Chapter 785
Chapter 785
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 785
Chapter Title: The Feline Cook-Off (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Eloa's beef dish boasted visuals worthy of fine dining, yet somehow evoked the comforting warmth of home-cooked meals.
Rinne's silver ayu preparation was neat and beautiful, like the kaiseki served at a ryokan to fill your empty stomach after soaking in the hot springs.
Both dishes were flawless, no matter which one you looked at.
Since Rinne had finished her dish just a hair ahead, they tasted hers first.
Dorothy, chopsticks in hand, gawked at the food arranged on the ceramic plate.
"Impressive. You've nailed seasonality, technique, and presentation in one perfect spread."
"Dorothy, just eat a little."
"That's harsh~ Aren't I sort of a lifesaver too?"
"......"
Si-woo picked up his chopsticks and first sampled what looked like the appetizer: a cold dish.
Thin slices of silver ayu topped with vinegar-marinated cucumber, alongside sweet shrimp and sea cucumber.
"Wow."
This was his first time eating raw ayu, but the flavor was so astonishing it made his jaw drop on its own.
The ayu crunched satisfyingly between his teeth, bones and all; the sea cucumber had that perfect chewy coil; and the sweet shrimp melted away softly.
A delightful mix of textures packed into a single bite.
Beyond that, a umami that wrapped sweetly around the tongue—sweet, sour, salty, bitter—roused his dormant taste buds and set his salivary glands into overdrive.
It was a cold starter that perfectly fulfilled its role.
Next came the salt-grilled ayu.
As Dorothy had predicted, it held its shape beautifully.
Grilled to a golden crisp without a hint of dryness or char marks anywhere—masterful fire control.
"Eat it headfirst."
Dorothy and Si-woo bit into the heads side by side.
-Crunch!
The sound was like slicing into a well-made apple pie.
"How does it taste like this...! Outstanding!"
"See? Nobility among freshwater fish."
Honestly, he'd had some reservations before trying it.
Eating a whole fish head just seemed like it would be overwhelmingly fishy and bitter.
But Dorothy was spot on.
Slowly cooked in gentle heat and soaked full of its own oils, the ayu head had no off-flavors at all.
Instead, a mysterious, perfumed melon aroma wafted delicately, while a salty nuttiness triggered pure bliss on the tongue.
"Whoa... is that melon I smell?"
"Oh? Good palate you've got. Premium ayu naturally carries that melon scent. That's why they call it 'fragrant fish' in China or 'sweetfish' abroad."
On top of that, the body meat was sweet and tender.
Infused with the smoky char of binchotan charcoal, it delivered an elegant depth unlike anything he'd tasted before.
Next, the rice cooked in the pot.
The flesh had been meticulously deboned and mixed into the rice for easy eating.
He scooped a big mouthful of rice faintly tinged yellow, with glimpses of ayu flesh between the grains.
Coated in fish stock and oils, it tasted more like fried rice than plain pot rice.
"Mmm~ Delicious! You followed the rule of not overcooking the stock perfectly, and above all, this is... kelp and baby clams?"
"Exactly."
Rinne hadn't settled for just cooking the rice in stock.
She'd amplified the umami to its limits by adding natural flavor boosters—kelp and baby clams—while brewing the broth.
She'd tuned the other ingredients to enhance the pot rice's richness without overpowering the ayu's signature aroma.
No fishiness here either.
Dorothy slurped down the miso soup made from the leftover stock and closed her eyes.
"Ahh~ I can feel the silver tail thrashing upstream. The lifeforce pulsing even in this cooked dish—pure感動!"
"That was incredible. So delicious. I've never had fish this good before."
"Is that so?"
Si-woo expressed his genuine gratitude without a hint of exaggeration.
This was top-tier; he could confidently say no better fish dish existed.
"Ayu's symphony of variations! A rainbow riot of flavors in every hue—absolutely brilliant!"
Dorothy, muttering her lengthy praise from the side, suddenly paused in thought and asked,
"One question, though. Why ayu specifically? With skills like yours, any ingredient would've shone."
