---GENERAL POV---
As Asahi and Maria stood side by side inside the school's kitchen, Maria turned to Asahi, her eyes filled with curiosity. "So... Asahi, what's your plan?"
Asahi wore a confident smile as he began to explain. "I believe the key factor of your uncle's test lies in capturing the essence of both American and French cuisine while maintaining simplicity. He also seems to underestimate us by giving 1 hour and 30 minutes just to do a 'breakfast'. So we will need to use most of this time to impress him with the best dish we have got, and I have a dish in mind that I think will achieve just that."
Maria's interest piqued as she listened intently. "Go on."
"I've chosen a dish that combines the comfort of an American breakfast classic with the sophistication of French cuisine," Asahi explained. "It's a recipe I thought about after we left the room. I call it 'Confit 'Baconed' Egg Yolk Toast.'"
Maria's eyes widened in surprise. She had never heard of such a dish in her family before.
Asahi continued, "This dish is simple yet luxurious. It starts with a perfectly confited egg yolk, which we'll place atop slices of toasted bread. The egg yolks need a lot of concentration to make them, so I will be in charge of that, on the other hand, you take care of the bread slices to form our dish."
Maria was impressed by the concept. "It sounds incredible, Asahi. But can we really pull it off? This dish seems to need a lot of precision and attention to detail."
Asahi nodded with confidence. "I've idealized this dish before, and I'm confident we can create it together. The key is in the timing and technique, and I'll guide you through every step of the way."
Maria took a deep breath, her determination resurfacing. "All right, let's do this. What do we need to do first?"
Asahi smiled, appreciating Maria's commitment. "First, we need to prepare the slices of bread. They should be lightly toasted, crisp on the outside but still tender on the inside. Can you handle that, Maria?"
Maria nodded, rolling up her sleeves. "Of course. Consider it done."
As Maria focused on the bread, and Asahi took charge of the confit egg yolks. He knew that this step required precision and patience. Asahi carefully separated all the ingredients they would need for this test and took a bowl full of eggs. He then gently submerged them in warm water, ensuring they were enveloped in a luxurious bath. This would take almost 75-90 minutes in 60C.
The delicate process of confiting the egg yolks required precise control of temperature and time. Asahi watched over them, ensuring they reached the perfect consistency, tender and silky.
Maria worked diligently on the bread, ensuring each slice was toasted to perfection. The kitchen filled with the aroma of warm, crispy bread, and it mingled with the tantalizing scent of the confiting egg yolks.
As the eggs were getting done, asahi went to the kitchen's fridge and then took a few slices of bacon. He then laid them on the on the trail.
Maria couldn't help but ask." What are you doing with the bacon?"
"Just focus on your task now." He glanced at the burned bread slices, sending a threatening look at Maria, she quickly retrieved her eyes from him to focus on her task.
*huuuh* he sighed. ' Lets just keep the focus...'
He then put brown sugar on top. why? This caramelizes on heat and will give the bacon an incredible flavor. He then pics up a lemon and give the bacon some 'lemon zest', this will provide a little bit of acidity on the bacon, making a flavorful collision with the sweetness of the brown sugar, thus turning the dish more complex. After preparing the bacon, he then puts the trail in the oven, then he sets the temperature and leaves it to cook for a few minutes, after that he left it there and went to look for the eggs.
"Nice, its time to take them out." He then quickly takes out the egg, he separates the whites from the egg yolk, keeping it intact. Carefully picking up the egg yolks and placing them on a plate. After he finished doing that, he moved to his next task.
"Asahi, this seems to be pretty simple, I don't feel so confident about this..." Maria couldn't help but complain again.
The oven then signals that the bacon is ready, so Asahi goes to pick it up." We will see If you will keep that thought of yours after this..." He then opens the oven and-
The aroma that enveloped the kitchen as the bacon emerged from the oven was nothing short of intoxicating. It was a symphony of enticing scents, a tantalizing combination of savory and citrus notes that danced through the air.
