Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Provocation (3)
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"Start!"
With Kim Ji-su's call, the timer on the table began beeping.
I confirmed Oh Jun-seo had started and began my own preparation.
Pasta and grilled oysters. Pasta loses its flavor if overcooked, so I decided to make Oyster Rockefeller first.
In the past, oysters were incredibly cheap food. But after the Industrial Revolution dirtied the seas, they became scarce and turned into a delicacy for the wealthy.
Oyster Rockefeller is luxurious enough to bear the name of Rockefeller, the world's richest man at the time.
Part of it is the exorbitant price of the ingredients, but its popularity endures thanks to the exquisite harmony of butter, various herbs, cheese, and the umami of oysters.
"The problem is that we don't have enough ingredients for the original Oyster Rockefeller..."
I surveyed the available ingredients.
The essentials—oysters, butter, spinach, and breadcrumbs—are here. But we're missing hollandaise, anisette liqueur, and Parmigiano Reggiano to elevate the dish.
"Substitute what I can and boldly omit the rest."
Half-hearted replacements would ruin everything.
First, I selected the freshest oysters and shucked them cleanly, right down to the adductor muscle, so they could be scooped with a spoon.
Next, I blanched the spinach in boiling water. I squeezed it dry in a cheesecloth, using all my strength. Any residual moisture would ruin the entire dish.
Then, I finely minced the spinach, garlic, and the white parts of green onions as a substitute for shallots.
To mellow the heat, I sautéed the green onions and garlic in butter first, then added the minced spinach, breadcrumbs, and room-temperature butter. I substituted Parmesan for the missing Parmigiano Reggiano.
The compound butter paste that defines Oyster Rockefeller was complete.
Next, I made a sabayon to replace the anisette liqueur. It's optional, but without it, the flavors blend too indistinctly.
I tasted the paste and sabayon on the back of my hand.
"Not perfect, but good enough."
Now, just grill the oysters.
I placed the oysters in their shells, adding a bit of their liquor to each. This moisture prevents them from drying out in the oven.
Finally, I topped them with the paste.
"The oven's big enough to make extras comfortably?"
I prepared a few more for the audience and placed them on the top rack.
The key to this dish is crisping the breadcrumb paste while gently poaching the oysters in the residual heat. Temperature control is crucial.
Click. Click.
I turned the dial to set the temperature. Now for the garlic pasta with oysters.
"Still twenty minutes left—plenty of time."
I set down my knife and cleaned the cutting board.
For a moment, I watched Oh Jun-seo cook. He was frantically making Oyster Rockefeller, oblivious to my gaze.
"Haneul? What are you doing right now? Is there a problem?"
At Kim Ji-su's words, I shook my head and pressed a finger to my lips—don't interrupt the cooking.
As Oh Jun-seo moved to the garlic pasta, I finally picked up my knife again.
"Oh! He was waiting for you. Is this how a challenger should act? Wait, no—the challenger is Oh Jun-seo. Oyster Rockefeller in ten minutes versus fifteen minutes. Who will win?!"
I refocused. Kim Ji-su's noisy chatter faded away.
"Aglio e olio has almost all the ingredients. Must be because it's such a classic."
I grabbed what I needed from the fridge.
Aglio e olio pasta varies wildly by chef and recipe. Even beginners can follow a recipe, yet Michelin restaurants charge a fortune for it.
Oyster aglio e olio pasta. Its secret is the oyster liquor.
The key is whether the pasta captures the briny sea scent and oyster umami.
First, I shucked the oysters.
I collected all the liquor and meat, then boiled pasta in a pot of water.
"No linguine—too bad. I'll have to emulsify aggressively."
I sliced garlic thin, finely chopped parsley, and zested just the lemon peel.
I infused olive oil with the ingredients. When the garlic turned golden, I deglazed with white wine.
This is standard aglio e olio so far.
"Now for the oyster essence."
I strained in the oyster liquor and pasta water, simmering it down. I added the pasta and emulsified vigorously. For oil-based pasta, that creamy emulsion is everything.
Finally, I added the oysters to poach in the residual heat, then seasoned with black pepper, lemon zest, and parsley.
"Kim Haneul's dish is done! Turning off the heat and plating! But... no bell. Why?"
I didn't ring the bell and waited for Oh Jun-seo to finish. As he did, I called out loudly.
"Oh Jun-seo. How do you want to proceed?"
"Pardon?"
"If you want, you can go first. As you know, pasta timing is crucial."
I asked sincerely. After this showdown, he'd be exposed as an inferior chef, so I could yield the tasting order.
