Wine!
Soft and exquisite.
It gently removed the greasiness from the meat, meticulously drawing out its umami.
Before I could even react, a rich aroma had already filled my mouth.
Perhaps, it was the aroma of pinot noir that gave this dish its soul, making it a romance that only the French could truly understand!
"Unexpected."
"Your Burgundy Beef Bourguignon can actually surpass my level."
Shaper Instructor slowly opened his eyes, and after looking at the empty plate, he couldn't help but exclaim.
...
Next.
He slightly raised his head, glancing at Tadokoro Megumi.
As a Totsuki Instructor, even if he had some questions he wanted to ask face-to-face at this moment, he would inevitably feel ashamed.
But in the end, he humbly asked, "After long hours of stewing, the tannins inside the red wine can actually slowly soften the fat in the beef."
"Therefore, the most important and brilliant part of this dish lies in the softened texture of the beef."
"Just now, you made a small mistake, didn't you?"
"But the Burgundy Beef Bourguignon you ultimately made had a much more tender texture than anyone else's."
"And in terms of taste, it was even better than the recipe I provided."
"Hmm!"
"Can you tell me?"
"What method did you use to make this dish?"
"This..."
"Shaper Instructor, I... I added some honey to the beef!"
Hearing Shaper's words, Tadokoro Megumi was a bit stunned, then she dared not neglect and quickly stood up and replied softly.
"Honey?"
At once, Roland Shaper immediately fell into thought.
His eyes flickered, and soon he showed a look of sudden realization: "So that's it!"
"Honey contains rich glucose and fructose, which taste sweet and smooth, can enhance the texture of the beef, and make it more delicious."
"At the same time, honey also contains trace amounts of protease, which can break down the protein in the beef, making it tender and smooth!"
It must be said that Shaper at this moment felt some admiration for Tadokoro Megumi.
After all, being able to use honey to soften beef, although not a particularly amazing idea, it was enough to show that she had some different insights into this dish.
So, he nodded with great satisfaction.
Then he picked up her personal report card, and the result was not bad, but it startled him!
It turned out that Tadokoro Megumi had never received an A-grade evaluation in her past grades at Totsuki Academy.
She even advanced to the high school division with the worst possible score, ranking last.
That is to say: if he were to give her the worst possible E-grade score for this assessment, then Tadokoro Megumi could directly pack her things and completely get out of Totsuki!
...
"Such grades..."
Seeing this, Shaper couldn't help but murmur to himself.
To prove his thoughts, before grading Tadokoro Megumi, he had no choice but to continue asking, "Besides honey, what other methods can make beef more tender?"
"Black tea."
"Dried tangerine peel."
"Beer."
"Hawthorn."
"These things can all make beef more tender."
"And among them, black tea has the best and most effective softening effect on beef!"
Noticing a hint of suspicion in Shaper's eyes, Tadokoro Megumi quickly replied.
And after Roland Shaper listened, his mind couldn't help but race, beginning to ponder whether these ingredients could truly make the beef's texture and mouthfeel more tender?
"Today, I have truly learned a lot."
"But looking at your past grades, I'm afraid you haven't been capable enough to create such a dish, or possess such unique insights, have you?"
Finally, having understood, he sighed deeply.
In his heart, he was already certain that such a dish could absolutely not have come from Tadokoro Megumi's hands.
"Shaper Instructor."
"Such a thing, it really can't be hidden from you!"
"Indeed, the method for this Burgundy Beef Bourguignon was taught to me by an Izakaya Shopkeeper."
Being exposed by Shaper, Tadokoro Megumi felt incredibly awkward, and after scratching the back of her head with her hand, she could only answer truthfully.
"Izakaya? Could a Shopkeeper of an Izakaya actually have such profound insights into French cuisine?"
The more Shaper listened, the more confused he became.
"Yes!"
"Sosuke's Restaurant, he is an amazing chef!"
"In this world, it seems there isn't a single dish that can stump him."
Subsequently, Tadokoro Megumi began to talk about Sosuke's deeds.
Especially for this Burgundy Beef Bourguignon, she even recounted all the methods and many unique insights that Sosuke had taught her!
...
"Is that so?"
"In this world, there is actually a chef who understands French cuisine so thoroughly!"
At this moment, listening to Tadokoro Megumi's words, Shaper finally understood.
He admitted that in the field of French cuisine, just by looking at this Burgundy Beef Bourguignon, he was indeed far inferior to this Sosuke!
"He is a chef I admire."
"The gentleness, the passion, and the people-oriented culinary philosophy that Sosuke's Restaurant demonstrated in his approach to cooking have profoundly influenced me."
"I... I... I'm sorry... Shaper Instructor, I deceived you!"
In the end, Tadokoro Megumi still did not hide her admiration for Sosuke.
But she also understood that at this moment, she had used his dish to deal with Shaper, and as a result, she had been exposed.
She feared that this assessment had no hope whatsoever!
"Indeed."
"Such a dish."
"If it came from someone else's hands, it cannot truly reflect your own strength."
"But you were able to grasp its essence and method in such a short time. And you also understand that true cooking simply needs to make people happy!"
"Actually, having such an awareness means you can still be saved."
"In short, work hard."
With that, Shaper directly wrote his score on Tadokoro Megumi's personal report card.
"Yes!"
"Instructor, even if I get expelled, I will never be discouraged."
"I will still maintain my original belief and continue to work hard towards becoming a chef."
Receiving her report card from Shaper's hand, Tadokoro Megumi, feeling as if her world had collapsed, bravely held back her tears, pretending to be strong as she patted her chest in front of him, her eyes filled with determination.
"Expulsion?"
"At this point, it's too early for you to be expelled!"
Looking at Tadokoro Megumi, who seemed to have misunderstood something, Shaper merely said helplessly.
"Huh?"
"My grade... it's not E, but... it's A!"
Lowering her head, she saw the big "A" in the latest column of her report card, which was so dazzling and eye-catching!
Tadokoro Megumi was stunned!
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