First and foremost, the rich, smoky essence of perfectly cooked bacon dominated the whole area of the kitchen. It was a scent that could make anyone's mouth water, an unmistakable invitation to indulge in its crispy, salty goodness. Each strip of bacon had been lovingly coated in brown butter, which had now melded with the rendered fat, creating a luxurious, nutty undertone to the fragrance. Maria couldn't help but her mouth salivated, as if eager to try it out."This... is insane!"
A glorious juiciness cascaded forth from the bacon. It was a tantalizing contrast to the exterior, which maintained a remarkable crispness and a satisfying crunch. This delightful duality, with its tender, succulent interior and the satisfying snap of the crispy exterior, made for a bacon experience that was nothing short of perfection.
"C-can I have a bite?" Maria couldn't hold herself but ask.
"... I will prepare some more for you... If you work harder." Asahi sighed at Maria's change of attitude.
"A-alright !" She got a surge of energy after she heard his words, as she got really excited for this dish all of a sudden.
*Haaah* "... she's still a child." Says Asahi as he whispers to himself.
After preparing the bacon, Asahi then lays everything on a plate and picks up a knife, cutting the whole bacon in little pieces.
Maria saw this and she started screaming " NOOOOO! What are you doing you monster! Why ruin it?"
"Hey, before judging me why not wait and see?" Said Asahi, as he goes to pick up the egg yolks he had separated before.
"What are you gonna do with it?" Maria asks.
He when poses himself as if he was about to throw the egg yolks into the bowl. "Well... obviously I am gonna 'Roll with it !'" He then rolls the egg yolks inside the bowl full of bacon bite, carefully covering the whole egg yolk with it, he repeats the same process for all of them.
We found that the egg yolks nestled within a blanket of savory bacon bites, to which they took on an alluring transformation. The sunny, golden yolks were gently cradled by the rich, smoky embrace of the bacon.The bacon, crisped to perfection, provided a delightful contrast to the velvety, custard-like texture of the yolks.
Noticing the egg yolks covered in bacon bits, Maria glanced at Asahi's work, her admiration evident. "Asahi, I never imagined that you could do something like that."
Asahi chuckled modestly. "I am also surprised that you have followed my instructions correctly.'Even tough you burned 10 bread slices.' He thought to himself." Now, let's assemble the dish."
Maria watched as Asahi gently placed a confited 'baconed' egg yolk atop each slice of toasted bread and then closed the dish with another slice of toasted bread. The yolks were delicate, holding their shape as they rested on the bread, a testament to Asahi's meticulous work.
As the final touch, Asahi carefully spooned a small amount of butter on to the top of the bread. The deep, rich flavors of the bacon would complement the buttery, silky egg yolks perfectly.
Maria marveled at the dish that had come together before her eyes. "Asahi, this looks really good! This idea for the dish is really amazing!"
Asahi smiled, looking at the dish he was quite happy with what he got.' Not like the original, but this will do the job.' he thinks, He then looks at Maria and says to her "Thank you. Now, all that's left is to present it to your uncle and let the flavors speak for themselves."
"Ahh right, hehe." Smiled Maria at him.
...
Asahi and Maria stood before her uncle, her heart filled with a mix of anticipation and determination. The dish they had prepared, Confit 'Baconed' Egg Yolk Toast, named by Asahi, sat before him on a pristine white plate.
Maria's uncle regarded the dish with a discerning eye, his gaze fixed on the golden-red egg yolks and the glistening caviar. The aroma of buttery richness and sweetness wafted up, filling the room with an irresistible allure.
Asahi, with his unwavering confidence, spoke first. "Sir, we present to you a dish that marries the simplicity of an American breakfast classic with the luxury of French cuisine—Confit 'Baconed' Egg Yolk Toast. I hope that this is suits your taste."
The School Director sat beside Maria's uncle, he couldn't help but comment. "Well... this is quite surprising. You guys did a great job." The School Director said while looking at the masterpiece created by the two.
