Chapter 72: Footprints Before His Feet (3)
Chapter 72: Footprints Before His Feet (3)
“Minjoon. Why are you standing still?”
“Because I have to wait for fifty minutes.” He answered bluntly.
Emily asked in a perplexed voice, “You mean you have nothing to do for fifty minutes?”
“Yes. Oh, but that doesn’t mean I could have chosen the one-hour option.”
“…I understand that. But are you really planning to rest for fifty minutes?”
“I don’t think I’m the only one.”
Jo Minjoon said this while glancing around. It was exactly as he had said. Even Sasha had spare time because she was waiting for her bread dough to ferment. Alan sighed.
“It looks like there aren’t going to be any entertaining scenes.”
“We don’t know that. Maybe Martin will discover the aesthetics of slowness.”
Emily shrugged. Joseph said nothing as he looked down at the sudachi curd, then scooped up a small spoonful.
“Can I try the curd?”
“Of course.”
There was no need for Jo Minjoon to evaluate it again. The sudachi curd he had just made was better than the ones he had made before. Of course, its cooking score was still 7 points, but even the texture of this curd was beautiful. It had been heated extremely well.
Joseph took a bite, closed his eyes, and savoured it. Then a gentle smile appeared on his face.
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Alan and Emily took out their spoons with expressions that clearly showed they wanted some as well.
Jo Minjoon silently served them some curd. After tasting it, they wore expressions similar to Joseph’s. The corner of Alan’s mouth lifted.
“I remember Dave spending months perfecting this sudachi preparation. You stole those months in a single moment.”
“Cooking belongs to everyone.” Jo Minjoon smiled brightly as he said it.
Alan looked at him with an unreadable expression. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, but eventually turned away.
Jo Minjoon glanced around. The circumstances of those who had chosen the two-hour option varied. Joanne seemed busy making chocolate cream for her cheesecake, but just as the judges had said, Sasha was simply waiting for her bread dough to ferment.
The person with the most leisure, however, was Jo Minjoon. He genuinely had nothing to do. He still needed to roast the cashew nuts and blanch the celery before the jelly completely set, but the later he did those things, the better.
Time passed slowly, but steadily. The contestants who had chosen the one-hour option eventually began cooking, while Sasha put her dough into the oven and moved on to her finishing steps.
Jo Minjoon only began moving again when ten minutes remained. He quickly roasted the cashew nuts in a frying pan and blanched the celery. Then he placed the peeled pear in sugar water and simmered it.
There was no need to cook it for long. Once the sweetness of the pear had blended sufficiently with the sugar, it would pair properly with the other ingredients.
By then, less than five minutes remained.
Even so, Jo Minjoon did not rush. All that remained was the final assembly.
He went to the freezer and took out the jelly. The clear yellow jelly quivered like pudding.
Its cooking score was 7.
He tasted a small piece from the edge. The jelly was pleasantly chewy without being tough enough to tire the jaw, while still retaining a soft texture.
A smile naturally formed on Jo Minjoon’s lips.
Perhaps this could become the best dessert he had ever made.
To avoid losing points while reproducing someone else’s recipe, there could naturally be no mistakes in the heating or setting process. Although he had been working under a time limit today, he had concentrated more intensely than ever and completed every step without making a mistake.
Perhaps—
Perhaps I can recreate the exact flavour I tasted there.
Desire filled Jo Minjoon’s eyes.
He still could not forget the emotions he had felt when he made the 8-point risotto. Just as it made him happy to see customers enjoying his food, producing a high-quality dish was itself a source of joy.
Jo Minjoon spread the sudachi curd across the round, recessed centre of a plate, then placed the circular jelly on top. He sliced the celery in half and arranged it in a winding, snake-like shape. He ground the cashew nuts and scattered them over the dish, then added the simmered pear and nasturtium.
At that moment—
[You have perfectly reproduced the recipe.]
[Sudachi Curd with Green Apple Jelly]
Freshness: 97%
Origins: (Too many ingredients to show)
Quality: High
Cooking Score: 8/10
“Yes…!” The word escaped Jo Minjoon unconsciously.
His heart pounded.
When he had tasted the sudachi curd, he had known it was good, but he had never expected the completed dish to reach 8 points. When practising alone, it had been difficult for him to achieve anything above 7.
Jo Minjoon slowly took a few breaths and looked at the clock.
Time was nearly up.
Three, two, one—
“Time’s up! Everyone, hands off!”
No one had failed to complete their dish. Of course, that did not mean everyone was satisfied with the result.
Jo Minjoon glanced at Peter. His dish consisted of apple purée and baked apple. It looked quite appetising, but there was no way to know how it actually tasted.
Joseph spoke. “Are you all satisfied with your results?”
“Yes, Chef.”
“We watched all of you cook, and we selected the three dishes we’re most interested in. The person we’re calling now is someone whose dish makes us worried, expectant, and above all curious. Minjoon! Please come forward.”
It was not particularly unexpected. Jo Minjoon still remembered the judges’ expressions when he told them he could even estimate the proportions of ingredients.
Carrying his dish, Jo Minjoon calmly approached the judges. A single plate was enough to nearly fill the small table in front of them.
Joseph stepped forward first. “Minjoon. Explain your dish.”
“I paired sudachi curd with green apple jelly. I roasted and ground cashew nuts to add crispness. I brought out more sweetness and acidity with pear lightly simmered in sugar water, and deepened the aroma with nasturtium.”
