Just because Hoshino Sora brought Tadokoro Megumi and Yumeko Jabami with him, Eizan Etsuya was confident of winning this competition!
Those two were just lucky; they didn't encounter any active Elite Ten and managed to stand out by chance. Their actual strength, in his perception, was not strong.
As for Kobayashi Rindo and Saito Somei, they remained silent as they passed Hoshino Sora's team, very quiet, as if brewing some big move.
"Then let's begin as planned, Erina, help me boil a pot of chicken soup first."
"Okay."
Nodding, the four of them quickly moved according to the plan. Since this competition allowed contestants to bring their own ingredients, both teams had put a lot of effort into selecting their ingredients.
Among them, Eishi Tsukasa's side used lamb air-shipped from Inner Mongolia, China. The area was covered in wild chives and sand onions, and the lamb, after eating them, had tender, delicious meat without any gamey smell.
Furthermore, these sheep lived in saline-alkali land, constantly moving around for food every day, which resulted in very high-quality meat.
"Both teams have presented their prepared ingredients. Hoshino Sora's team has chosen chicken! Looking at the size of the chicken, it appears to be an immature chick. It seems Hoshino's team has decided to use chicks as their ingredient for this competition.
Chick meat is tender, and its flavor is delicate. Because its taste is mild, it can be used in various dishes. Moreover, chick meat is one of the highest protein meats, and it also has the effect of strengthening the body—"
Kawashima Rei, having already formed an opinion, began to narrate with enthusiasm as she looked at the ingredients Hoshino Sora's team brought out. Clearly, this evenly matched competition had also gotten to her.
"The camera moves to Tsukasa-senpai's side! It seems Tsukasa-senpai's side plans to use lamb to counter Hoshino's chicks!?
This is a battle between chicken and lamb! Both sides are using relatively common ingredients with countless cooking methods. So, who will ultimately win?"
The atmosphere on site was fiery. Kawashima Rei passionately narrated on stage, and all the audience's attention was focused on the competition arena. A rich aroma permeated the air as the dishes were cooked.
"It smells so good. Can chicken soup's aroma really spread this far? Or has the chef's technique already reached such a high level?"
The rich aroma of chicken soup made the man sitting in the back row frown. This was the first time he had smelled chicken soup with such a long-lasting fragrance. Did they really not use any Hex-tech?
"What a fresh and vibrant taste!"
"Look quickly, Hoshino Sora is actually carving a watermelon! And there's not a single seed in the watermelon!? What kind of dream-watermelon is this?!"
"Is there even watermelon this season? Will off-season watermelon really be sweet? It looks like it's even a triploid-bred watermelon. I'm really curious about its taste."
Someone exclaimed, looking at Hoshino Sora carving a watermelon. Off-season watermelon was already surprising, but it had no seeds at all!?
Seriously, you seductive melon, who are you trying to entice without seeds?!
"But if he's making chicken, why use watermelon?"
"I don't know. The Elite Ten's thinking is more unconventional than the last. Maybe that's why others can become Elite Ten and you can't."
"That's true, but what kind of sparks will chicken and watermelon create? I'm a little excited."
"It should be Watermelon Chicken, a Improvementsed version of Coconut Chicken, but will the taste really be good?"
"Since it's on the competition stage, it must be the product of countless experiments. The person cooking it knows better than you whether this dish will taste good."
"Heh heh, that's true."
"Look over there, is that scrambled eggs? I see, eggs are also a type of chicken dish! They're making chicken dishes, not just chicken meat dishes!"
"But wouldn't scrambled eggs be a bit too simple? This is clearly not a dish that an Elite Ten level chef should be serving."
Someone exclaimed, looking at Tadokoro Megumi scrambling eggs.
"Hoshino's team is making surprisingly simple dishes. Even Erina is making Teriyaki Chicken Thigh. What's the situation on Tsukasa-senpai's side…?"
