Chapter 784
Chapter 784
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 784
Chapter Title: Eloa vs. Rinne: The Culinary Duel
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In the culinary world, there's a famous saying.
The taste of a dish is seventy percent ingredients and thirty percent skill.
That speaks to just how crucial the quality of the ingredients is—and it means this cooking duel truly begins the moment the ingredient boxes are opened.
Eloa's main ingredient was first: a massive prime rib with thick layers of meat clinging to the bones.
But something was off.
A layer of white mold blanketed the darkened, discolored meat, and the bone sections had turned pitch black.
Si-woo's expression twisted oddly.
His master was cooking for him, so he'd eat it regardless, but at first glance, the meat looked downright spoiled. No, it already seemed rotten.
"No way, that's...!"
Dorothy shot up from her seat, shouting.
Having lived for centuries as a witch, she had mastered the path of fine dining, with an eye for quality to match.
She could spot the instant food poisoning this meat promised.
"Dry aging...!"
"You recognize it."
Eloa flashed a knowing smile as she drew a specialized butchering knife.
With expert precision, she sliced away the discolored sections.
Nearly half the meat hit the discard pile, revealing vibrant red flesh and intricate marbling beneath the mold.
"What's dry aging?"
"It's a method of aging meat at low temperatures—dry aging, literally. The ultimate technique that lets you savor the concentrated essence of the beef. The amino acids and inosinic acid build up, tenderizing the meat while infusing it with a cheese-like flavor."
"I see."
While Si-woo nodded and moved on, Dorothy swallowed hard.
Eloa smiled as she added,
"This cut comes from the top 1% of Gehenna's pasture-raised cattle, aged for six weeks. It's the finest beef in all of Gehenna."
She wasn't just explaining to Dorothy.
Eloa's sharp gaze turned toward her rival.
This was a battle of wills before the real cooking even began.
So what had Rinne prepared?
Dorothy turned to her side, brimming with anticipation.
"Ayu?"
There, gleaming silver atop a bed of ice in a wooden box: sweetfish.
Each one slightly larger than an adult man's palm, fresh as if just pulled from the river.
Considering ayu lose flavor when oversized, this was the perfect size.
But Dorothy's face didn't brighten.
If anything, her expression grew subtly troubled.
"But ayu aren't in season."
Ayu's peak is summer, and now it was November.
Unlike meat, seafood sensitive to seasons falls short if you miss the window—no matter how premium the ingredients.
The match was decided on materials alone.
Dorothy couldn't help but judge bitterly.
"Hmph, look closer."
Rinne, who had been silent, spoke with utter confidence.
Wondering if she'd missed something, Dorothy inspected the ayu meticulously before saying,
"Don't tell me it's farmed?"
"Exactly."
That changed everything.
Fish flavor does vary by season, influenced heavily by spawning cycles and water temperature.
But advanced modern aquaculture means peak quality year-round, regardless of season.
Plus, ayu are migratory with parasite risks when wild—but farmed, you can eat them raw without worry.
And given they'd shipped to Gehenna, this farmed ayu was top-tier.
Rinne had ditched the myth of wild being best for practical superiority; her ayu wouldn't lag far behind Eloa's dry-aged ribeye.
"This duel... neither of them is holding back."
Dorothy shivered in excitement.
The veterans' preparation hinted this battle would exceed expectations.
Eloa finished prepping the meat lightly and moved straight to the vegetables.
Her knife danced across the board, transforming them with flashy precision.
Next came chunky carrots, onions, and celery, crushed garlic, orange zest.
She bundled parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, and more into a bouquet garni and dropped it into an iron pot.
No expense spared on liquor, Eloa poured premium Burgundy wine generously over the piled veggies.
Unlike the still-mysterious Rinne, Eloa's dish took shape from the prep stage.
French stew with Burgundy? Only one possibility.
"Boeuf Bourguignon?"
"What's that?"
"Legendary chef Julia Child called it 'the most delicious thing you can make with beef.' But dry-aged ribeye? Can't wait to see how it turns out~."
