As Dylan's grip tightened, the young woman let out a somewhat restrained sound, her eyes growing dazed and hazy. Because there were people all around, Alice Nakiri clamped her hand tightly over her mouth, keeping the sound caught in her throat, audible only between the two of them.
Feeling the ticklish sensation from her foot, the young woman's body tingled, and her pretty face turned an exceptional shade of red.
"Dylan-nii, you're so mean!"
Biting her lower lip lightly, Alice Nakiri closed her eyes, her breathing growing heavier.
With her eyes closed, her sense of touch became even more sensitive. Besides his hand, it felt as if he had touched other places, which made her heart beat a little faster.
Fortunately, with so many people around, Dylan's movements were small. She only clearly felt her stocking being removed and then tucked into his pocket. And then…
"Bye-bye."
After sending the last girl off and closing the door, Dylan looked over at Alice Nakiri, who was curled up on the sofa.
"What do you want to eat tonight?"
Seeing the subtle expression on the girl's face, Dylan scratched his head and asked, pretending to be casual.
"I'm kind of craving Yangzhou Fried Rice, the one that's super complicated to make!"
Tossing the tissue she had just used to wipe her foot into the nearby trash can, Alice Nakiri imperiously stated her request. This was the reward she deserved.
"Yangzhou Fried Rice, huh? You sure know how to give me a challenge. We don't have the ingredients at home. I'll call Sonoka to bring them over."
If it were just ordinary fried rice, he could make do with the ingredients they had on hand.
But Yangzhou Fried Rice involves numerous steps and requires relatively high-quality ingredients with poor substitutability, which must be purchased in advance.
Furthermore, the flavor of Yangzhou Fried Rice is extreme. It's either incredibly delicious or terribly unpalatable; its starting point is Special Grade, otherwise it's a failure.
"Okay, ask Sister Sonoka to come over and eat with us. It's not like the two of us can finish it all anyway."
Remembering how she'd eavesdropped all night that one time, unable to sleep, a mischievous idea formed in Alice Nakiri's mind. It was necessary to let the other person have a listen, too!
"Alright, I'll call her now."
Dylan, of course, had no idea what Alice Nakiri was thinking. Seeing she didn't object, he immediately took out his phone and made the call.
At the same time, Sonoka Kikuchi's phone rang. She was at the market buying vegetables, preparing to develop new dishes for her restaurant.
Seeing the familiar caller ID, Sonoka Kikuchi answered.
"Darling, what's up?"
Because they were together now, Sonoka Kikuchi's term of address for Dylan had become 'Darling', and her cheeks turned an exceptional shade of red as she said the word.
"Are you free right now?"
"I am."
"Then help me buy some ingredients and bring them over."
Hearing Sonoka Kikuchi was free, Dylan didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his request.
"Okay, tell me what you need."
"I need eggs, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms…"
Hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Sonoka Kikuchi nodded. She was already at the market, so buying the ingredients and getting there would take half an hour at most.
The thought of soon eating a dish made by Teacher Dylan made Sonoka Kikuchi's mouth water, and her face filled with intense craving.
"That should be everything."
Before long, she had gathered all the necessary ingredients in her basket. After one last check, she hurried back to Totsuki and arrived at Dylan's house.
"Darling~"
Using her key to open the door, she saw Dylan already waiting for her. A smile bloomed on Sonoka Kikuchi's face, and she opened her arms to hug him.
Dylan didn't dodge, enjoying the soft impact while taking in her scent.
The young woman hugged him tightly, a bit of fragrant sweat on her forehead, which Dylan gently wiped away with his fingers, his face full of affection.
"Did you get everything?"
"It's all here."
Presenting the basket of ingredients to Dylan as if it were a treasure, she then looked at him with an expectant face, saying nothing, just like an eager puppy wagging its tail.
For some reason, looking at the girl in front of him, Dylan had this exact impression.
"Such a good girl. Headpats for you."