“You said you recreated a dessert you recently ate at Rose Island. Ah, there’s no need to be defensive about that. Imitation is fundamental to cooking. I didn’t say anything when Kaya recreated Alan’s risotto either. Do you remember?”
“Yes, I do.”
“If you’ve accurately recreated the flavour you tasted there, that alone gives your dish value. Are you confident?”
Instead of replying, Jo Minjoon smiled and pushed the plate slightly towards Joseph.
Joseph looked into Jo Minjoon’s eyes for a moment before picking up his knife and fork and cutting into the jelly. He coated it generously with sudachi curd, picked up some of the ground cashew nuts with the curd, and added a piece of pear to his fork.
Then he put the entire bite into his mouth.
Joseph slowly chewed.
Truthfully, he had been somewhat concerned. Jelly could easily become rubbery and flavourless if made incorrectly. It also had a tendency not to pair well with other ingredients.
The first thing he tasted was the refreshing sharpness of the sudachi curd. The cashew nuts coated in the curd crunched between his teeth, releasing their oils and adding richness.
Pear was not particularly acidic to begin with, and its brief simmer in sugar water had softened what little acidity it possessed, so it did not interfere with the flavour of the sudachi curd at all.
Amid all of that, the combination of caramel and apple in the jelly clearly demonstrated Jo Minjoon’s ability. Finally, the peppery flavour of the nasturtium emerged.
Joseph let out an admiring sigh.
“This… is remarkably similar to Dave’s jelly. The curd is similar too. Really… you actually recreated that flavour. It’s enough to send chills down my spine.”
“Thank you.”
“If you had added even slightly more of any one ingredient, the balance would have collapsed. It would have ended up as nothing more than something sweet. Minjoon, your talent becomes more surprising every time. Though perhaps I should call it skill rather than talent. Even if you knew the recipe and remembered the flavour, being able to recreate it this accurately is clearly your own strength. It was an excellent dessert. Thank you.” Joseph finished speaking and stepped back.
This time, Alan came forward.
As usual, he tried to eat slowly, but his hands moved faster than normal. After silently tasting the jelly, he gave a helpless laugh.
“I wonder how David will feel when he watches this broadcast. I’ll say something to him.” Alan turned towards the camera. “This doesn’t fall short of yours at all.”
-
“Incredible. You really are incredible, Minjoon.” During the interview, Martin spoke while holding both of Jo Minjoon’s hands.
Jo Minjoon laughed awkwardly and pulled his hands free. Martin looked at him with shining eyes.
“You said you came from Korea, right? You’re not lying, are you? Aren’t you actually an angel who descended from heaven?”
“…Let’s just continue the interview.”
“Whew, yes. Sorry. I got excited. So, how do you feel? You’re now one of the final ten.”
At Martin’s question, Jo Minjoon smiled bitterly. His voice was neither particularly bright nor dark.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy, but I can’t be completely happy either. Two people I spent a lot of time with have left.”
“Peter and Leslie… Reaching this point still means a great deal for both of them.”
“I’m not sure. It might mean something for Leslie, but I think this competition ended up being more of a loss for Peter.”
Leslie had been eliminated from the two-hour group, while Peter had been eliminated from the one-hour group. Peter’s dish had been overwhelmingly sweet and lacked acidity. He had simmered the apples in sugar for too long and overcooked them. Jo Minjoon continued regretfully. “In the end, Peter left without ever getting the chance to spread his wings.”
“Do you think that was cruel?”
“I’m not sure. Actually, I think he reaped what he sowed. Failing to properly show his abilities and failing to control what he said were both his own responsibility. I just think it’s unfortunate.”
“That’s how competitions are. In the end, only one person gets to smile at the finish. Do you think you can be that person?”
“…Honestly, I think I still need to grow more. Even if I won in my current state, it wouldn’t feel like a true victory. I plan to improve as much as I possibly can with the time I have left.”
Martin said nothing for a moment and simply looked at him. He seemed to hesitate before finally speaking in a subdued voice.
“Don’t take this the wrong way. Honestly, I hope you survive for a long time. But I don’t want you to win.”
Coming from the programme director himself, it was extraordinarily direct.
Jo Minjoon’s expression turned strange. Martin had previously said he wanted Jo Minjoon to win. Of course, that could have been nothing more than a polite remark, but Jo Minjoon still could not understand why he was suddenly saying the opposite.
Martin continued.
“It’s not because I think you’re lacking, and it’s not because I dislike you. If you win this competition, you’ll be called to events for a year. You’ll be busy.”
“What do you mean?”
“…We’re preparing another programme to follow Grand Chef. The theme is travelling and tasting food. I was thinking of inviting Emily, but she refused. Then, about a month ago, she told me she would participate if I agreed to one of her conditions.” Martin looked directly at Jo Minjoon. “That condition was that you participate too.”
Jo Minjoon unconsciously let out a sigh.
Emily had approached him about something before, but he had not realised she had made that sort of request.
Martin hurriedly continued. “Of course, even aside from getting Emily to participate, I think your character as a chef is perfect for the programme. People would go crazy watching someone with an absolute sense of taste travel around tasting food. I guarantee it.”
“…So you’re saying that if I’m eliminated, you’ll let me participate. Is that the offer?”
“I’m not asking for your answer right now. Think about it carefully. I owe you at least that much consideration. Of course…” Martin laughed. “If you win, then none of this will matter.”