He took out the freshly slaughtered free-range chicken bought from the market that morning. He trimmed its toenails, wingtips, rump, and the feathers on its head. These areas had a stronger gamey smell and were not suitable for simmering chicken soup.
Afterward, he removed the chicken feet and rubbed salt over the surface of the chicken. The purpose of this was to force out the blood from the chicken meat and bones, further removing the gamey smell.
This step takes only three minutes; too long will make the chicken tough and hard to bite. Add clear water and wash several times. The water that comes out is slightly red; these are the main sources of the chicken's gamey smell.
To make the chicken soup fresh and delicious, put it directly into the pot and simmer over low heat. The free-range chicken, after being de-gamed, does not need to be blanched. This way, the original flavor of the ingredients, the so-called freshness of the chicken, can be preserved as much as possible.
Two slices of old ginger were patted loose, then a slice of Dahurian Angelica and two sections of Codonopsis pilosula were put into a spice bag. As the herbs were added, a richer aroma permeated the kitchen through the stewing pot, making those who smelled it linger.
Thus, the chicken broth was ready. All that was needed was to skim off the scum during the process and let it simmer leisurely over low heat. When needed, a ladleful would be perfect, and the taste!
In a word, it was absolutely divine!
A ladle of cold water was added to the pot, followed by the cut pieces of pork fat. It was brought to a boil over high heat, blanched, and the scum was skimmed off. Then, some of the water was removed, leaving the pork fat in the pot looking pristine white.
This was what was meant by clear and transparent.
A scallion was sliced diagonally, some ginger was cut, and both were added to the pot, along with a handful of peppercorns. This would render a pot of clear lard, but for now, the lard was still a milky white oil-water mixture.
Therefore, the method to whiten the soup doesn't necessarily require evaporated milk; a spoonful of lard also works.
The corner of Hoshino Sora's eye caught Mimasaka Subaru, and sure enough, he was imitating Hoshino Sora's cooking. Sometimes, Hoshino Sora truly didn't understand why he could perfectly replicate others' dishes.
Hoshino Sora had never made this dish before. It was chosen yesterday, and today was his first attempt after memorizing the recipe. He wasn't even sure if he could make it well.
Yet, Mimasaka Subaru began cooking, following Hoshino Sora's steps exactly, with a composed expression, as if he were Hoshino Sora.
Not only that, but Mimasaka Subaru could also improve upon Hoshino Sora's original basis. This talent was truly enviable!
"Why is this guy doing exactly what the manager is doing? Isn't this blatant plagiarism?"
Watching Hoshino Sora and Mimasaka Subaru begin to stew chicken broth and render lard one after another, Kitagawa Marin muttered in dissatisfaction, her eyes filled with disdain for Mimasaka Subaru. She had thought this guy was a formidable character, but it turned out he was just a scumbag who only knew how to plagiarize.
The expected passionate showdown didn't happen. What she saw was an utterly boring imitation act. Although Mimasaka Subaru imitated well, could such a method truly determine a winner?
"It's not just plagiarism; Mimasaka Subaru's ability isn't that simple. He can improve upon his opponent's cooking imitation, thereby creating a superior dish to win the competition."
The wind chimes at the door jingled, and Eizan Etsuya's figure appeared in the shop. Then, Kitagawa Marin's extremely indignant complaint was heard.
Looking at Mimasaka Subaru kneading dough at the counter, Eizan Etsuya's face bore a smug smile. If he hadn't known Mimasaka Subaru's ability beforehand, even he wouldn't be able to guarantee a win.
"Meticulous, scrupulous!"
Having finished the parts identical to Hoshino Sora's, Mimasaka Subaru began his own optimization. Since Chunyang Noodle is very simple, any improvements could only be made to the noodles themselves.
Hand-pulled noodles were his ultimate move. Looking at Hoshino Sora, he probably hadn't prepared flour, as fine noodles bought from the market that morning were still on the table.
This was normal; everyone has weaknesses, especially a greenhorn like Hoshino Sora. In over ten days of observation, Mimasaka Subaru had never seen him make any pasta.
Not making pasta usually meant one of two things: he couldn't make it or he didn't want to. But from Hoshino Sora using fine noodles bought from the market, it could be seen that he was not skilled at hand-pulled noodles.
Quickly kneading the dough in his hands, while simultaneously paying attention to the brightness of the chicken broth and the clarity of the lard, Mimasaka Subaru revealed a triumphant smile, then wanted to see Hoshino Sora's expression.
However, the imagined panic and distress did not appear; instead, there was a sense of leisurely control.
This feeling was strange. Logically, Hoshino Sora should be extremely frantic, angry, or even self-doubting right now, but he wasn't. Why was he so calm and composed like an old dog?!
Could the chicken broth and lard hold some hidden secret?! No, he had just watched Hoshino Sora cook, replicating every single step exactly; there couldn't be any omissions or mistakes.
Could it be that he knew he couldn't win, so he just gave up? He didn't look like that either. So why...
"Bluffing."
Unable to figure it out, Mimasaka Subaru simply stopped thinking, just muttering "bluffing" to himself, then focused his attention on the dough in front of him.
Time passed bit by bit. The two contestants moved methodically. Hoshino Sora was stewing chicken broth and rendering lard. Mimasaka Subaru was only one step ahead of him, which was pulling noodles. The slapping sound of the noodles was particularly intimidating.
Just hearing the sound made one understand that these noodles must be delicious!
"Is this the competition venue? Sorry, my alarm clock at home broke. I should still be on time, right?"
A voice accompanied by the jingle of wind chimes appeared at the door. The figures of Akame and Kurome arrived late. Before Hoshino Sora could speak, Kurome said first.
"You're on time, or rather, just in time. Take a rest outside for now; the dishes will be finished soon!"
Glancing at Mimasaka Subaru, who had just put the noodles into the pot, Hoshino Sora tasted a bit of the chicken broth. The flavor was exquisitely fresh, perfect for adding taste to Chunyang Noodle.
A small spoonful of cold water was added to the pot, followed by cleaned river shrimp roe. It was steeped and brought to a boil over low heat to enhance the umami. After that, a large spoonful of cold water was added, and at the same time, the fine noodles bought from the market were put in.
Stirred with chopsticks, another spoonful of cold water was added, and then seasoning began: salt, pepper, freshly made chicken broth, a small amount of sugar, soy sauce, two spoonfuls of lard...
The seasonings were added in one smooth motion, and the originally bland pot instantly erupted with a rich tide of aroma, causing those in the kitchen to close their eyes in a daze, as if the scent transported them to a dream.
Freshness, extreme freshness! Not only from Hoshino Sora's pot, but Mimasaka Subaru's pot also erupted with a rich, fresh aroma at this moment, spreading into the air and complementing Hoshino Sora's scent, becoming even richer.
This was normal, after all, Mimasaka Subaru had been copying him. Except for the fact that Mimasaka Subaru was faster at putting noodles in, the two were almost identical in every step, just like Hoshino Sora when he had opened the mirror crystal that day.
He was genuinely envious of this ability.
However, he also had a trump card.
Magical Spices!
With a flick of his wrist, a multi-purpose seasoning bottle appeared in his hand. This item, never before used in front of outsiders, released various colored spices from its opening as his wrist shook.
The next moment, Mimasaka Subaru, holding the freshly prepared Chunyang Noodle, felt something was off. His dish seemed to be trembling. No, it seemed to be his hand trembling!
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