Seeing she wasn't moving, Dylan thought for a few seconds, quickly figured out what she wanted, and reached out to pat her on the head.
Feeling his warm, large hand on her head, Sonoka Kikuchi giggled, nuzzling against his hand. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
"You worked hard coming all the way here. Go rest in the living room and watch some TV for a bit. I'll make the fried rice. It won't take long, about twenty minutes, and it'll be ready to eat."
"I don't want to watch TV. I want to watch you cook."
Hearing Dylan's words, Sonoka Kikuchi shook her head like a rattle drum. Another important reason she had come was to watch him cook.
Compared to studying on her own, learning from Dylan was undoubtedly better.
It was just that she was usually too busy with matters at her restaurant, Shunka-tei. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't come over often.
At the same time, she was afraid of bothering Dylan by visiting too frequently, especially since she was no longer a student.
But now that Dylan had actively asked her to come, she had an excuse. She could drop everything to see him, which was why she was so happy.
"Then let's go together."
Hearing Sonoka Kikuchi's words, Dylan nodded.
That was his plan all along. He just thought it wouldn't be right to immediately drag her into the kitchen after she had just arrived, so he let her choose for herself.
Now, Sonoka Kikuchi's answer satisfied him greatly. As expected of his woman, always so eager to learn.
Taking the ingredient basket from her, Dylan entered the kitchen first. Sonoka Kikuchi followed closely behind, while Alice Nakiri was already waiting inside.
"Dylan-nii, Sister Sonoka."
Seeing Dylan and Sonoka Kikuchi enter, Alice Nakiri greeted them both before positioning herself by the cooking station.
"Chopped scallions, egg wash, and rice."
"These are the fundamentals for all fried rice, and they make up a huge portion of this dish, so we must treat them with the utmost seriousness."
As he spoke, Dylan placed these three ingredients into three large bowls and lined them up in the prep area. These all needed to be prepared before cooking.
"Next are diced bamboo shoots, diced shiitake mushrooms, diced chicken, diced Jinhua ham, and dried freshwater shrimp roe. Speaking of which, roe is the very essence of Huaiyang cuisine."
While speaking, Dylan diced the ingredients, followed by the bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, and Jinhua ham.
He then extracted the roe from the river shrimp with astonishing speed, simultaneously shelling the remaining shrimp and placing the meat and roe into two separate bowls to be set aside. The entire process took no more than five minutes.
"Shredded dried scallops, diced sea cucumber, shrimp, green peas, and chicken stock."
As he spoke, Dylan arranged the prepared ingredients in a nine-square grid, ready for cooking, and then began to heat the wok.
"Yangzhou Fried Rice, although it looks like just a portion of fried rice, is a paragon of a complete meal in one dish. Watch carefully and learn well. Through this dish, you should be able to grasp a great deal."
As he said this, Dylan's voice took on a more serious tone.
As a representative dish of Huaiyang cuisine, Yangzhou Fried Rice is inherently complex, in both flavor and technique. To learn this one dish is equivalent to mastering a dozen others!
"Yes."
Hearing Dylan's words, Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi's expressions shifted. They had been somewhat casual before, but now their faces were completely serious.
A dish that Dylan himself regarded with such importance, even if it was just ordinary fried rice, was not something they would treat lightly.
And hearing their reply, Dylan also focused all his attention on the cooking station before him.
"Sonoka, I remember I once explained the principle of adding scallions twice. You were right there at the time. Now, explain it again for Alice."
"Eh?"
Faced with Dylan's sudden question, Sonoka Kikuchi was stunned for a moment. Then she bit her lower lip and began to think, quickly finding the answer.
"The purpose of adding scallions twice is to give the dish a more distinct, layered scallion aroma."
"The first addition of scallions, after being cooked, releases a rich, cooked-scallion flavor; the subsequent addition retains the fresh, crisp aroma of raw scallions."
