215 [215] I Have Special Noodle Kneading Skills

Chapter 215: I Have Special Noodle Kneading Skills

Although he was kneading the dough, Hachiman didn't use a drop of water. Instead, he chose to use eggs as a binding agent.

Witnessing him swiftly crack eggs into the mixing bowl, Hachiman soon added over a dozen eggs. Then, rolling up his sleeves, he began to draw circles in the flour pile with both hands.

Starting from a small center portion, his hands circled wider and wider, gradually incorporating the surrounding flour. The loose flour slowly converged into a light yellow dough.

Once the egg liquid and flour were thoroughly mixed, Hachiman's movements changed. His hands followed a certain sequence and frequency, patting and kneading the light yellow dough in front of him.

A series of "pat pat pat" echoed in the kitchen.

This naturally attracted the attention of other graduates, but when they saw Hachiman simply kneading dough, many of them wore mocking expressions.

To them, kneading dough was just that, and making such a big sound seemed like seeking attention.

However, a few graduates skilled in dough, and Dojima, who hadn't yet started, seemed to recognize something and fell into contemplation.

This should be a special noodle kneading technique.

Before long, Hachiman stopped his hands. In the mixing bowl, a smooth and round light golden dough appeared, and there was not a trace of flour residue on his hands.

Poking it with his fingers, the dough felt incredibly soft, and it was impossible to tell that no water had been used.

Feeling the elasticity under his fingers, Hachiman nodded and covered the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, allowing the dough to rest for a while.

During the resting time, he didn't idle. Hachiman tossed a large piece of marbled pork onto the cutting board.

Then, holding a cleaver in each hand, as if equipped with electric motors, he rapidly chopped the pork.

The collision of the cleavers with the cutting board echoed loudly.

This made many graduates skilled in Western cuisine furrow their brows because Western cuisine emphasizes elegance. In their eyes, Hachiman's cooking method seemed somewhat barbaric.

However, when they glanced at Dojima, who was holding his arms, they didn't dare to say much and continued with their own cooking.

Hachiman, unaffected, quickly turned the large piece of pork into minced meat. Adding chopped scallions, ginger, and pre-prepared seasonings like cooking wine, he swiftly mixed everything together.

Now that the dough had finished resting, he took out the slightly expanded dough from the mixing bowl. Poking it with his fingers again, the dough had become even softer and more elastic. Satisfied with the remarkable elasticity, Hachiman nodded.

He divided the dough into several sections, rolled them into long strips, then, wielding the cleaver, he swiftly cut the "noodles" into uniformly sized pieces.

Accepting it, Hachiman picked up the rolling pin and swiftly rolled out the dough. In no time, the small dough pieces transformed into uniformly sized and thin dough wrappers.

Setting aside the rolling pin, he picked up one piece of dough wrapper. Hachiman spread an even layer of minced meat on it, then wrapped a bit of orange-colored substance inside. He pinched the edges of the dough to create a decorative pattern like a dumpling, filled it with more meat, and finally sealed the dumpling with a spoonful of black crumbs.

That way, a dumpling was folded, and Hachiman repeated the process, turning all the dough wrappers into dumplings. Eight dumplings in one steamer basket, six baskets stacked together, were then placed in the steamer.

At this moment, many graduates had finished their own dishes. Plates of exquisite dishes were arranged on the table, resembling a buffet, ready for anyone to serve themselves.

However, instead of helping themselves, all of them stared at Hachiman's side. After all, their purpose was to verify Hachiman's culinary skills.

Despite being observed by these graduates, Hachiman showed no signs of nervousness. After approximately ten minutes, the first stack of six steamer baskets full of dumplings was steamed.

He grabbed a few plates, arranged four dumplings on each, and placed them on the central table.

"All right, seniors, please enjoy. These are my Three-Egg Dumplings," Hachiman turned around and smiled slightly at the group of graduates.

As the freshly steamed dumplings were placed on the table, a slightly pungent aroma wafted through the hall, catching the attention of many graduates.

Due to the recent steaming, the sound of dumplings and the accompanying warmth filled the hall. Many graduates caught a whiff of a slightly pungent aroma.

It was Dojima who approached the table first, picked up one dumpling from the plate, and remarked, "This should be Century Egg."

"Exactly, it's Century Egg. Originally, I was worried we wouldn't have this ingredient, but indeed, being the Totsuki Resort, they even have such niche ingredients in stock," Hachiman smiled and nodded.

Given that Century eggs are rarely consumed in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries, and in other parts of the world, Century eggs have even been voted as one of the world's most unappetizing foods, Balut shares a similar reputation.

"That's natural. The Totsuki Resort caters to guests from around the world, so we need to be well-prepared with various ingredients," Dojima explained proudly.

"This slightly stimulating aroma is quite enticing. Well then, I'll go ahead and try it," he said before taking a bite of the dumpling.

As he bit into it, Dojima's initially serious expression softened, replaced by a satisfied look one wears when savoring a delicious dish.

"I see, with the egg in the skin, crab roe in the filling, and century egg used for sealing—it truly is the Three-Egg Dumpling," he continued. "The soft skin, the savory meat filling with a hint of crab roe, and the slightly fishy flavor from the century egg provide a tremendous stimulation to the taste buds. The taste of these three eggs creates a symphony of flavors in the mouth. It's truly fantastic."

Hearing Dojima's somewhat exaggerated praise, many graduates wore expressions of skepticism.

As they approached the dining table, they each took a dumpling and bit into it, revealing expressions similar to Dojima's.

"Wow, the burst of freshness from the crab roe as you bite down is just amazing," said Hinako, gently caressing her cheek with a face filled with delight.

"Exactly, although I've never had century eggs, the slightly fishy taste, combined with the freshness of the crab roe, and the soft egg skin, acts as a perfect harmonizer between the two. It's truly a masterpiece," Donato praised.

Not only them, but other graduates who tasted the Three-Egg Dumpling couldn't stop praising it, leaving some graduates who hadn't grabbed one with an eager expression.

Just then, Hachiman's second batch of dumplings was also served on the table.