If the Kung Pao Shrimp Balls from the Autumn Elections were merely a rough shape, then the current rendition of Kung Pao Shrimp Balls had reached an unparalleled level of mastery; both the texture and flavor had seen significant improvements.
A drone in the sky quickly approached, displaying a golden-yellow dish. Besides the shrimp balls, there were also peeled lychees placed beside them, looking incredibly refined.
"The prominent sweet and sour taste, the rich tomato perfectly combined with the fresh fragrance of lychee, and even a hint of orange zest. Because they are all sweet and sour, their combination didn't destroy the flavor profile of the Kung Pao Shrimp Balls; instead, it added three layers of fruity aroma!
To integrate the flavors of so many fruits so perfectly, while still clearly feeling the shrimp flavor, especially the lobster meat—because it's hidden at the deepest part, acting as the final detonator, the impact it creates is exceptionally strong!"
Her voice was filled with shock, and Rantobi's eyes were full of bliss. The rich flavors in her mouth seemed to be battling, a strong sweet and sour taste with a hint of savory and spicy.
"The layers of the Kung Pao sauce are amazing. Each layer of flavor has its own space. You must have added raw scallion and ginger slices when preparing the Kung Pao sauce, and then stir-fried scallion, ginger, and garlic slices in the pot for fragrance.
Separating raw and cooked ingredients brings out the layers. This is a little trick very few people use.
The proportion of tomato juice and lychee was also controlled. The main body is tomato with a hint of lychee fragrance, and the orange flavor as a garnish is also outstanding. It truly is a marvelous creation!"
Terun Shang had already finished the dish. Looking at the empty plate in front of him, he already understood its flavor. He had to admit, this was truly a very creative dish!
"The outer skin is incredibly crispy. You added sesame oil to the starch slurry, right? The numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns burst forth in the mouth. This rich, stimulating umami… there's no mistake, you added lobster shells in here?!
Besides that, there's also the texture of water chestnuts, which makes this dish, which might otherwise be a bit heavy and greasy from being wrapped in shrimp meat, refreshing, and elevates the flavor layers to a new height!"
The last judge spoke with shock. This guy really dared to experiment. If the sweet and sour taste hadn't been prominent enough, the rich umami would have been enough to ruin the dish.
"To be precise, it's lobster shell powder. I also used this during the Autumn Elections. A boy taught me, but last time I added a bit too much. This time, I reduced the amount, making the overall flavor more harmonious," Hoshino Sora explained with a smile.
Besides that, there were other differences. During the Autumn Elections, the lobster meat was the main ingredient, while now, regular shrimp meat was the main ingredient, and he had also added minced fatty meat and chopped water chestnuts.
At that time, because he had just learned this dish and didn't know how to adapt, he thought Kung Pao Shrimp Balls should use large shrimp, so he treated the higher quality lobster meat as an auxiliary ingredient.
This was undoubtedly putting the cart before the horse. Although the final taste was acceptable, it wasn't the peak state of that dish, which was a minor regret.
Now, having a rare opportunity to encounter a similar theme, Hoshino Sora also wanted to try to see how far he could take this dish. Fortunately, the final result was pleasing.
It was evident that he had made great progress during this period.
While he was thinking, a large lobster with unusually rich shell colors slowly ascended from the serving plate, confronting Yumeko Jabami's thick-shelled lobster from afar.
After only a second of silence, the two began to fight.
In the sky, Hoshino Sora's lobster swung its colorful large pincers, quickly attacking Yumeko Jabami's thick-shelled lobster.
At first, the two fought fiercely, but soon, as a seven-colored light emanated from the colorful lobster's claws, the thick-shelled lobster quickly lost its ground.
The defeated thick-shelled lobster did not disappear into points of light; instead, it was eaten by the colorful lobster, with a crunching sound, bringing a phrase to Hoshino Sora's mind out of nowhere:
"Tastes like chicken, crunchy like a cracker."
"Now, announcing the final results."
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was gazing up at the sky, and Yumeko Jabami, who was holding his arm, Rantobi picked up the microphone and began to speak. After waiting so long, it was time to announce the results.
"This match, Hoshino Sora wins!"
As Rantobi's voice fell, the large signboard above Venue A changed. Originally, there was a blank space beneath Hoshino Sora and Yumeko Jabami's names, but with a flash of light,
The numbers "3:0" appeared on it, with Hoshino Sora's name clearly written above the "3," and the "0" falling on Yumeko. Yumeko Jabami was defeated without suspense.
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