Hearing the sound, many people turned their gaze to Eishi Tsukasa on the other side. At this moment, he was pan-frying lamb chops, and on the table next to him, there was puff pastry, a typical Western cooking method.
Looking at Kobayashi Rindo, she was actually preparing curry, clearly intending to make curry lamb. Spices were constantly in her hands, and the air quickly filled with the aroma of curry.
It was rich yet not pungent, mellow and thick, making one exclaim: "This taste is only found in heaven, rarely heard on earth!"
"Pan-fried lamb chops, curry lamb, hand-torn lamb, lamb sushi, tsk, truly dishes that match their personal styles."
While cooking his own dish, Hoshino Sora also focused on Eishi Tsukasa and his team. He naturally understood the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy to win every battle.
However, the styles of the two teams were truly vastly different: one advocated simplicity, the other embraced complexity; one strove to showcase the original flavor of ingredients, the other used seasonings to enhance the dish's flavor.
"Hoshino-kun, the watermelon balls are cut."
"Alright, set them aside for later."
Hearing Yumeko Jabami's voice, Hoshino Sora nodded, instructing her to set the prepared ingredients aside. Then, he began to process the chicken thighs on the cutting board.
"It certainly looks like the Coconut Chicken method. Chicken is white meat, and its taste is relatively mild, which pairs well with watermelon. At the same time, the combination of chicken soup and watermelon flavors prevents it from being greasy. This kid is quite clever."
Watching Hoshino Sora process the chicken thighs, Nakitiri Senzaemon on the judges' panel couldn't help but praise him. Eating a summer dish in winter was a completely new experience for him too.
"Indeed, Hoshino's skill has always been consistent. The Nakiri beside him is also not simple; the chicken soup she's boiling is rich in flavor. This is the first time I've seen someone able to make chicken soup so clear."
The aroma of chicken soup in the air was exceptionally distinct. Logically, chicken soup's stimulating properties are not strong and should be weaker than curry, but under Nakiri Nakiri's cooking, the aroma was directly rivaling Kobayashi Rindo's curry lamb!
This was undoubtedly abnormal. To be able to boil chicken soup to such a flavor, Nakiri Nakiri truly lived up to her God Tongue!
Although he didn't know the principle behind it, this didn't prevent him from praising Nakiri Nakiri. God Tongue are naturally sensitive to taste, so it was normal for her to possess skills that ordinary people like them didn't.
Hearing Dojima Gin's praise, Nakitiri Senzaemon nodded without speaking, merely frowning slightly and staring intently at Nakiri Nakiri, who was cooking.
Soon, the chicken soup was finished, and an hour and a half had passed. Hoshino Sora placed the Watermelon Chicken into the steamer, and a sweet, fresh aroma immediately diffused from the steamer, instantly engulfing the entire venue.
At this moment, it was as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake; everyone's faces showed expressions of fascination.
"What's going on? What spices did they use? How can the dish be so incredibly rich?"
Smelling the aroma in the air, Eizan Etsuya's face showed a hint of disbelief. He had cooked chicken before, and he could say he was very familiar with the smell of chicken soup.
However, such a rich flavor definitely couldn't come from just boiled chicken soup; something else must have been added!
"This is the chicken's true flavor. Hoshino Sora, that guy, I don't know where he got such high-quality chicken from, but just by simmering it, he can make such delicious broth!"
Looking at Erina Nakiri, who was holding the chicken soup in front of him, Hayama Akira suddenly opened his closed eyes and then gave his judgment. Under the perception of his God's Nose, this was very pure chicken soup.
It was just that the umami in the chicken soup was at least twenty times that of ordinary chicken soup! What kind of chicken could be cooked to produce such delicious chicken soup?
"For such high-quality chicken, adding any seasoning would be a destruction of it. The most suitable cooking method is to preserve its original flavor."
Looking at the dish in front of him, Soma Yukihira, who was next to Hayama Akira, murmured to himself. Speaking of which, in their several battles, the quality of ingredients Hoshino Sora brought out each time was exceptionally high!
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