"That is exactly why alkaline noodles exist. Noodles made with alkaline water are chewier, have a bouncy 'Q' texture, are more elastic, do not turn mushy even after long boiling, and have a more substantial mouthfeel. They are the primary material for fried noodle dishes."
Okabe chimed in from the side.
On his work surface sat three flour jars, containing high-gluten, medium-gluten, and low-gluten flour respectively.
"In addition to the flavor of the dish, one must also consider the completion time and the ingredients currently available in the kitchen. After all, no matter how creative you are, it's useless if you can't make it."
With this in mind, Okabe turned his gaze to the refrigerator behind him, where eggs, milk, various fresh meats, and some vegetables were quietly lying in wait.
"Decided. I'll make Shaobing tonight."
Standing before the refrigerator looking at the ingredients inside, Shell rubbed his chin and snapped his fingers.
"Shaobing? That's a rather standard choice," Okabe remarked upon hearing Shell's words.
As an indispensable part of flour-based cuisine, Shaobing is characterized primarily by its flaky and fragrant texture, and its adaptability is extremely broad. Every region has a different method for making Shaobing, and the flavor and texture vary accordingly.
"The key point is the taste of the finished product. Thinking too much before making it is just wasting energy on meaningless things, and will only create pressure when it comes time to cook. Rather than that, it's better to decide right from the start, and then drill down into the dough and the filling. You should know that even with the same method, the Shaobing made by different people can differ vastly, and I intend to inject my own superiority into it."
Hearing Okabe's comment, Shell shrugged his shoulders.
He took several ingredients from the refrigerator and returned to the cooking station; among them were pork and preserved mustard greens, clearly indicating he was preparing to make Preserved Vegetable and Meat Shaobing. And this is also the most widely circulated type in the world of Shaobing.
Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato couldn't help but fix their gaze on Shell. He had already returned to the cooking station and reached out to spread the flour on the board.
With a push and a turn, the small mound of flour became volcano-shaped. His other hand reached for the oil pot, pouring oil in a one-to-two ratio with the flour. The peanut oil mixed with the flour, and with the flipping motion of his palm, they fused into a mass, becoming a substance known as 'oil paste' or pastry dough, which is essential for making Shaobing.
"What is he doing..." Hisako Arato's voice held a note of curiosity.
She watched as Shell, after making the pastry dough, didn't set it aside. Instead, using the heel of his palm, he continuously pushed forward, flattening the originally intact pastry dough, then gathering the flattened dough back into a ball, and repeating the process.
"This is 'rubbing the dough,' or more accurately, 'rubbing the paste.' In layman's terms, it refines the particles inside the dough, which is beneficial for improving the texture."
"Rolling, Kneading, Shaking, Slamming, Rubbing—these are the five most basic steps of making dough."
After mixing water and flour into a dough, in order to integrate the water and flour more fully, one can cup one end of the dough and continuously slam it until it becomes smooth and round. Watching Shell pour water to mix and rest the dough, and seeing the curiosity on Hisako Arato's face, Akisame Koetsuji simply started a lesson, speaking about the essentials of kneading dough.
Although it seems very simple, the simpler the task, the higher the demand on a chef's basic skills. This was the case right now; Shell deftly handled the dough properly.
Now, with the white dough covered with cheesecloth to rest, he turned to wash the preserved mustard greens, preparing to make the preserved vegetable and meat filling.
On the other side, Okabe was still thinking with his eyes closed.
What Shell said had some truth to it; rather than overthinking, it's better to put it into practice. Using mastered techniques to bring the flavor of the dish to its peak is the optimal solution.
But when it comes to flour-based cooking techniques, he wasn't necessarily stronger than this guy before him who had carved a path through actual combat. If he wanted to beat his opponent, he had to take the route of creativity.
"Currently, it is known that the opponent is preparing to make Preserved Vegetable and Meat Shaobing, and has added pastry dough to it. This implies that what he is making is not the traditional Guokui Shaobing; the cooking method is most likely deep-frying."
Seeing the pastry dough and water-oil dough prepared on Shell's board, Okabe stepped towards the refrigerator. At this moment, the shadow of a dish had already emerged in his mind.
