Chapter 985: Nakiri Erina's Spanish Mackerel Dish, The Five Fundamentals of Cooking: Seasoning

"Broly-san, the teaching building where I have class is over there, so I can only walk with you up to here."

"Mm, go on. If the timing works out in the evening, we can head back to Polar Star Dormitory together."

"Then I'll wait for you in the evening————"

"No need. Whenever you finish class and want to return to Polar Star Dormitory, just send me a message then."

Broly waved his phone; he had already exchanged contact info with Tadokoro Megumi.

"Okay."

Tadokoro Megumi's cheeks flushed slightly as she agreed, ran a few steps, then turned back and waved at him; Broly waved back at Tadokoro Megumi, watching the pigtail-braided girl enter the teaching building before turning and heading toward the Sixth Cooking Building.

His speed was very fast; the students he passed on the road only felt a sudden strong gust of wind, and many female students cried out in surprise, subconsciously clutching their skirts which were nearly blown up.

"Too slow, why did you come so slow, it's almost ten o'clock, even sleeping in has to have a limit!"

The moment he ran up to the Sixth Cooking Building and saw Nakiri Erina dressed in a white chef uniform, Broly was berated indiscriminately by this God Tongue girl.

"Erina-sama, perhaps he just went to class."

Beside her, Hisako Arato spoke a word in defense of the Saiyan boy.

"Class? With his cooking foundation level that's terrible to the extreme, what class could be more important than the supplementary lessons I prepared for him? I think he just lacks ambition and was sleeping in at the dormitory!"

The former words were Nakiri Erina expressing that she was very angry, while the latter words were purely her throwing a tantrum.

The truth didn't matter; what mattered was that this guy Broly had really kept her waiting for a long time.

"Sorry, but I wasn't sleeping in; I got up at six-something in the morning.

However, on the dormitory side, roommates from the same dormitory building held a cooking competition.

I helped taste the cooking over there, which took some time."

"Just cooking by ordinary students, what's there to taste?"

"Not ordinary students, but cooking by Yukihira Soma and Totsuki Ten Seventh Seat Isshiki Satoshi-senpai."

"That red spiky hedgehog head had a cooking competition with the other Ten?!"

The anger on Nakiri Erina's face gradually subsided; she furrowed her pretty eyebrows and asked.

"Who won?"

"A draw; both of their dishes were very delicious, unanimously receiving votes from all Polar Star Dormitory residents, with the same vote count."

"Even the Seventh Seat couldn't suppress that annoying guy?"

Nakiri Erina gritted her teeth somewhat, but didn't think Isshiki Satoshi was too useless.

She had also eaten Yukihira Soma's cooking; he indeed had skill.

It was just that guy's frivolous, manipulative attitude that was really infuriating.

"What dishes did they make?"

Nakiri Erina pressed the question.

"It was Spanish Mackerel; one was Sichuan Pepper Charcoal-Roasted Spanish Mackerel with Cabbage Puree, the other was Pan-Fried Spanish Mackerel Pieces with Salt Kelp Soup Ochazuke————"

Broly relayed the situation of the competition dishes he had eaten that morning to the girl before him.

"Spanish Mackerel, huh————"

Nakiri Erina gritted her teeth, turned her head to look at Hisako Arato: "Hisako, does the Sixth Cooking Building have fresh Spanish Mackerel in stock?"

"Yes, Erina-sama; a fresh batch arrived last night, and the Academy Logistics Department allocated a quota of fresh fish ingredients to the Cooking Building according to resource distribution."

The secretary girl merely glanced at the notebook tablet in her hand and gave a definite reply; the Sixth Cooking Building's current ingredient stock situation was basically managed by her.

"Good, then bring some over now."

Nakiri Erina said, turning and walking toward the cooking kitchen.

"Broly, you come along too."

Incidentally, she also called the Saiyan boy behind her.

"Miss Nakiri, are you preparing to give me supplementary lessons right now?"

"Supplementary lessons can wait; right now I'm also going to make a Spanish Mackerel dish. After it's done, you'll taste it for me, and then tell me whose Spanish Mackerel dish is more delicious."

Nakiri Erina spoke with a somewhat aggressive momentum, yet was preparing to intervene in the morning cooking competition between Isshiki Satoshi and Yukihira Soma.

"Uh, okay."

Broly was a bit dazed but still nodded in agreement; anyway, there was new cooking to eat.

Hisako Arato returned quickly, carrying a vacuum-sealed bag in her hand.

Inside was a whole large fish.

Spanish Mackerel actually refers to Spanish Mackerel; this fish has firm meat, few bones, moderate fat, rich in protein, and is a commonly seen fish species in coastal areas.

