After that, Nakiri Mana also walked into the Izakaya.
And seeing that the newcomer was Mana, Sosuke then realized that she and Anne had arrived at the Izakaya early, but probably bumped into Erina, which was why they hadn't appeared until now.
"Sosuke."
"I… I want…"
As soon as she entered, Nakiri Mana spotted Sosuke, and her eyes suddenly became fervent.
Even before coming to the Izakaya, she had been almost driven crazy by her cravings.
Plus, she had just tasted Mujiuzhi's confit duck leg and was so disgusted she vomited, and that painful feeling made her crave Sosuke's cooking even more.
From her eyes, Sosuke not only read that fervor but also desire, deep affection, pain…
"Please wait, I'll cure your food addiction very soon."
With that, Sosuke could only prepare the ingredients and start cooking under everyone's gaze.
…
Lettuce!
King Oyster Mushrooms!
Shiitake Mushrooms!
Bell Peppers!
Dried Tofu Skin!
Black Fungus!
Corn!
carrot!
In short, all the ingredients prepared were vegetables.
Then, the black fungus, dried Tofu skin, and shiitake mushrooms were soaked in advance, and the corn was cut into kernels.
The wok was placed over high heat, oil was added and heated to 80% hot.
Garlic was added to sauté until fragrant, then shiitake mushrooms and black fungus were added to the wok and stir-fried with the garlic until fragrant. Then, bamboo shoots were shredded, and black fungus was torn into small pieces.
sauce, pepper, and cornstarch were mixed with water to make a cornstarch slurry.
Then, the prepared dried Tofu, dried Tofu skin, and lettuce were added and stir-fried together.
Finally, all ingredients except fat choy were added to the wok and stir-fried.
sauce, minced ginger, sugar, rice wine, and fresh broth were added as seasonings and stirred evenly.
Lastly, fat choy was added, and the prepared cornstarch slurry was poured in. Once the sauce thickened, it was ready to be served.
"This… what kind of dish is this?"
"How come there's no meat ingredient at all?"
At this moment, Anne's eyes widened as she looked at the freshly prepared Lohan's Delight.
Even as a WGO First-Class Executive Officer, with extensive knowledge, she couldn't immediately discern the true nature of this dish.
"Lohan's Delight, as you can see, it's a vegetarian dish."
"However, even though it's made entirely of vegetarian ingredients, it tastes like meat."
Sosuke explained.
"Meat flavor?"
Upon hearing this, Anne immediately understood.
In many temples, there are often dishes where beans are used to substitute meat. Therefore, the idea of making a meat flavor from vegetables isn't particularly novel.
Moreover, sometimes due to the preciousness of ingredients, some chefs would look for substitutes, for example:
Crab roe!
Now, much cheaper eggs can be used to make dishes that taste especially like crab roe.
However, in her impression, so-called vegetarian dishes were often bland and uninspired.
Could a dish made entirely of vegetables truly satisfy Nakiri Mana's God Tongue?
…
Orange carrot.
Green lettuce.
Black black fungus.
Orange-yellow bell pepper.
Yellow corn.
Although at first glance, all the ingredients used were indeed vegetables,
When various vegetables were put on one plate, the artistic appeal was very vibrant, making it a beautiful sight to behold!
So, the famished Nakiri Mana.
Did not speak the entire time, but instead eagerly began to taste it.
Upon entry, the soft, delicate winter bamboo shoots met the deep, rich winter mushrooms, immediately sparking a delicious sensation.
The winter bamboo shoots were refreshing and crisp in texture; the winter mushrooms, another vegetable ingredient, were rich in flavor, tender and juicy, accompanied by precise and perfect cooking…
With just one bite, a "crunch, crunch" sound could be heard.
That was the winter bamboo shoots singing in her mouth, followed by the gushing fresh juice of the winter mushrooms.
Soon, Nakiri Mana was already pleasantly surprised to find that the winter mushrooms, slowly chewed in her mouth, were silently absorbing the essence of the bamboo shoots.
And it alternated between tenderness and crispness, with an exquisite taste!
…
"Hmm?"
"This vegetarian dish…"
"Although all the ingredients used are vegetables, it tastes incredibly refreshing."
"The four distinct taste experiences of freshness, tenderness, clarity, and aroma make it uniquely flavorful, and even my God Tongue…"
"Huh?"
"What's going on?"
"I think I tasted beef."
"No, is my God Tongue malfunctioning? I can't even distinguish the taste of vegetables."
As she ate, Nakiri Mana was secretly shocked.
"King Oyster Mushrooms, when sliced and stir-fried, naturally resemble meat ingredients."
"And with careful preparation, the texture also becomes similar."
"In other words, the illusion of a meaty flavor you're experiencing is actually due to the King Oyster Mushrooms and starch."
"You just need to steam the King Oyster Mushrooms for 15 minutes, let them cool, and cut them into thin strips!"
"Then, heat oil in a pan, add Sichuan peppercorns, chili, and minced garlic to sauté until fragrant, then add the King Oyster Mushrooms and stir-fry. When stir-frying, the King Oyster Mushrooms will release water, so slowly continue stir-frying until they dry out."
"Once most of the internal moisture has evaporated, add an appropriate amount of light sauce, dark sauce, cumin powder, and sesame seeds, and stir-fry evenly."
"Finally, thicken with cornstarch."
"This way, it will have a taste and quality similar to beef."
Sosuke continued.
"So that's how it is."
"For an ordinary chef, even attempting such a trick would still not be able to deceive the power of the God Tongue."
Nakiri Mana couldn't help but sigh with emotion after hearing this.
The facts had already proven that even without those miraculous special dishes like Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain or Comet Fried Rice,
Just using some ordinary ingredients to make ordinary meals, Sosuke could still satisfy…
The God Tongue!
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