That was a dish he had created by accident.
He scooped a ladle of high-gluten flour from the jar into a basin, and prepared sugar, salt, dry yeast powder, butter, and fresh milk. Besides these, a bowl of ice water was also needed.
"You're using these ingredients... surely you aren't going to make bread next?"
While waiting for his dough to process, Shell noticed Okabe's actions and asked with a puzzled expression, his eyes holding a clear scrutiny.
Bread and cakes are indeed types of flour-based snacks. As one of the staples of the West, using it in a competition is not disallowed, but it did surprise him somewhat. Okabe studied under Akisame Koetsuji, so he assumed this guy would be like him, making a Chinese-style flour dish.
"That's right, I am indeed preparing to make bread."
Facing Shell's inquiry, Okabe nodded slightly without denying it, but offered no further explanation. As he spoke, he poured the dry yeast into the ice water and used a whisk to dissolve and mix it evenly.
High-gluten flour, sugar, salt—utilizing the rotation of his arm, he mixed the three evenly, then added water and ice-cold fresh milk. After mixing well, he added the yeast liquid.
"Next is utilizing the power of rotation..."
Okabe's eyes were serious.
As for bread, he had made it relatively few times; up to now, he only knew the basic process. Simply put, first add dry ingredients, then wet ingredients, and finally use the arm to rotate in one direction, stirring the three substances into a dough.
"Doesn't the butter go in together with them?"
Erina Nakiri rested her chin on her hand, muttering in confusion. She also hadn't made Western pastries many times, so she didn't quite grasp Okabe's operation at this moment.
"Fat destroys gluten. Bread is a cuisine where the first bite should be chewy while the inside is incredibly soft. That initial chewy texture is more important. Putting the butter in together would cause the entire bread's texture to be too soft. However, if you wait for the gluten within the dough to form before adding it, this problem won't occur. By the way, little Okabe adding ice water earlier was also to increase the gluten in the dough. Ice water can effectively inhibit the dough's temperature from rising, so the yeast doesn't start working so quickly. If the yeast works after the gluten forms, the texture of the bread will be fine with a hint of chewiness." Akisame Koetsuji explained.
Although making flour dishes looks simple, the details involved are no fewer than in other cuisines. Comparatively speaking, stir-frying is actually easier to pick up.
The fundamental reason why pastry making is hard to enter is that there are simply too many areas requiring attention. If no one guides you, it is very easy to lose your way just by fumbling around on your own.
"The elasticity is just right."
On the other side, Okabe used the rotational force of his arm to knead the dough to perfection. He then reached out and gently twisted it, nodding with satisfaction after feeling the tactile sensation within.
Then he turned his gaze to the butter nearby and poured it into the basin.
The dough came into contact with the butter, and under the action of his arm and hand, they rapidly fused into one. In the next moment, he placed it into a fermentation box, covered it with plastic wrap, and let it rest to proof.
And during the waiting time...
"Ephemeral Blossom Slash!"
A cold glint flashed in Okabe's eyes as he took out the shrimp left over from his previous stall. He quickly removed the shells and deveined them, processing them all into shrimp meat.
"Bread and shrimp?"
"Just what kind of idea does Okabe-kun have..."
Noticing Okabe's movements, both Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato showed expressions of surprise.
They originally thought he was preparing to use bread to battle, opposing Chinese Shao Mai with Western pastry, but they didn't expect him to suddenly start processing shrimp meat. This kind of ingredient shouldn't generally appear in bread dishes...
"Could it be a hamburger?"
"Strictly speaking, a hamburger counts as a pastry product, since meat is sandwiched between two slices of bread, but wouldn't that be suspected of skirting the rules?"
"I don't think so. If a hamburger counts as skirting the rules, then isn't Shao Mai, where the dough skin makes up no more than one-tenth of the whole, even more borderline...?"
Hearing Erina Nakiri's muttering, Hisako Arato scratched her head, a bit puzzled, and asked.
"This is the difference between a unified whole and an assembly."
In front of the cooking station, having finished the shrimp, Okabe started cutting the tenderloin, while simultaneously boiling water to add chicken breast to the pot, adding scallion, ginger, and cooking wine to remove the gaminess.