"These two completely different scallion aromas intertwine, not only enriching the dish's textural dimension but also making its flavor profile leap off the plate."
This was what Dylan had taught Li Wanwan's father, Li Xiang, which was a real eye-opener for him. She had been present at the time, and it had left a deep impression on her.
Alice Nakiri listened from the side, nodding from time to time while scribbling in her notebook, jotting down this entire piece of knowledge.
"Correct. For today's fried rice, we're going to use a three-addition technique for the scallions, creating three layers of scallion flavor to enhance the overall taste of the dish."
"A three-addition technique?!"
Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in the other's eyes, and then stood aside without another word.
"That's right. The first addition of scallions is for the various side ingredients, to remove any gaminess and add fragrance during stir-frying."
"First the diced bamboo shoots, then the diced shiitake, chicken, and Jinhua ham, followed by the dried river shrimp roe to be stir-fried."
As the ingredients went into the wok one by one, a rich aroma wafted out. The next moment, to the two's utter shock, Dylan picked up the chicken stock.
"This is the same type of chicken stock that Mr. Zhou Tai made last time. And Alice, weren't you just wondering why I was making chicken stock? You thought it was just a side soup, but it's actually the key to Yangzhou Fried Rice!"
Glancing at the utterly shocked expressions of Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi, Dylan began the next step of his cooking.
He added the shredded dried scallops and diced sea cucumber to the chicken stock in the pot and brought it to a boil. He didn't add the shrimp and green peas yet because the timing wasn't right.
He heated another wok over high heat, added oil, poured it out, then added a small amount back in.
A hot wok with cool oil is the key to preventing food from sticking.
Dylan poured in the egg wash, followed by the perfectly separated grains of rice, and began to stir-fry.
"There are three states of fried rice: 'Gold Wrapped in Silver', 'Three Fragrances Crushed Gold', and 'Crescent Moon White'. The most common base for Yangzhou Fried Rice is 'Gold Wrapped in Silver'."
"So-called 'Gold Wrapped in Silver' is when every grain of rice is evenly coated in egg wash, without a hint of silver showing. The heat of the wok solidifies the egg wash."
"This way, you can taste the egg while eating, but you can't see it. In cooking, this technique is also known as 'Hidden Fragrance, Floating Flavor.'"
Dylan explained this to Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi while using his spatula to press the rice, mixing the yellow egg wash thoroughly with the grains.
"I see. That sounds amazing."
But she had never heard of 'Three Fragrances Crushed Gold' or 'Crescent Moon White' fried rice. It was clearly beyond her knowledge, and she could only guess at their meaning from the names.
"Yangzhou Fried Rice originated from the common folk and was initially called 'Mixed Vegetable Braised Rice.' China was an agrarian society in the past, and due to insufficient production, people were very frugal."
"This led them to save leftovers from one meal for the next, combining them with fried rice into a single dish."
"In its evolution into fried rice, for the sake of convenience, the braising technique was abandoned, leaving only the dry stir-frying method. That's why most of the fried rice you've tasted in the past has been dry, hard, and oily."
Dylan added seasonings as he spoke, tossing the fried rice high and low with his spatula. Under the watchful eyes of Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi, the rice grains remained perfectly separate.
"However, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, fried rice in this state has too much 'fire energy,' and eating too much of it can easily cause 'heatiness.' Yangzhou Fried Rice, on the other hand, is the result of a master chef delving deep and flexibly reintroducing the braising technique."
"Not only that, it also incorporates the TCM health philosophy of 'water and fire in harmony,' making it much more balanced. This is the theoretical basis of Yangzhou Fried Rice."
As he spoke, Dylan dipped his ladle into the simmering white stock on the side and, while tossing the wok, began to add the stock, which was full of ingredients, into the rice.
The moment the ingredient-laden stock hit the hot wok, it let out a hiss of steam.
The stock was immediately absorbed by the rice, which then continued to dry out in the wok, becoming fluffy once more.