"Thanks dad." Maria beamed, her mood improved a lot after all the experience inside the kitchen, she never thought that the dish would smell and look so good!
'How did he came up with that?' Asked herself after taking a closer looks at Asahi.
"Well, this looks amazing... and it smells good, I can tell that you two took a lot of effort in doing this..." Said the School Director mesmerized at their skillfulness," Without further ado, lets take a bite of this dish."
The School director then selected a piece of the dish, its components balanced on a single bite. He brought it to his lips, his senses poised to evaluate the flavors and textures that would greet him.
The first sensation was the crisp yet yielding texture of the toasted bread. It provided a delightful contrast to what followed—a delicate explosion of flavor as the conflicted egg yolk and butter merged on his palate. To finish it of with a crunchy sweetness explosion of bacon flavoring his mouth.
For a moment, the School Director was transported. He tasted the nostalgia of American comfort in the warm, buttery richness of the egg yolk, and he savored the luxury of French cuisine in the briny, exquisite burst of sweetness. It was a harmonious fusion that defied any logic.
Maria and Asahi watched him closely, their hearts waiting in anticipation. Maria clasped her hands and got in a praying position, while Asahi kept waiting in silence for his reaction.
The school director, after savoring the bite, leaned back in his chair. He seemed lost in thought as he gazed at the dish before him.
Minutes passed, each one filled with a palpable tension. Maria and Asahi exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of School director's silence. Had they succeeded in this dish, or had they overdone the dish with a lot of flavor?
Finally, the school director broke the silence. "Maria, Asahi, this dish is ... incredible, its hard to describe with words..." He looked at them intently before saying," This is out of this world..." he then asks." I could feel a lot of sweetness... what did you add?"
"That is brown sugar." Asahi responded.
""What?"" Maria and The School Director got a surprised look on their face. " I didn't even notice that moment." Said Maria.
"Well, I added brown sugar over the bacon it makes it more flavorful, adding it to the egg yolk and toasted bread, it makes it even better, the buttery flavor you get from the bread combines really well this the sweetness found on the bacon bits, which makes the flavor explosion on the first bite."
"This is truly a masterpiece, Anderson. Congratulations to you two." Said the School Director sincerely.
Maria couldn't hold her happiness and started celebrating, she expected the dish to be good but for her father to react like that meant that this was actually amazing.
But then, Asahi says," Thank you, Director." He then turned to Maria's uncle." Sir, would you please take a bite of this dish?"
Maria's uncle kept looking at the plate. He examined the presentation carefully. The egg yolks were perfectly conflicted, their texture velvety and inviting. The bacon covered the egg yolk like precious jewels, promising bursts of flavor. The toasted bread appeared crisp on the outside, yet tender within.
Maria's uncle nodded, his expression unreadable. He carefully selected a piece of the dish, the delicate yolk and toasted bread. With the precision of a true connoisseur, he brought the bite to his lips.
As he tasted the dish, a subtle change overcame his countenance. His stern facade softened, and his eyes widened in surprise. The flavors danced upon his palate, the buttery richness of the egg yolk blending harmoniously with the sweet burst of the bacon. It was a symphony of tastes that paid homage to both American comfort and French elegance.
His expression was one of contemplation, a rare sight for those who knew him. Maria's uncle finally spoke," I think..."
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(A/N: The recipe idea came from a famous Michelin star chef, Jean Georges. I got to know this from my favorite YouTube cooking channel, Guga foods. This is his signature recipe that I combined with Nico Giovanni's Bacon recipe. For those that don't have TikTok and don't watch YouTube short, Nico is a chef influencer that actually gives a lot of amazing recipes, you should try his channel.
Also I want to say that: ALL THE RECIPES IN THIS FANFIC ARE REAL AND CAN BE MADE AT HOME OR I HAVE TASTED THEM BEFORE.)
A bonus chapter ! hehe. Did you like it? what do you want to see more? Comment about it! Also... why don't you join my discord? I am trynna put good work here for yall. T_T