Before him also sat soaked dried shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots. After processing the fresh pork tenderloin, he diced both of them into small cubes 3 millimeters wide.
"Chinese flour-based dim sum, like Shao Mai, meat buns, and dumplings, emphasize the unity of skin and filling. From mixing the dough and making the skin to seasoning the filling and wrapping it, it is a complete cooking process. In this process, the dough skin is not just a container; its own texture and form are also important standards for judging its quality. It is an indispensable existence."
"Whereas with Western flour combinations—taking the hamburger you just mentioned as an example—the bread is made independently in advance, and the meat patty and vegetables are also cooked independently. Finally, they are assembled like building blocks. The quality of the bread is certainly important, but the diner's focus is concentrated more on the 'filling' in the middle rather than the bread on both sides, so Erina's statement is not wrong. If he were making a hamburger, strictly speaking, it should be considered skirting the rules. I do not recognize it as a true flour-based dim sum."
"However, I don't think little Okabe would make such a low-level mistake."
As he spoke, Akisame Koetsuji looked at Okabe who was cooking. The boy was deft with his hands and feet; even difficult-to-handle ingredients became docile in his hands.
Scallion and ginger diced, then a handful of chopped green onions. Finally, the cooked chicken breast was removed, diced into small cubes, and placed in a bowl for later use.
Having finished the filling ingredients, the fermented dough was divided in two. Using his fingertips to empty the gas inside, he used a rolling pin to roll it out, then flipped it and rolled it into a long strip. After repeating this twice, he sent it into the mold.
The bread still couldn't be baked directly. Okabe put it into the oven, then placed a basin of boiling water inside as well, to perfect the temperature and humidity.
Since he was going to do it, he would do it the best. There was no time limit for this competition, so Okabe had no intention of compromising.
During the waiting time, Okabe looked at Shell not far away. The opponent's dough had also finished resting while he was preparing his cuisine.
"This dough has risen really nicely!"
The young man looked at the dough with eyes full of love. His fingers gently touched it, feeling the exquisite tactile sensation within, his face showing a fanaticism difficult for ordinary people to understand.
Then he took the water-oil dough in his hand and wrapped the pastry dough inside. After simply shaping it, he placed it on the board, his eyes shifting from love to seriousness in an instant.
"Hah!"
Holding a steel staff, he let out a shout. The muscles on his body rapidly became engorged with blood, and the originally stationary steel staff was held high above Shell's head during this process.
In the next moment, the steel staff spun at high speed in the air. A gale diffused in all directions with the steel staff as the center, causing the seasonings that were originally sitting steadily to become somewhat tottering.
Fortunately, he checked his force at the end, stopping the movement of his hands and letting the steel staff land on solid ground—that is, onto the dough on the board.
Conversely.
The person who went airborne became him.
In the next moment, holding the steel staff while doing a handstand, he spun like a top. The dough originally placed there also turned into an oval-shaped long sheet during this process.
"This... is too amazing."
"To think he has such superb skill!"
Watching Shell spin like a top, Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato exchanged glances, both seeing the shock on the other's face.
How can someone hold a steel staff and make themselves spin upside down while doing a handstand? What kind of terrifying technique is this?! Doesn't he get dizzy...
"This is the Xie family's hereditary 'Spiral Dough Rolling Method.' Utilizing extreme pressure and the power of rotation, it can make the dough skin instantly become extremely thin and even."
Akisame Koetsuji's voice rang out. Shell also slowly stopped from his spinning state while he was speaking, then landed steadily on the ground.
"Spiral Dough Rolling Method?!" Erina Nakiri asked in confusion.
"He concentrated his entire body weight onto a tiny point through that steel staff. As the steel staff rolled, it expanded into a line, then a surface. This massive pressure can instantly extend the water-oil dough wrapped around the pastry dough to an extremely thin and even state, while ensuring the dough skin doesn't break."
As Akisame Koetsuji's voice faded, Shell reached out and rolled up the oval shape on the table from end to end, turning the originally wide dough skin into a long rolled strip.
Then, supporting the strip with one hand, he estimated the portions with the other and quickly divided them into equal doses, arranging them neatly on the board.