Rinne's technique was superb, and the results exceeded expectations.
Still, even with farmed fish, one couldn't help but wonder if seasonal alternatives might've elevated it further.
"......"
Rinne shot Dorothy a look that said, 'Why should I explain that to you?' but soon spoke calmly.
Dorothy had helped rescue her last time, so she'd tolerated the commentary.
"It was my favorite."
She wanted Si-woo—now her new family—to taste the grandest feast from her happiest days with her old one.
That's why she'd insisted on the ayu course, despite Zlata's objections, as her battle card.
Rinne eyed Eloa with burning competitive fire.
"So I won't lose to you. Tiferet."
"We'll see about that."
Eloa, undaunted despite the duo's rave reviews, presented her own dish.
"Try the steak first, then the rest."
The steak came first, true to the pure essence of the beef.
She seared it in a pan with olive oil and butter, tossing in thyme.
Throughout, she basted relentlessly with the melted butter and rendered fat—an arroser technique that evenly distributed heat and crisped the exterior.
Rubbed with roasted garlic still in its skin for aroma, and done.
Truth be told, steak is 90% ingredient, 10% skill.
Quality rules all.
"Ooh, grilled to perfection."
Dry-aging was one prime method for the ultimate steak.
Not quite cheesy as Dorothy claimed, but the concentrated meatiness exploded on the first chew.
The generous butter and oil drowned out any dryness flaw perfectly.
"Delicious, Master."
But the steak was just a teaser, priming the palate for 'beef.'
They both knew Eloa's real main: bœuf bourguignon.
A light sip of red wine to cleanse, then fork into what looked like ordinary stew.
"Mmm~ Great give."
The fork sank buttery-soft into meat that dry-aging should've toughened.
The cubed chunk jiggled tautly as it lifted.
A whiff of aroma, then into the mouth...
"Whoa! This is!"
Dorothy gasped in awe.
Si-woo blinked wide-eyed too.
An unimaginable taste.
Yet it boiled down to one word:
A dish to savor by scent.
No heavy stew heft—instead, floral fragrance and bright tang blossomed.
Layered veggies, wine, spices, beef wove a robust symphony.
If Rinne's ayu was variations on a theme starring the fish, Eloa's bourguignon was every instrument harmonizing in full orchestra...
"A veritable orchestra of flavors!"
Dorothy shuddered, eyes shut in ecstasy.
The more you closed your eyes to taste, the fresher the melody danced across the tongue—no fatigue, ever.
Fluffy carrots and creamy mashed potatoes backed it up.
Eloa's homey love: hearty, unfussy, anytime satisfying.
With tasting done, judgment time arrived.
Dorothy, mere commentator, scarfed leftovers from afar.
"No pressure."
"It's just a meal."
"Whose dish was superior?"
"Which suited your taste more?"
Si-woo, meanwhile, felt their intense stares.
He'd watched them bustle for three hours in the kitchen.
His casual sips would decide the winner.
One triumphant, one bitterly ruminating.
How could he not feel the weight?
"Take your time."
"No rush."
They urged casually, but clutched aprons tight, fidgeted anxiously.
Pick bourguignon?
Rinne'd mope, masking it: 'No worries. I'll step up.'
Pick ayu?
Eloa'd smile: 'Thanks for honesty. Sorry to burden you.'—then sniffle alone.
Both would self-blame, not fault him.
Tastes were too close anyway.
Better take the blame himself.
Si-woo decided.
"It's a tie."
"No."
"Si-woo, aren't you being too indecisive?"
Rejection as expected, but unavoidable.
A little grumbling from him, and no one hurt.
"Ahh, both were too delicious. Do it again sometime. Thanks for the feast."
"You're making this way too tricky, huh? Against the great Si-woo? Should've seen it coming."
Dorothy approached, grinning, sopping stew with scavenged bread.
"Wanna let me judge?"
"Butt out."
"Your verdict means nothing."
Rinne bared teeth; Eloa frowned.
But Dorothy had baited herself.
Si-woo slipped away while they argued.
The cook-off ended in a draw.
Eloa and Rinne realized no outright win this way.