Han Zhiling and Qin Jiahao gaped at the revelation. They were both surprised that Lu Xinyi was able to tweak the usual recipe for the tempura batter. Both wonder at the extent this woman could improve one’s dish without guidance.
“But why Japanese mayonnaise?” Qin Jiahao expressed everyone’s curiosity.
Lu Xinyi opened her right hand, revealing her palm to everyone as she explained the reason behind it.
“I used Japanese mayonnaise as a special ingredient to make sure the batter stays crispy and fresh. There’s also a science behind it. Eggs are usually used to make the batter, but this often makes the tempura very oily and soggy. However, by using mayonnaise instead of egg, the emulsified oil from the mayo disperses into the batter which doesn’t leave any moisture in the batter so the tempura stays deliciously crispy.
“As the temperature of the oil in the batter increases, the surrounding water also evaporates more easily. The moisture in the batter evaporates, creating bubbles and leaving a crispy texture. Japanese mayonnaise does not use the whole egg and is different from the whole egg mayonnaise.”
She then faced Headmistress Han to explain her method.
“To maintain consistent oil temperature, I cooked the rest of the ingredients in small batches. The vegetables were fried at 350-degree Celsius for about two and a half minutes for most. The key point of crispy tempura is in its batter. When gluten forms in the batter, it will not be super crispy. So we need to make the batter carefully.”
Lu Xinyi was thankful that making tempura was one of the dishes Chef Kawashima taught her. She learned that the difference between good and bad tempura was the batter—the goal was a light, crisp coating that doesn’t absorb oil when fried.
Chef Kawashima had taught her several important steps for achieving this texture. First was not to overmix the batter. When she stirred in the water, she had to mix very gently just until the dry ingredients were moistened. She didn’t dare to attempt to work out the lumps, or the batter will become heavy.
Secondly, the water she mixed in was very cold. This will make a cold batter that will remain light when fried. Next was to mix the batter just before frying. Making it ahead will produce a heavy coating.
Also, drying the shrimp and veggies well before dipping them in the batter would help the batter adhere. She also needed to be sure that the oil was at the proper temperature. If it’s not hot enough, the batter would absorb the oil before it cooked; and the result would be greasy tempura.
“What about the dipping sauce you paired up with the tempura? It’s subtly sweet and flavorful. It’s a really tasty and sort of sweet sauce that goes perfectly with tempura,” Han Zhiling inquired, curious as to how Lu Xinyi was able to come up with it.
“Tempura is most often served with a tentsuyu dipping sauce—this is made from dashi soup, mirin, and soy sauce. For this dipping sauce, the dashi is laced with soy sauce and mirin and punctuated with fresh-grated daikon and ginger.”
Please with her explanation, the three judges moved on to her salmon sushi and tasted it.
Meanwhile, the audience went insane and started discussing the differences between Lu Xinyi and Ye Xieren’s bento boxes.
“Miss Lu is really worthy of her spot at the Cream of the Crop. She became a Cerberus that regular students need to face before entering the top rank of the academy.” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“I feel bad for Ye Xieren. I know he’s working hard to reach the top rank, but Lu Xinyi was always ahead of him. Miss Lu became the dark horse that no one had expected to show up.”
“She’s representing the Shen family. I’ve never heard of the Shen family being in second place. I don’t think being second is in their vocabulary. They have a good eye for choosing Lu Xinyi to represent them.”
Back to the judges, the three were satisfied with the nigiri sushi Lu Xinyi made for them. There were different types of flavors found in sushi, but the one thing everyone should know was that sushi doesn’t have an overpowering flavor. Neither was it bland.
Lu Xinyi’s sushi had balanced flavors mixed with its ingredients. Chefs whose expertise was sushi would add various ingredients, not as filler, but to balance out its taste for combining saltiness, sweetness, and the pure savoriness one would want in sushi which Lu Xinyi was able to achieve.
It had the right amount of sushi rice topped with fish with wasabi in-between. This sushi tasted very creamy from the soft rice and with the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth goodness. It had a fresh and natural flavor as the fish was raw. The nigiri also has a bit of spice and tanginess from the wasabi between it.
The fish alone had a very creamy texture. It slowly melted into their mouth without a foul smell or taste. Moreover, it had a very fresh taste as if it were just freshly caught from the sea, taking the judges palate into an extraordinary gastronomic experience that they truly enjoyed.
Its taste all boiled down to the quality of ingredients used. Rice was one of the important factors. It had the right texture, which was slightly warm and fell apart in their mouths.
The fish used would be a bit cool and with the perfect and precise cuts. The salmon fillet Lu Xinyi used was creamy and had balanced flavors: not too fishy, but with a fresh taste.
“This sushi tastes amazing! I can’t believe that Miss Lu was able to make such high-quality sushi that could only be found from the sushi chefs,” Qin Jiahao said in awe. Upon tasting Lu Xinyi’s sushi, he could easily differentiate and see the huge gap between her and Ye Xieren.
This woman had so much potential on her, and it was overwhelming that she was still considered an amateur. What could possibly happen if she reached the pinnacle?
Nigiri sushi was the most challenging and most technical sushi form. It most often consisted of a piece of sliced fish atop a long ball of rice seasoned with salt and vinegar and a pinch of wasabi nestled between them.
When judging the quality of a piece of nigiri, there were so many factors to evaluate which was why nigiri was deceptively sophisticated. At first look, it’s just fish on rice; but sushi had evolved into a highly technical discipline. Every flavor, texture, and scent must be artfully crafted to create the perfect bite.
For Lu Xinyi to be able to make such a high-quality dish, it was unbelievable. Most sushi chefs spent years mastering the art, figuring out the perfect way to balance and master the flavors; and yet with her absolute tongue, Lu Xinyi was able to cheat her way to it.
Like mentioned, sushi must have the perfect balance of fish and rice. If there was too much rice, it would be too creamy. If there was too much fish, it would end up feeling and tasting too cloying.
Lu Xinyi’s sushi didn’t crumble when held. It had the right temperature, amount of vinegar, and other factors that make the rice correctly pressured without it being too hot or cold. It had a profound taste, and the main focus was placed on the fish.
Qin Jiahao regarded Lu Sibai’s daughter in curiosity. Earlier, he was confident that his apprentice would have a chance to snatch her seat from her, but with tempura and sushi alone, Lu Xinyi was able to turn the table to her advantage.