"There are two reasons for adding the stock in batches. First, to layer the flavors. Second, if you add it all at once, the rice will clump together. The chef needs precise control over the heat to do this properly."
The stock from the pot was added in several batches.
The fried rice in the wok was tossed rapidly. Despite the large amount of stock added, the rice grains remained distinct, mingling with the other ingredients and emitting an enticing aroma.
During this process, the rice absorbed the flavor of the stock and ingredients.
Even without any toppings, its deliciousness already surpassed that of an ordinary glowing dish.
This is why, as long as the steps are followed correctly, the dish will at least reach the level of a Special Grade cuisine.
"At this stage, you can add the shrimp."
Looking at the state of the dish in the wok, Dylan picked up the side bowl and poured in the river shrimp he had shelled earlier, stir-frying them evenly.
Once the shrimp were cooked, he added the shiitake mushrooms for aroma and green peas for color, continuing to stir-fry until every grain was separate. He then dished out two-thirds of it onto a large platter.
"Every single grain of rice is coated in the golden egg wash, not a single one missed! What incredible wok skills!"
"Flowing Light! A top-tier Flowing Light dish with its brilliance hidden within!"
Looking at the two-thirds of the fried rice on the platter and smelling the steaming aroma it exuded, Alice Nakiri's and Sonoka Kikuchi's faces were filled with craving.
If the dish didn't look like it was still unfinished, preventing them from eating it in its most delicious state, they absolutely would have been unable to restrain themselves. It wouldn't have been impossible for them to just dig in with their hands.
"Be patient for just a little longer. The 'hat' for the fried rice hasn't been put on yet. Eating it now won't affect the flavor, but the satisfaction of the first bite will be much weaker."
Dylan said with a smile, looking at the two who were leaning on the cooking station, their legs slightly crossed and fidgeting, clearly struggling to hold back.
But his hands didn't stop.
He poured all the remaining ingredients from the stockpot into the wok, threw in the rest of the scallions, and continued to stir-fry until they were just cooked. Then he used the ladle to pour this mixture over the previously plated fried rice.
"Use a spoon to scoop it, and chew slowly. This way, you'll taste something new with every bite."
Bringing the finished dish to the living room, Dylan spoke to the two, who looked ready to pounce on the fried rice, and then brought over three spoons.
"Time to eat!"
Without waiting for it to be served into individual bowls, Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kikuchi clasped their hands together with spoons in hand, said the phrase with sincere faces, and then brought the fried rice to their mouths, closing their eyes to savor it.
Because the top layer was the 'hat' of the fried rice, this first bite was full of ingredients, including all the components of Yangzhou Fried Rice, which slowly released their flavors in their mouths.
"The rice grains are perfectly distinct, each one evenly coated in the golden egg wash!"
"As you chew, you can clearly feel the delicacy of the egg wash combined with the resilience of the rice, creating a texture that is both tender and slightly chewy."
After devouring five large spoonfuls in one go, Alice Nakiri finally came back to her senses and, with a slight blush, began her 'aria.'
Even without the other ingredients, just the egg and rice alone, this Yangzhou Fried Rice could actually reach the level of a glowing dish.
And after adding the stock made from a multitude of ingredients, the flavor of the rice reached its saturation point.
You could say that every grain of rice in this Yangzhou Fried Rice was a collection of the essence of all the ingredients.
"Just as Teacher Dylan said, every bite tastes different, like exquisite little flavor bombs exploding with unique brilliance in your mouth. The rice is moist but not greasy. It's so delicious!"
Feeling the supreme delicacy on her tongue, Sonoka Kikuchi couldn't help but let out a low moan. The flavors of mountain and sea delicacies spread through her mouth—an absolutely wonderful experience!
"So many flavors fused together, yet there's not the slightest hint of discord, as if they were always meant to be this way. It's truly incredible!"
Alice Nakiri rubbed her stomach in enjoyment, her expression exceptionally pleased.