After processing the dough doses, Shell still did not relax. He pressed his thumb into the center of the dose, making the cut side of the pastry dough fall to the inside; this effectively prevents the pastry layers from breaking.
After all, cuisine requires not just taste. Color and fragrance are equally important. Handling some details properly is a great bonus for a dish.
Erina Nakiri and the others watched Shell as he quickly sealed all the dough doses.
Once everything was done, he picked up a dose in his hand, scooped a large spoonful of preserved vegetable and meat filling, and placed it inside. At first glance, the volume of the filling seemed even greater than the dough.
However, as Shell pressed slightly with the spoon used for scooping the filling and applied force with the web of his thumb, the filling was entirely squeezed into the dough, solid like a chubby doll.
Mixing one part water and three parts flour into a thin paste, he used his fingers to coat one side of the Shaobing with the paste, dipped the whole thing in toasted white sesame seeds, and immersed it in the frying pan at 30% oil heat.
A faint savory aroma drifted through the air.
"He's actually deep-frying instead of baking?"
Watching Shell's movements, Miu Fūrinji spoke for the first time, her eyes filled with intense curiosity. She had obviously never seen fried Shaobing before.
After all, according to common sense, Shaobing is generally baked in an oven.
"Fried Shaobing has a crispier texture, while baked has a dry fragrance. By choosing to add pastry dough into the Shaobing, he was prepared to make 'Crispy Shaobing' from the very beginning."
As he spoke, Akisame Koetsuji moved his steps, coming to Shell's side to check the situation. Upon seeing the Crispy Shaobing constantly bubbling in the oil pot, a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
As time passed, small bubbles gradually rose in the oil pot. The Shaobing changed from a pure white, soft appearance to golden and crispy, emitting a faint savory fragrance in all directions.
This process cannot be rushed; it requires time and waiting. A batch of Shaobing takes anywhere from eight to ten minutes from entering to leaving the pot, during which they need to be turned with chopsticks—and this is given that they are only the size of a baby's fist. Only in this way can it be guaranteed that the inner filling is cooked through, so the taster doesn't eat a half-raw Shaobing.
"Sniff sniff~"
Shell's nose twitched slightly. His gaze calmly fixed on the Shaobing in the pot until every corner turned golden, whereupon he lifted the strainer from the pot.
"Please taste. This Shaobing is named 'Supreme Crisp'."
Shell's voice was crisp. He then picked up the Shaobing from the pot with chopsticks, letting them rest in a net pocket woven from bamboo, and only dared to serve them on the table after arranging them slightly.
"Truly beautiful."
Erina Nakiri and the others gathered around. Looking at the small and exquisite Supreme Crisp, they subconsciously uttered sighs of admiration.
The white sesame seeds had turned golden in the oil pot. The aged aroma of the fermented mustard greens and the fat fragrance of the pork stimulated by the hot oil escaped from the cracks in the Shaobing. In that instant, it made people drool uncontrollably.
"Well then, I'll dig in. So hot!"
Miu Fūrinji couldn't wait to pick up a Supreme Crisp. Then she felt the heat and constantly passed it back and forth in her hands, taking quite a while to recover.
The Shaobing was petite, fitting perfectly in one hand. The tactile sensation from her fingertips was astonishingly crispy, as if with just a slight force, the golden outer shell would shatter in response.
An extremely crisp and melodious cracking sound rang out. The flaky crust fell into her mouth like a thousand layers of snowflakes, revealing the layered, cicada-wing-thin cross-section inside. Heat and rich aroma surged forth in this instant.
Erina Nakiri's eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her face.
The outer layer was the ultimate crispness, crunch, and fragrance. The pastry dough made from mixing peanut oil and flour, after being rolled flat and gathered, developed a layered internal structure. Through deep-frying, this texture was pushed to the peak!
Immediately after, the preserved mustard green and braised pork filling wrapped inside the Supreme Crisp, carrying warm and moist juices, rolled slightly on the tip of the tongue, filling the entire oral cavity in mere moments.
"The unique, aged, mellow savory aroma of the preserved mustard greens has perfectly integrated into the rich pork. And the pork's fat has been absorbed by the mustard greens during this process, becoming rich but not greasy, leaving only the melting moistness and meat fragrance."
