[385] "Simple" Cooking
Chapter 385: "Simple" Cooking
Appetizer?
Upon hearing Hachiman's words, everyone was left speechless.
Just an appetizer, yet made with such grandeur?
For this show-off, you get 82 points, and the remaining 18 points will be given to you monster.
Nevertheless, since the first dish was ready, nobody hesitated.
Senzaemon was the first to start, taking the dipping sauce provided by Hachiman. Since sashimi emphasizes freshness, the dipping sauce was simple, just a blend of soy sauce and wasabi.
Standing before the mini ice mountain, Senzaemon was astonished to find that the slices of sea bream attached to it reflected his image like mirrors. This was the epitome of fish slices, smooth and tight!
This knife skill...
Senzaemon recalled all the chefs he knew, realizing none could compare to Hachiman.
Setting aside these irrelevant thoughts, Senzaemon used his chopsticks to pick up a bright, mirror-like slice of sea bream, dipped it in the sauce, and placed it in his mouth.
In that moment of tasting, Senzaemon's eyes widened...
"How is it possible? These sea bream slices are so thin, yet they have such a 'substantial' texture, perfectly capturing the fat, tender essence of the sea bream."
"And this sea bream seems to be..."
"Still alive!"
Smiling beside him, Gin spoke up.
"Yes, it's as if a lively sea bream is dancing on my tongue," Senzaemon nodded, then burst into laughter. "Truly a miraculous dish, hahaha."
Hearing their words, Erina's face showed a skeptical expression.
It's just a dish of sashimi, albeit with an impressive preparation process, but at the end of the day, it's just sashimi.
Saying the sea bream is still alive is too exaggerated.
Seeing the girl's expression, Hachiman smiled faintly, fed Komachi the sea bream slice dipped in sauce, and then handed her another portion of sauce.
"Erina, why don't you give it a try too?"
"Mm-hmm, Erina-neesan, you should try it too. It's really delicious."
"Yes, everyone, give it a taste. Such dishes are not something you can enjoy often," Senzaemon also chimed in.
Upon hearing their master speak up, everyone began to act.
"This is..."
"So delicious..."
"The sea bream... It really seems alive..."
"This young man is truly amazing!"
"..."
"Hachiman-kun is amazing! Erina doesn't stand a chance."
Enjoying the delicious taste in her mouth, Alice looked smugly at Erina.
Her boyfriend was indeed amazing, and Erina couldn't even compare.
Not only her, even Leonora, who was beside her, covered her mouth and chuckled.
"That's right, Mom also thinks Hachiman-kun is much better than Erina."
Truly, like mother, like daughter—the expressions on their faces were exactly the same, like two sisters.
However, upon hearing the words of the mother and daughter, Erina's forehead revealed a few "#" marks.
Alice, this girl, can't go a day without mocking me, can she?
And now Aunt Leonora is joining her in her mischief.
Accepting the dipping sauce from Hachiman, Erina also picked up a slice of sea bream, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in her mouth.
The chilled sea bream melted in her mouth, its rich taste filling her palate. This feeling was indescribable; the delicious taste seemed as if the sea bream was dancing in her mouth.
This made the sensitive "God Tounge" within Erina tremble with excitement. The inexplicable pleasure surged through her brain, causing her body to involuntarily sway, and a blush spread across her face.
"Mmm... Oh..."
Seductive murmurs escaped from Erina's enticing lips, her fair cheeks flushed with a hint of red. Her ample bosom heaved, and her slender yet voluptuous legs swayed slightly together. It was as if the air around her had taken on a pink hue, leaving Hachiman feeling a bit parched.
He swore he hadn't drugged the dish.
But watching the girl's trembling body, the slight arch of her back, and the more pronounced fullness of her chest, Hachiman feared she might burst out of her clothes like in anime.
As it turned out, Hachiman's worry was unnecessary; bursting clothes were just an anime effect.
After calming down for a while, Erina opened her eyes again, but they were filled with a moist glow, her lips slightly parted, and she breathed softly.
"What... What exactly happened? This sea bream seems as if it's really still alive. How is that possible?"
Just coming down from the excitement, Erina's tone now carried a hint of vulnerability.
"It's quite simple, actually."
Seeing the seductive sight of the girl, Hachiman smiled.
"Instantaneous low-temperature cutting, stimulating the nerves still alive in the sea bream meat, completely unleashing the firm texture and freshness of the sea bream. This feeling is like the sea bream is still alive."
Upon hearing his words, everyone showed a helpless expression.
"Simple?"
Is this really simple?
Putting aside other matters for now, just achieving the instantaneous low-temperature cutting that Hachiman mentioned is very difficult. After all, they don't have Hachiman's strong physique that can withstand extremely low temperatures.
Wait, low temperature, physique...
Perhaps the scene just now was too shocking, and they subconsciously overlooked something.
That kitchen knife, which was sprayed with liquid nitrogen for a long time, had a temperature of at least tens of degrees below zero, or even hundreds of degrees below zero. Yet, Hachiman held it bare-handedly for a long time, with no traces of frostbite on his hands.
It's not like he just touched it momentarily and then pulled back his hand. He tightly gripped the ice knife for minutes of cutting work, and the prolonged low-temperature contact didn't cause any harm to his hands.
Thinking about this, the gaze of several people couldn't help but flicker, especially Senzaemon.
Because he knows more, whether it's the incident with the black bear or the recent incident with the great white shark, as the head of the Nakiri family, nothing can escape his ears.
The incident with the black bear could perhaps be explained, after all, black bears aren't that large, and Hachiman is proficient in swordsmanship. Under various conditions, he could still kill a black bear.
But how to explain the killing of that great white shark?
That was a colossal creature, six meters long and weighing around three tons.
Not only that, but Hachiman even killed the agile shark in the undisturbed seawater. This just doesn't make sense at all.
It seems that there are still many secrets about Hachiman.
However, at this moment, Hachiman's voice interrupted everyone's thoughts.
With a slight smile, he spoke up, "Everyone, how did you find my appetizer? Does it meet your expectations?"
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