Shokugeki: Start with an izakaya, making everyone cry

Speaking of Provence.

Many people’s impression is of endless deep purple lavender fields and stone country cottages!

In fact, in addition to the beautiful scenery, the Provence region also has many unique beauties.

For example:

The fish soup is delicious and tasty.

A rich rosé wine.

Black truffles have a unique aroma.

Fantastic sauce garlic mayonnaise.

……

These wonderful delicacies make many diners unable to stop eating.

Facing this chef who is like a dark ghost, Saiba Chaoyang, Kikuchi Enka and Kadozaki Taki have to cook Ratatouille

Yes, it is the finale dish of Disney movie "Ratatouille", namely:

Provencal stew!

French food.

Cooking.

Provence.

dream.

challenge.

rural.

childhood.

These are the key words of this dish.

But for Enka Kikuchi, this dish has added even more memories.

Although the word "stew" is included in the name of Provencal stew, the core step is roasting, and there is no meat in the regular version. Of course, if you like meat, you can add it!

Originally, Ratatouille was a home-cooked dish of farmers in southeastern France.

Originally, it was an impromptu dish in which farmers cooked a bunch of freshly picked local vegetables into one pot. Later, after many improvements over time, it became a very learned French dish.

Ah!

The production process is relatively simple.

Just a few fresh vegetables are needed, like what Mu Jiuzhi is doing now, she cuts eggplant, cucumber, tomato and carrot into round slices.

On the other side, Kadozaki Taki had extra potato chips and cucumbers.

The next step is to make the sauce. The leftovers of the above-mentioned vegetables, plus onions, garlic, bell peppers, etc., are then blended into a paste using a food processor.

When it comes to sauces, everyone should have their own unique twist.

So, Mu Jiuzhi also added sweet and sour sauce and ketchup, and of course rosemary, pepper and salt.

Finally, it’s time to plate and bake!

Drizzle with some olive oil.

If you want to bake, choose 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

……

“It’s actually Provencal stew?”

"Should I say that you are quite confident in your own abilities, or that you think the dish I'm going to cook next..."

"Will you lose?"

The cooking table opposite.

Caibo Chaoyang, who hadn't even prepared the ingredients, just watched the entire cooking process of Yuanguo and Taki.

The French are naturally romantic. If such a simple stew can be made to have a unique taste, it will be exquisite and amazing.

However, Provencal stew must be cooked deliciously.

The secret is to stir-fry the vegetables separately so that each ingredient can retain its own flavor.

In other words, when eating, you can not only taste the original flavor of the ingredients, but eating them together will give you another taste!

In addition to history, there are many ways to cook Provencal stew.

Generally speaking, they can be divided into three groups:

The first group believes that all the vegetables should be stir-fried together; the second group believes that the vegetables should be layered and then roasted; and there is still another group that believes that the vegetables should be stir-fried separately and then combined and simmered at the end.

It is obvious that Kikuchi and Kadozaki are now leaning towards the second faction.

"Humph!"

"how?"

"Does it mean that all French cuisine must have delicate taste, delicious sauces, and gorgeous tableware, turning the vulgarity of eating into an elegant art, in order to be qualified?"

“A country’s food system cannot be high-end without being down-to-earth.”

“Restaurants, too!”

Kadozaki Taki, who had just finished his work, glanced at Chaoyang and spoke in a calm tone.

"Interesting, I did think about that."

"This sophisticated Chun Guo Ting restaurant will eventually bring out its signature delicacies such as foie gras and truffles to compete with me."

"In the end, you actually brought out Provencal stew, which surprised me a little."

Cai Bo smiled faintly at the sun, but his eyes immediately became fierce. He tightly grasped the "Four Palace" knife in his hand and continued, "You are right. French cuisine cannot be only high-end without down-to-earth dishes..."

……

For some families.

The taste of my mother in my memory might be a bowl of onion soup with crispy cheese and rich flavor.

Especially in the daily life of Parisians, onion soup appears very frequently, a bit like the tomato and egg soup on the Chinese table, very homely.

onion!