"The sesame seeds, having been deep-fried, released their nutty aroma perfectly. Combined with the preserved vegetable and meat filling, the overall richness is clearly taken to a higher level!"
Feeling the rich flavors on the tip of her tongue, Erina Nakiri couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Through the cross-section of the Supreme Crisp before her, she seemed to see a verdant forest.
Quiet, peaceful, with sunlight shining on the solid earth, emitting a scent of peace of mind.
However, just then.
A herd of wild boars popped out from the depths of the forest and crashed towards her without explanation.
Just when she thought she would be sent flying by the collision, the lead boar hooked her clothes with its tusks, and with a slight toss, pulled her onto its back.
The biting wind constantly swept across her cheeks with the wild boar's sprint.
"This is a carnival from nature!"
Clutching the wild boar's mane tightly with both hands for fear of being thrown off, she simultaneously raised her head slightly, feeling the vibrant vitality of nature, and cheered inwardly.
The wild boars traveled rapidly through the forest, eating whatever they encountered along the way; among which, they ate wild mustard greens the most.
After an unknown amount of time, they crossed everything, passed through the jungle, and arrived in a field of golden wheat. Their rampaging steps gradually slowed down, turning into a leisurely stroll. Their gaze swept across the wheat field, their eyes filled with the triumph of discovering treasure. And from its mouth came faint, incomparable grunts, appearing very leisurely.
Watching such a scene, Erina Nakiri was silent for a moment, and her restless heart also calmed down.
"Truly an outstanding Shaobing."
The Shaobing became exceptionally crispy after deep-frying. The aroma of the sesame was mellow and rich, and the savory taste of the preserved mustard greens combined with the pork fat left a lingering fragrance in her mouth, making her unable to stop!
Hisako Arato nodded with a face full of agreement.
Preserved mustard greens and pork are simply the best partners. The combination of the two paired with the crispy cake—one bite is simply too satisfying.
However, Okabe seems to be in some danger!
"Thank you for the praise."
Shell nodded slightly towards Hisako Arato and the others, then turned his head to look at Okabe.
"Kid, how is your dish coming along? You prepared toast bread and so many ingredients; surely you aren't going to make a sandwich?"
While waiting for the dough to rest, Shell had observed Okabe for quite a long time. He had watched the whole process of him kneading the dough, so he knew he was making classic toast. But he didn't understand. The opponent couldn't possibly be naive enough to think a single loaf of toast could defeat him, right? Moreover, if he were simply making toast, he shouldn't have needed to prepare so many ingredients. That is to say, his killer move lies elsewhere.
"I certainly couldn't possibly make a sandwich; that would violate even the most basic theme. As for what dish I am making, just watch patiently."
Hearing Shell's words, Okabe shook his head without explaining. He glanced at the state of the dough inside the oven; the dough at this moment had completely expanded.
He took the hot water out from inside and preheated the oven.
Top and bottom heat, one hundred and eighty degrees, bake for thirty minutes.
The baking time was used to process the filling.
He put scallion and ginger into the pan over low heat. After the aroma burst forth, he added the pork. When the pork was slightly colored, he poured in the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and finally put the chicken in, adding oyster sauce for color.
Then came yellow wine, pepper powder, and dark soy sauce.
Finally, he poured in the chicken broth left over from boiling the chicken breast and bones earlier. After bringing it to a slight boil, he added water starch to thicken it, and sesame oil to enhance the color, then ladled out the filling for later use.
He minced the shrimp meat into a paste with a kitchen knife, added a little salt for seasoning, then poured in yellow wine and egg whites. He beat it by hand in one direction to develop the texture.
This step was similar to kneading dough. Okabe directly used the 'Rotation Kneading Method,' pouring his whole body's strength into it, making the shrimp paste become gelatinous with a certain stickiness.
To the shrimp paste in this state, he added scallion-ginger water, cornstarch, and sesame oil, continuing to beat evenly in a clockwise direction. Thus, he obtained a perfect shrimp slide.
Okabe arranged the several ingredients in order.
Immediately after, he ignored the surrounding clamor, closed his eyes to rest his mind, and waited quietly.
____
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