru Mimasaka
even added his own ingredients, this dish should have been completely crushed.
"Hisako…"
In the audience, looking at the Medicinal Steamed Chicken projected onto the large screen in the sky, its appearance was very similar to Subaru Mimasaka's,
only slightly yellower in color.
Miyoko Hojo placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pound violently, a hint of something inexplicable in her eyes.
An hour before the match began, Hisako Arato had suddenly found her and told her she must come to watch the match, that she would show her the correct answer.
Because they were both students under Dylan, their relationship wasn't bad, but there was a sense of being both rivals and friends due to their desire for more of their teacher's attention.
Miyoko Hojo knew in her heart that the other girl wanted to avenge her, which was why she asked her to witness it personally. But if she succeeded in getting revenge under these circumstances, she would actually feel even more unwilling to accept it.
After all, her skill and Hisako Arato's were evenly matched. Her opponent was slightly stronger, but only by a limited margin. In their usual shokugekis, the win-loss ratio was about four to six.
"With your completely unchanged Medicinal Steamed Chicken, it's impossible to defeat my advanced version of the Medicinal Steamed Chicken. If I were you, I would have conceded the moment I started improving my dish!"
Looking at the composed Hisako Arato, a bad premonition suddenly arose in Subaru Mimasaka's heart.
But he quickly suppressed it, instead speaking in a playful, provocative tone, trying to gauge her true strength through words.
"If you were really that confident, you wouldn't be running your mouth here right now."
Unexpectedly, Hisako Arato just glanced at him and then spoke disdainfully. That contemptuous look made him clench his fists uncontrollably.
"Hmph, I hope you can still be so stubborn later."
After saying this, Subaru Mimasaka stopped trying to provoke a reaction and turned his gaze to the judges who were unwrapping the lotus leaf,
awaiting their evaluation.
In his view, from the moment Hisako Arato chose to stick to the original and not make any adjustments, she had already thoroughly and utterly lost.
If his improved, more delicious dish couldn't win against Hisako Arato's original version, then he could only suspect that this match was fixed.
Watching the judges eat the Medicinal Steamed Chicken bite after bite, without even time to comment, a look of astonishment appeared on Subaru Mimasaka's face.
Were these guys this crazy when they were eating his dish earlier?!
"Click. Click. Click."
As a series of sounds rang out, Subaru Mimasaka stiffly turned his head to see that the judges had all pressed the buttons in front of them.
Then, Hisako Arato's name appeared on the big screen, which made him feel angry, followed by intense dissatisfaction.
Not only because the score was 5-0, but more so because his improved dish had actually lost!
"I think I need an explanation. Why would my improved, more delicious dish lose to this
person's original version!?"
Slamming his hand on the table, Subaru Mimasaka couldn't accept it. He looked furiously at the judges before him, especially Gin Dōjima, because he was the first one to press the button.
"Does this really need an explanation? It's because Hisako Arato's dish is more delicious, of course."
Gin Dōjima gave Subaru Mimasaka a strange look. In a cooking competition, the way to win is simply for one side's dish to be more delicious, isn't it?
Such blunt words and the other's look as if he were looking at an idiot made Subaru Mimasaka flinch, then grit his teeth:
"How is it better, specifically?"
"You'll know once you taste it."
Gin Dōjima thought for a moment, then pushed the remaining portion of the Medicinal Steamed Chicken in front of Subaru Mimasaka, a flash of regret in his eyes.
He had intentionally saved a chicken leg to savor at the very end, but seeing the other's state, it seemed the only way to make him truly concede was for him to taste Hisako Arato's dish.
The gap between the two dishes was too obvious to be bridged by simple imitation, which was why they had chosen Hisako Arato without
much hesitation.
"I'll know once I taste it..."
A trace of doubt appeared in Subaru Mimasaka's mind, but his hands didn't stop moving. He reached out and tore off the chicken leg that Gin Dōjima had prized most, first bringing it to his nose to smell, then taking a large bite.
The rich juices, the tender chicken, the unique aroma of the herbs, the fresh scent of the lotus leaf—all sorts of flavors bloomed in his mouth. It was a gathering of heroes!
If one were to point out the biggest difference between the two, it would probably be that the flavors in Hisako Arato's dish were perfectly integrated, performing multiplication,
while his dish was merely an accumulation of ingredients, performing addition.
The gap between them was not small at all.
For example, Hisako Arato's dish had already reached the level of a Special Grade dish, while his was only First-Grade.
Closing his eyes, a hen with long feathers spread its wings before him, like a phoenix displaying its plumage. It looked incredibly majestic and imposing!
"You were too confident and thought too little of others. Arrogance was the key to your defeat, Subaru Mimasaka."
Watching Subaru Mimasaka's hands fall to his sides, no longer raising any objections, Hisako Arato spoke coldly. This guy, relying on his ability to track and copy others' cooking, had always looked down on his opponents. This
mentality was the key to his loss.
"Was I... too arrogant?"
Hearing Hisako Arato's words and looking at the score on the big screen, Subaru Mimasaka murmured to himself, his face filled with unwillingness.
He had thought he could steamroll his way to the top, claim the first-place throne, enter Teacher Dylan's line of sight, and become his apprentice.
But now, it seemed he would be stopped in the quarterfinals. His opponent's strength was somewhat beyond his imagination.
He didn't make a single wrong step, so why was the gap so huge?
A trace of confusion flashed in Subaru Mimasaka's eyes, and then, like a zombie, he walked towards the contestants' tunnel, soon disappearing from everyone's view.
Seeing this, Hisako Arato let out a sigh of relief. She had finally won, not failing Lady Erina's expectations,nor Dylan's expectations!
Thinking this, Hisako Arato turned her gaze to the audience, immediately finding Dylan in the crowd and giving him a radiant smile.
At this moment, the cheers of the audience echoed around her. This was a glory that belonged to her alone!
"Teacher Dylan, I did it!"
Hisako Arato thought to herself.
After this are the semifinals, then the finals. If things go smoothly, she will climb all the way to the top, and will surely receive Dylan's special attention in the future!
Towards Dylan, besides seeing him as a teacher, she actually had some other feelings.
After all, being disciplined by him every day with a ruler and spankings, and in such a private area at that, even the beatings started to stir feelings in her.
Thinking about certain situations during their daily training, Hisako Arato's body went a little limp, and her hand involuntarily rested on the cooking station.
The most memorable time was when she made a very serious, elementary mistake. Dylan, in front of everyone, put her over his lap and spanked her bottom.
At that time, she felt both humiliated and excited.
Especially under the gazes of so many people.
Hisako Arato swore, if she ever became strange one day, it would definitely be because of Dylan!
____
Hey, my dear readers!
I have an announcement to make in this chapter of "Let Him Cook," so please pay close attention!
To be honest, I stopped reading the original fanfic a while ago. I started to get bored with the story because it took a turn that I wasn't a fan of.
The translation ended up suffering because of this. My motivation took a hit since I wasn't reading the chapters, so I've decided to pause new releases for this fic.
As I've said before, I always buy the chapters I translate on the official site to support the author who creates the work. And since my interest in the story dropped, I decided to pick another story that I'm actively reading to translate instead.
But, if you still love "Let Him Cook," you can support me in bringing back the chapters by subscribing to "The Walnut-chan" tier. Doing so will guarantee 60 more translated chapters of this story (or another one that's currently on pause).