"Ah."
Thanks to Dorothy's expert commentary, Si-woo enjoyed the show even more.
As Eloa used basic alchemy 'aging' to accelerate the veggies and wine,
-Rumble rumble!!!
A clatter erupted from Rinne's station, as if reclaiming stolen attention.
Peeking over: she unhesitatingly dumped sand onto an oven tray.
"Sand?"
Si-woo's head tilted at the bizarre sight—cooking and sand didn't mix.
But Rinne leveled it flat, then arranged charcoal like a campfire and ignited it red-hot with spellfire.
She tested the heat with her hand, then propped whole ayu skewered on long spits—heads down—at a slant.
By now, even Si-woo got it: the sand diffused heat evenly while providing stable footing for the skewers.
Using the charcoal's side heat, she'd generously salt the plump ayu for shioyaki—salt grilling.
"Incredible attention to detail."
But knowledge reveals more.
Dorothy saw deeper.
"What's this time?"
"Charcoal salt grilling maximizes the fish's natural flavor."
"I know that much."
"Ayu shine whole. Tilting head-down lets the oils flow and pool in the head—the ultimate concentration of flavor and aroma."
And more.
Skewering 'as they swam'—odorigushi—added visual appeal.
Not stopping there, 'salt makeup' on the fins prevented burning.
Delicate touches easy to overlook.
The heart of cooking: care for the eater.
Sizzle—the ayu crisped beautifully, Rinne fanning to control the flames.
-Sizzle crackle!
Eloa dove into full cooking.
Olive oil in the pot, light sear on the meat.
Low-moisture dry-aged flesh browned via Maillard reaction in seconds.
Add quick-aged veggies from the wine, simmer together.
When veggies softened halfway: more wine, salt, pepper, veal stock, tomato paste, ginger, paprika, flour.
Alcohol evaporates, rich wine aroma blends sweetly with everything as it bubbles.
Simmer till reduced, and it'd be done—but Eloa had more tricks.
She fired up a new pan for additions.
"Bacon, mushrooms, shallots... full-on recipe."
All to enrich the sauce.
Generous butter in the pan, render bacon fat, then sauté mushrooms and shallots till oil-soaked.
Dump into the main pot, continue simmering.
The aroma thickened even from afar.
And the crowning touch, Eloa's secret: more aromatic, deeper flavor...
Two squares of 70% dark chocolate.
"Amazing..."
Built on classic recipes, refined through trials.
Dorothy's expectations soared sky-high.
-Bubble bubble bubble
Now just simmer without scorching.
Eloa lit two new burners for mashed potatoes and steak sides.
"And Rinne...?"
Either way, eyes glued to the showdown.
Rinne prepped rice—essential for Eastern style.
Not ordinary rice.
She picked two well-charred ayu from afar, and two underdone near the fire.
Crispy for broth, softer for the pot.
Cook rice in the fish stock, top with whole ayu: every grain coated in oil.
Best way to savor fresh ayu bones and all.
Ayu rice casserole.
"This side's masterful too!"
Dorothy clutched her growling stomach, squealing in delight.
Meanwhile, the dishes built layer by layer.
"Five minutes left! Hurry~ hurry~"
Time ticking down.
Eloa rested her medium-rare steak, locking in juices.
Rinne filleted pot rice ayu into bite-sizes.
"Time's up...!"
And done: the masters' feasts.
Eloa's course: steak, boeuf bourguignon, mashed potatoes.
Hearty meat-lover's home cooking, filling at a glance.
Rinne's: chilled ayu sashimi, casserole, miso soup, salt-grilled.
A humble yet vibrant tray spread.
Both served with flushed faces, eyes alight with pride and victory.
"Let the results speak."
"Judge fairly, no holding back."
Somehow paired up, Si-woo realized he had to pick a winner between his masters' dishes.
"Alright... let's eat."
Heavy heart, but they looked too delicious.
Think after tasting.
"Itadakimasu!"
Overexcited Dorothy drew glares from Rinne and Eloa as the tasting began.