But Oh Jun-seo took it as a taunt. His face flushed red, teeth grinding.
"What a massive provocation, but no reaction. Looks like Kim Haneul needs to ring first."
"If you insist on going second, I respect that."
Ding~
I rang the bell.
Everything was ready. The dishes were carted to Park Chi-hong.
This showdown's theme was fairness. Jjijik Broadcasting emphasized it, so Park Chi-hong wore a blindfold and earplugs.
Only smell and taste were allowed—no preconceptions about the chefs, pure judgment by flavor.
"Let's start with the aroma."
A staffer scooped from Kim Haneul's aglio e olio pasta, which arrived first. Park Chi-hong focused his nose despite the discomfort.
Sweet, nutty aroma. Fresh citrus notes followed, then a clean oyster brine lingered.
Oyster dish this fragrant? What is it?
The scent alone didn't pinpoint the dish.
Time to taste.
Crunch crunch.
The moment pasta hit his mouth, he knew it was pasta. The thick emulsion created a rich, savory texture.
The production-provided pasta was cheap spaghetti. To coax this sauce from it...
Perfectly roasted garlic wafted up. Condensed brininess from oyster liquor formed the backbone, backed by garlic's sweetness. Pepper's pleasant heat finished the bite.
"Whoa."
Park Chi-hong exclaimed involuntarily. Garlic roasted to nutty sweetness, umami from oyster liquor alone...
"Oysters, please—oysters."
He couldn't wait for the next order.
The other star of oyster aglio e olio is the oysters themselves. If the pasta's this good, how would they taste?
Gulp.
He swallowed and bit in.
Burst~
Plump yet tender—not chewy. Like fine custard, it yielded softly between tongue and palate, melting away. Fully chewed, the juices burst from the center.
"!"
Park Chi-hong's eyes widened under the blindfold. Could residual heat make oysters this juicy? He wanted to rip it off and devour them.
He calmed himself, savoring the aftertaste.
"One more dish."
"Another? Yes... bring it."
Park Chi-hong sniffed cautiously.
Someone this skilled with pasta—what wonders in the second?
No. Maybe the first took all the effort, lowering quality. Don't overhype.
The first shouldn't set the bar.
Sniff sniff.
Buttery herbs, fresh and nutty, with subtle cheese. No big impact.
"Digging in."
Crunch crunch.
Crispy breadcrumbs crackled. Cheese's umami rose gently. A bit underwhelming. Oyster Rockefeller, probably—fridge shortages.
As he resigned to that, the second layer hit.
Warm foam of egg yolk, oyster liquor, and perfect acidity flooded the umami void left by the crust. Yolk supplied Parmesan-lacking nuttiness; liquor, depth.
The custard-poached oyster finished it softly. Peak oven texture achieved.
"That's it. Give your evaluation."
At the host's cue, Park Chi-hong pondered.
Thoughts flooded his mind.
Delicious. Top-tier oyster dish. Insane oyster mastery. Professional handling...
But this wasn't casual critique.
"First... it was ecstatic. I saw the ingredients—they shouldn't yield this flavor."
Oyster essence still danced on his tongue.
"Oysters are a double-edged sword. Mishandle them, and they're fishy, salty, even stomach-turning. But not this."
He recalled the oysters' flavor and texture from both.
"Poached to perfection with residual heat. Risky in a timed setting, yet brilliant. Especially the Rockefeller: subbed Parmesan for cheese notes, sabayon to complete it. Masterful improvisation."
At the host's cough, he wrapped up. The quality had him rambling.
"In summary, the oyster aglio e olio shines in restraint and emulsion beauty; the Oyster Rockefeller in contrast and structure. That's it."
Park Chi-hong scored mentally. Staff brought the next.
"Next dish."
"Aroma first."
He rinsed with water and focused.
Nutty sea scent. A bite confirmed: another oyster aglio e olio. Inevitable comparison.
Oysters not residual-poached—slightly shriveled. Faint off-putting oyster aftertaste. A tad salty. Mishandled liquor?
Minor flaws elsewhere, magnified here.
Park Chi-hong strove for objectivity. Standalone, restaurant-quality.
But the impact shattered it. No hiding the sun; his palate, once enraptured, lost neutrality.
Same dish amplified the gap.
"My evaluation."
"Not even five minutes? Super fast! What's the verdict?"
He rinsed again.
"Too many shortcomings. Alone, satisfying—but after the prior masterpiece, the gap is vast. That's it."
Silence fell at Park Chi-hong's judgment.