As time passed by, some participants had been sweating profusely and had to step back to wipe it. The three-hour allotted time was pushing them to the limit. The plating of the dishes only started in the last ten minutes.
In the end—when the time ran out and a loud ringing sound filled the arena, Huo Meili’s announcement officially ended the cooking process. Huang Shenghao gave Yan Chen a high-five and bumped shoulders with him while Tian Lingyu silently thanked Ye Xieren for his cooperation.
Ye Xieren heaved a sigh and looked towards the judges who were making their way to the kitchen counters. When his gaze met with Lu Xinyi’s, she smiled slightly at him; even if they were so far away, he was able to face her confidently this time.
The dishes he made today, would she think it was interesting and passable to her sensitive palate? He thought.
It’s a pity, the judges started with Huang Shenghao and Yan Chen’s full course.
“So what do we have here?” He Haotian asked them curiously.
“For the appetizer, we have Winter Squash with Browned Butter and Rosemary, Baby Kale Greens with honey vinaigrette for salad, Balsamic Glaze Lamb with Boniato for the main course and lastly, Honey Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Sauce for dessert,” said Yan Chen who took pride on preparing such elegant dishes with Huang Shenghao.
Lu Xinyi’s eyes sparkled. The plating of the dishes was so stunningly beautiful it was as if they were dining at a five-star restaurant. She couldn’t help but to swallow the lump in her throat and could feel her mouth-watering from the scent alone.
Han Zhiling and He Haotian gave them approving glances before taking their turn to taste the appetizer, with Lu Xinyi taking the last taste test.
“The squash was steamed until it was tender. Browned butter was cooked until it reached a nutty-tasting stage. It added lots of flavor to the steamed squash,” Han Zhiling commented.
“The rosemary and the squash were nice. I was a little skeptical at first because it looked so simple, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was very tasty!” Lu Xinyi followed. As expected, Huang Shenghao being the top student of the academy deserved his position. He was able to make such a seemingly simple dish into an extraordinary one.
“Perfectly seasoned. Good job.” He Haotian’s comment was short but straightforward.
When Lu Xinyi saw the salad, she had no idea that baby kale leaves even existed. True, she knew people use Kale all the time in juice and smoothies, soups, etc.; but she had never been intrigued by the idea of using those big, tough leaves in a salad.
Some even have come to call Chinese kai lan kale, but these bunches of green leaves were rougher in texture and softly furling at the edges with thinner stems than their cousins.
Both were classed as cruciferous vegetables. They came from the same family branch of classification and were related to broccoli and cauliflower. However, kale was different from kai lan, which was remarkably similar to western broccoli in appearance.
“Why kale salad?” Headmistress Han gave Huang Shenghao an inquisitive gaze. She let Lu Xinyi take the first taste, knowing she was new to this kind of vegetable.
“Eating healthy vegetables such as kale helps keep the mind positive and focused,” Huang Shenghao replied. “It boosts vitality and enhances creativity.”
“What do you think, Miss Lu?” Yan Chen asked the current tenth seater of the Cream of the Crop. Like the other cruciferous vegetables, kale had a hint of a bitter tang.
Lu Xinyi raised a brow at him before a smile spread on her lips. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“Hmm… not bad, Brother Yan. The little baby kales were lovely. Delicate, not tough at all. Just perfect. The bitter tone was eradicated by sprinkling vinegar, which also helps preserve its nutrients, plunged in the water and soak for a few minutes before tossing them with the other ingredients.
“Crisp, fresh Asian pears; dark, moody but sweet black grapes; salty and creamy crumbles of cheese; and crunchy candied walnuts. I say the honey vinaigrette used in the end was really delicious.”
She then turned to her mentor, confused at what kind of cheese Huang Shenghao and Yan Chen used for their salad. The cheese reminded her of blue cheese, but it had a stronger scent and flavor than the cheese Huang Shenghao used.
“Chef He, what kind of cheese is this?” She lifted a small piece of cheese with blue-green veins from her spoon and placed it on her mouth. It had a crumbly and salty taste, really different from the blue cheese she was accustomed to.
“That’s Gorgonzola cheese. It is a kind of blue cheese that is produced by the unskimmed milk of a cow.”
“Oh…” Lu Xinyi slightly nodded her head and thought that there were still so many things she wasn’t familiar with.
Next was the main course, the Balsamic Glaze Lamb with Boniato. An exquisite dish with tender juicy lamb seared on all sides and then topped with a rich, sweet balsamic glaze that one would want to sop up every bite of.
The lamb chops were served over the top a deliciously sweet Boniato mash and grilled vegetables. It looked almost too good to eat!
The judges took their turn to taste it but didn’t give any comments over the dish. However, Lu Xinyi’s face betrayed the excitement she was trying to conceal.
The lamb chops were perfectly seasoned and pan-seared. The balsamic glaze was cooked in the same skillet where they cooked the lamb chops, allowing them to use all the meat juices that were released when they were cooking the chops.
Superb, delicious… decadent! The flavor intensified when they browned every side of the chop; the sauce ingredients were perfect. This was perfection! It could already be considered as an elegant restaurant-quality meal.
These lamb chops looked straight up incredible! And that balsamic glaze—oh man, Lu Xinyi couldn’t help but adore that balsamic glaze. The balsamic glaze bathed the succulent meat with a sweet tangy sauce. It also added a dark, sweet, and sticky dimension to the lamb.
Lu Xinyi wasn’t a big fan of lamb meat, but after tasting this dish, she now wanted to try recreating it back at home. Her husband and her brother-in-law would surely enjoy it.
Such a culinary bliss! Now she was really eager to taste what her brother had made this time! Being hailed as the uncrowned king of the academy, she was curious about what kind of dishes Tian Lingyu will present against Huang Shenghao’s Balsamic Glaze Lamb with Boniato.
Huang Shenghao grinned at Tian Lingyu’s direction and gave him a thumbs-up. He’d been waiting for this cooking battle between them for a long time, and now that his friend was willing to compete with him, he wouldn’t dare to play safe.
Students had known Tian Lingyu as the uncrowned king, and for Huang Shenghao, Tian Lingyu became a shadow that he couldn’t get rid of. The man rarely engaged in a cooking battle as he preferred to work quietly at his kitchen counter than to compete with others. He was the person… a mountain he had to climb over to prove himself worthy of his seat.
Tian Lingyu smirked in return, pleased that Huang Shenghao wasn’t giving him a handicap on this cooking battle.