"During the stir-frying process, the flavors fused perfectly, so naturally they're indistinguishable from one another. This is the highest realm of fried rice!"
Sonoka Kikuchi's voice followed, full of admiration for Dylan.
It was truly hard to imagine that such an amazing dish could be born in this small kitchen.
But, thinking that the person who made it was Dylan, everything made sense.
As expected of the man she adored.
Scooping up the fried rice spoonful by spoonful, feeling the supreme delicacy on her tongue, Sonoka Kikuchi's face was filled with happiness. This feeling was just too wonderful!
"My form is good today."
"This is the most delicious dish I've had all month!"
Picking a grain of rice off Alice Nakiri's cheek and popping it into his mouth to savor the taste, Dylan also felt that he was in good form today.
This dish had undoubtedly reached the level of an Eight-Star cuisine; he even felt it might be higher.
"As expected of me!"
Dylan thought with a touch of pride.
Before long, the whole wok of Yangzhou Fried Rice was completely finished. Dylan ate the most, his portion equal to both Sonoka's and Alice's combined.
Full and satisfied, Dylan patted his stomach, leaned back lazily in his chair, and began to stare at the ceiling, contemplating life.
Seeing this.
At some point, the two women, now sitting on either side of Dylan, exchanged a look, seeing the deep affection in each other's eyes.
The next moment, one on the left and one on the right, as if they had coordinated for years, they sat down on his lap, their hands naturally resting on his shoulders.
Seeing this, Dylan, worried they might fall, quickly reached out to hold their waists, feeling the smoothness under his fingertips with a pleased expression.
What's that saying again? When one is warm and well-fed…
It was something like that. And so, the enclosed space became a battlefield.
Although it was their first time cooperating, they had only one common goal.
They acted as if they'd been partners for years, immediately seizing the initiative and putting Dylan in a completely passive position.
Unfortunately, this advantage didn't last long. The young general soon turned the tables. Looking at the two defeated foes, the young general carried them back to the room.
"Whew, analyze the specific problem. It feels a bit difficult, but I can do it if I try hard!"
Staring at the pork before her, Hisako Arato fell into deep thought. For this match, she decided to create a dish following the method Dylan had taught her!
Polishing every single detail to the extreme.
Meanwhile, at Polar Star Dormitory.
Megumi Tadokoro had just finished her bath and come out of the bathroom. Wearing bear pajamas, she was heading upstairs.
"Megumi, are you going to bed?"
"Yeah."
"So early? I thought you'd be practicing your dish for the competition."
Yūki Yoshino was sitting in the living room reading a book. Seeing Megumi Tadokoro seemingly ready for bed, she asked with curiosity.
"There are still three days left, and today's a rest day. I'm going to get some good rest and start tomorrow. You should rest early too, Yūki."
"I'll go to bed after I finish these two pages. Good night."
Megumi Tadokoro stopped and chatted with her for a few moments with a smile. After getting Yūki Yoshino's reply, she headed upstairs.
In the kitchen, Soma Yukihira glanced at Megumi Tadokoro going upstairs, then continued kneading the dough in his hands.
Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead. The dough changed into various shapes in his hands, and next to it was freshly cooked red bean paste.
"Xiao Mei, I want to ask you for a favor."
In the dorms of the Dark Cooking Society, Liu Yu found Huang Mei watching TV, handed her some dried fruit snacks, and then spoke tentatively.
"Is it about cooking?"
"Yes, I want to borrow your Super Touch."
Looking at Huang Mei, who had looked up and accurately guessed her need, Liu Yu no longer hesitated. She nodded, her gaze fervent.
"You're the only one left from the Dark Cooking Society. It wouldn't be right if I didn't help you. What do you need my help with? As long as I can do it."
Meeting such a fervent gaze, Huang Mei said these words.
If someone had to win first place, she hoped that person would be from the Dark Cooking Society, not Totsuki Academy.
Because she was a member of the Dark Cooking Society!
______
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