Has a pungent smell.

When you peel off layer by layer, you will unconsciously choke on your tears.

In China, it is mostly used for cooking or as a spice.

however.

Here in Paris.

Many people use onions to make soup.

And the pungent taste is removed very cleverly, so that only a very sweet taste is left when the soup is cooked.

Onion soup is often overshadowed by the romance and colorfulness of Paris, but this healing dish is actually not difficult to make. It only requires a lot of onions and some patient waiting time.

First, you need to prepare 2 large Vidalia sweet onions.

While sweet onions are the best candidate for this recipe, regular white onions, red onions, or a combination will work in a pinch.

Then, slice the onion thinly.

Place in a heavy-bottomed soup pot, add butter, oil, thyme and sauté until softened and lightly coloured.

……

As the onions are slowly stir-fried in the pan, that unique burnt aroma gradually spreads.

This light burnt aroma is the unique sweetness of the onion that is gradually released under the action of heat. As the stir-frying continues, the burnt aroma begins to become stronger.

warmth.

kind.

Then, it became more and more apparent.

But it's not very pungent, but deep and mellow.

It's like a melodious melody, jumping and dancing in the pot, with a light bitter and smoky texture.

Mu Jiuzhi couldn't help but take a deep breath.

As a result, she could actually feel every moment of the onions jumping in the pot in the kitchen. The perfect combination of caramelized aroma and sweet fragrance made her feel as if she was in a harvest field, feeling the gift of nature!

"Isn't it possible?"

"The caramelization process of onions, is it... is it so outrageous?"

Finally, when Kikuchi Engo came to her senses, her bright eyes were filled with disbelief.

……

The flavor of onion soup often depends on the performance of caramelization.

After all, before adding the bread, the whole dish only consists of soup and onions, so making the soup delicious is the basis for the success of this dish.

Generally speaking, if the onion softens during the frying process.

Then you can sprinkle some salt and sugar, turn up the heat to take the soup to another level, and keep stir-frying until the onions are a beautiful golden brown.

If you feel the color is uneven, add some water and stir-fry again.

Finally, when the onions are golden, add a few tablespoons of flour and continue stirring for a few minutes.

This step is just like thickening.

You'll absolutely love how thick this soup is when the flour is mixed with the butter and oil, preventing it from feeling too watery when you eat it.

Of course, you can also add a little white wine and hot broth.

Then, place a spoon against the bottom of the pot and stir carefully to make sure no ingredients are stuck.

Obviously, there are no strict rules for the selection of ingredients for onion soup, just like for Provencal stew!

I can not eat beef?

Then use chicken stock instead.

Like to eat vegetarian food?

It’s just as delicious if you use mushroom broth!

……

To this step.

Cai Bo Chaoyang can finally cover the pot and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.

This process will allow the flavors of the ingredients to blend better, but you must come back and check and stir every once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.

Finally, once 30 minutes have passed, you can prepare to serve it in a bowl to complete the final step.

As we all know, the best part of French onion soup is the delicious crispy crust.

After tearing a few small pieces of French bread by hand, he put them in the oven and baked them at a low temperature until they were soft and no longer moist. At the same time, Cai Bo Chaoyang also tried to make the bread into the size of the opening of the baking dish so that the bread could stick perfectly to the sides of the dish.

Moreover, it is served with not only bread but also cheese.

He used Parmesan and Gruyère, strong cheeses that weren’t overpowering.

It is important to note that you should avoid cheeses with a slightly smelly taste, such as Brie or Camembert.

Otherwise it will change the original taste of the whole pot of soup. Now just wait for the cheese to start bubbling and bake until it turns slightly brown, and everything is done.

……

"As expected of a late night cook."

“Whether it’s the ingredients or the cooking method, French onion soup can be said to have a set of standard procedures.”

“So the key here, besides the well-known caramelized onions…”

“It all depends on the quality of the broth!”

"what?"

"Wait, caramelized onions...yeah, that's the key point!"