And the common cooking methods for this fish are four: steaming, braising, pan-frying, and curing/aging; but curing/aging takes too long, steaming can't highlight the chef's skill, and the scallion ginger garlic used in braising would mask the fish's original flavor, which isn't what Nakiri Erina likes.

So the girl adopted the same French-style pan-frying method as Yukihira Soma; Broly only saw Nakiri Erina, after receiving the fish meat, swiftly use a slicing knife to cut open the external vacuum bag and take out the fresh fish meat inside, then slice the fish meat blocks into 2cm

thick slices, and marinate them with salt, ginger slices, and cooking wine.

After about 15 minutes, she used kitchen paper to absorb the surface moisture of the marinated fish meat, then took out a cast iron pan and poured olive oil into it, pan-frying slowly over medium-low heat.

"Erina-sama is using the French-style pan-frying method; the pan in her hand is a cast iron pan, which has quite excellent heat retention capability; putting the fish in won't cause the pan temperature to plummet, able to instantly lock the fish meat surface forming a golden-brown crust, suitable for pan-frying steak, Spanish Mackerel, foie gras and other ingredients requiring high-temperature quick searing————"

Perhaps considering Broly's identity as a cooking beginner, Hisako Arato popular-science introduced the reasons for each of Nakiri Erina's actions from the side.

"Basting with oil is to let the unseared upper side of the fish meat also set, quickly locking in moisture, so that when flipped to sear, the searing time can be shortened, making the fish meat more tender; this is a common and classic technique in French-style pan-frying, and besides locking in moisture, this technique can also achieve letting flavors penetrate into the seared ingredients————"

Ingredient prep took over ten minutes, but searing the fish meat well took less than three minutes; Nakiri Erina rubbed some lemon zest onto the seared fish pieces, and a fruity fresh aroma mixed with the pan-fried fish meat fragrance wafted up.

Additionally, she squeezed a bit of lemon juice on top; that sour-sweet-salty-savory fragrance when eaten into the mouth was irresistible.

"How is it, is my Spanish Mackerel dish more delicious, more tasty than that annoying guy's Spanish Mackerel dish?!"

Though a question, Nakiri Erina used a declarative tone, as if she had already determined her cooking's deliciousness level was above others'.

"Uh, can I speak the truth?"

Regarding this, Broly showed a hesitant expression and asked.

"Hmph, of course, just go ahead and say it."

From Broly's attitude, Nakiri Erina had already obtained the general answer; she coldly snorted and spoke.

"To be honest, you both made fried fish, but because the dishes made were different, the feeling of eating them is also different.

Soma Yukihira's fried fish soup rice, because it was soaked in soup, the texture when eaten is comparatively more varied; although it is just one dish, one can taste a multi-layered texture feeling.

And Nakiri-san's fried fish is more fragrant; that slightly lemon-scented sour fragrance, cooperating with the fish meat's fresh fragrance, I feel no matter how much comes I can eat it all.

But if you want me to make a definitive judgment of superiority between the two of you, I am somewhat unable to do so, because both are delicious, somewhat difficult to compare.

However, if forced to conclude whose Spanish mackerel dish is more delicious, more tasty, I can only say, I want to eat the dish Nakiri-san made more."

This wave purely belongs to the capture target identity's bonus points.

"Hmph, count you as having discernment, this guy!"

Hearing this, Nakiri Erina's mouth corner hooked up, and the happiness value also directly increased by one.

Finishing the Spanish mackerel dish's impromptu tasting, Nakiri Erina entered the segment of giving Broly tutoring.

"Broly, do you know how many items cooking basics have?"

"Seasoning and heat control?"

"Correct, these are the two major items; besides these?"

"Uh————"

Broly pondered, yet was somewhat unable to answer.

"No way, your knife skills are this good, unexpectedly you can't answer knife skills?"

Arato Hisako widened her eyes, surprised, and asked.

"Ah, does knowing how to cut things count too?"

Broly likewise widened his eyes, seemingly even more surprised than her.

"Knife skills are the foundation of a dish's appearance and texture; the cutting method can more directly influence the ingredient's heating evenness and flavor absorption degree; this is a very important basic core item."

Nakiri Erina sighed and took the initiative to explain.

"Besides that, there is the usage of oil/fat and time control; oil/fat is the source of a dish's base aroma, different oils can bring different flavors.

Different cooking methods need different oils/fats; how to correctly use different oils/fats to cook, this is a chef's basic skill.

And time control is divided into marinating time, cooking time, and resting time; marinating time determines flavor absorption degree, cooking time determines texture tenderness.

As for resting time, take an example, for instance roasting steak, resting time will determine the degree of meat juice reflux————"

"Listening to this, it seems somewhat complex."

"Complex where, this is merely some basic cooking knowledge a cook should understand."