Kadozaki Taki stared at Caibo Chaoyang opposite him for a few seconds, and finally tried hard to recall in his mind the process of how he made the onion soup, and he vaguely thought of something.

Yup!

Caramelized onions, the key!

The "caramelized onions" we usually refer to are actually the product of the caramelization and Menard browning reactions of onions.

Simply put, caramelized onions are made by heating onions so that the proteins and sugars in the onions slowly turn into a brown substance.

This process involves two stages:

Water discharge and browning.

Because onions contain more than 70% water, they will "sweat" first.

After the cells burst, water comes out and the onion becomes soft. If heated continuously, the sugar and protein in the cells begin to decompose and produce dark brown substances, and the color of the onion changes from yellow-white to brown.

The richness, complexity, and depth of flavor of onion soup all come from caramelized onions.

But making perfect caramelized onions is not easy.

fire!

too big.

Not only is it difficult to control, but it is also very likely that the outer layer of the onion will start to burn before the substances in the onion cells have time to be released.

This kind of "burnt" onion is definitely not the caramelized onion we want.

So you have to cook it slowly over medium-low heat to allow the onions to brown slowly.

To what extent?

How long does the whole process take?

On these issues, many people may think that the darker the browning, the better, but this is not the case!

If onions brown too much, they run the risk of becoming bitter.

All in all.

As both sides finished cooking, the meal gradually came to an end.

Whether it was Kikuchi or Kadozaki, they all began to realize the terrifying nature of Saiba Chaoyang.

……

In France, only by visiting Provence can you understand where the leisurely spirit that is deeply rooted in the bones of the French people comes from?

The movie "Summer in Provence" says: Parisians don't understand the passage of time. They get up during the day and sleep at night.

In Provence, the morning light is blue, the sun is scorching at noon, and the curve of the Alps can be seen in the distance at night. Only from this can you feel the passage of time and the changing of the seasons.

When the Provencal stew is served, it looks colorful and appetizing at first glance.

First, the bright colors of the vegetables in the stew catch your eye:

The orange-red color of carrots.

The light yellow color of onions.

The emerald green of bell peppers.

And the bright red of tomatoes.

They penetrate into each other and form a unique color combination.

The stew's broth is an attractive dark brown color, exuding a light sweet aroma and rich meaty flavor.

After a long period of processing, the meat has become tender and juicy, and you can feel the smooth texture with a light pinch. The vegetables retain their original crispness, forming a sharp contrast with the taste of the meat.

With every bite, you can taste the unique flavors brought by different ingredients, which is endless aftertaste!

“I’m a little disappointed!”

"I thought that as a former Totsuki graduate, even making a Provencal stew would make me..."

Before he finished speaking, Cai Bo Chaoyang shook his head.

In his mind, perhaps the evaluation of this Provencal stew dish might not be too bad, but it was not as amazing as he imagined!

……

After the rest.

His onion soup was also served.

Under the light, the whole dish exudes an attractive color.

The light golden color is tinged with a subtle orange-red, which is the natural color released by the onions after careful cooking. It is like the afterglow of an autumn sunset, warm and charming.

As I got closer to the soup bowl, a rich onion aroma hit my nose.

This aroma is different from the spicy smell of raw onions. Instead, it becomes mellow after stewing, with a sweet and delicious taste.

A light sniff is like being in an onion field, surrounded by the rich aroma. Then stir it slightly, the onion shreds in the soup blend perfectly with the soup, forming a dense and smooth taste.

With every bite, you can also feel the richness of onions and the richness of the soup.

They interweave into rich layers on the tip of the tongue, and in addition to the deliciousness of onions, this thick soup is also infused with the fragrance of cream and the subtle seasoning of spices.

The addition of cream makes the soup more mellow and also adds a smooth taste to the aroma of onions.

The spices cleverly enhance the overall flavor, making this onion soup more distinctive.

"This……"

“Is this really onion soup?”

He swallowed, and Kikuchi Engo's eyes widened.

She could feel the chef’s ingenuity and respect for ingredients from this dish, and every bite was the ultimate care for her taste buds!