"Uh, then besides these, what else do I need to learn?"

"Seasoning, the balance of the five basic tastes: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, umami.

Heat control, high heat quick stir-fry, medium heat slow pan-fry, low heat slow simmer fire control techniques.

Knife skills, slicing, cutting blocks, julienne, cutting strips, decorative scoring and other cutting method applications————

Arato Hisako recited a whole pile of things like reporting dish names.

"Are these all things I must finish learning today?"

Broly listened until his head was a bit dizzy, rubbing his temples and asked.

"That's not the case; these are the basic cooking knowledge taught over three years in Totsuki Academy Middle School Division; we only require you to master these things as soon as possible, no need to master them in one day."

Arato Hisako shook her head and explained.

"Then that's fine." Broly breathed a sigh of relief, immediately followed by asking, "Where do I start learning from?"

"Start learning from seasoning; you need to first recognize the six tastes."

"Uh, but what you just said seemed like only five tastes; where does the sixth taste come from?"

"Before was just a summary; inside seasoning, besides the five basic tastes, there is also a special taste, that is bitter taste."

"Bitter taste counts too?"

"Counts; that kind of taste, used in small amounts as a foil, can make some dishes' flavors more perfect."

"However, bitter taste, that one not learn first; you still start recognizing from salty taste————"

"Salty taste is the chief of a hundred tastes, supports all other tastes; dishes without salty taste will appear weak and powerless; so salty taste is the skeleton, the foundation of foundations————"

"Sweet taste, the harmonizer; this taste's usage is not to make a dish sweet, but to neutralize some ingredients' inherent bitter astringency, alleviate spiciness, enhance umami. Some dishes add a small amount of sugar that can't be tasted as sweet, yet can make the taste more mellow————"

"Sour taste, cuts greasiness, enhances freshness————"

"Salty taste, the key to making dishes durably edible————"

"Spicy taste, appetizing and enhancing aroma, but needs oil/fat and sweet taste to balance dryness sensation————"

Nakiri Erina and Arato Hisako, the two of them, gave Broly tutoring; first lecturing on seasoning basic theory, then giving examples of some actual seasoning usage, finally letting Broly speak for himself.

"So, Nakiri-san, your fried fish just now, if a bit of sugar were added on top, would the taste be better?"

"How could it be better; Spanish mackerel itself is extremely fresh and sweet; if sugar is added, it will only let the sugar's sweetness cover the fish meat's own freshness; this will cause a taste conflict, simply a disaster~"

Nakiri Erina covered her forehead, only feeling her brain case hurt.

"Uh, but sweet taste providers are many; if what's added isn't white sugar, would it work?"

"What do you plan to add?"

"For example, when frying fish, brush a thin layer of natural honey."

Broly indeed is not passionate about eating sweets, but for sweet-tasting dishes like honey-glazed roasted meat, he still likes them comparatively.

"Add honey huh————"

Nakiri Erina frowned, but did not directly refute, instead pondered.

"Hisako————"

And compared to imagination, practice is better; she had the secretary girl bring another mackerel.

When pan-frying to the end, she picked up the fish piece and brushed a thin layer of honey on the fish skin, then continued pan-frying to let the honey glaze form a slightly brittle surface layer.

"Creak~"

Mhm, the French pan-fried mackerel cooking made by Nakiri Erina simply added a layer of caramelized honey sweet fragrance and brittle shell o

Both texture and taste saw some improvement, only this kind of improvement may not necessarily be liked, belonging to the sweet faction's gospel, the salty faction's nightmare.

At noon, Broly spent time together with Nakiri Erina and Hisako Arato; in the afternoon he was again the provider of various taste explanations, as well as applicable cooking scenario questions.

Theory combined with practical cooking tutor teaching let knowledge enter Broly's body by way of finished dishes.

As for whether it entered the brain, hard to say, but the stomach at least entered.

"Seasoning item taught to here first; other items, what do you want to learn?"

Broly indeed has certain cooking talent, but the basis is after all too low; teaching him has many problems that make one's head ache.

Nakiri Erina rubbed her somewhat swollen temples, decided to slow down seasoning knowledge for a bit, change direction and teach differently to change the mood.

"Let me think, hmm, I still have to cook at Polar Star Dormitory tonight for others to appreciate, so if possible, I want to learn some cooking knowledge helpful for that."

", you want to cook for the other people in the dormitory building to eat?"

"Right, in the morning someone already cooked; in the evening then those who haven't cooked need to cook for others to taste."

"Then you just use the cooking you can make delicious and top it off, wouldn't that work?"

Hisako Arato said one sentence at the side.

"Work it works, but it feels just like using someone else's cooking; if possible, I hope to respond with cooking belonging to myself."