Shumai wrappers are quite different from those used for steamed buns. They emphasize being paper-thin, capable of transmitting light, and becoming sparklingly translucent like crystal after steaming.
Because dough work is a fundamental skill, Dylan had previously dedicated a whole month to teaching Nakiri Alice this aspect. Consequently, her skills with dough were already no less than that of an average Third Class Chef.
She made shumai frequently due to its delicious flavour, often experimenting with different fillings every few days, and had developed her own insights into making the wrappers.
If judging solely on wrapper-making skill, Nakiri Alice could confidently puff out her chest and declare she could challenge a First Class Head Chef.
At this moment, the girl added high-gluten flour and warm water to a basin, then added salt and stirred with chopsticks until it formed a shaggy dough before kneading it smooth by hand.
Unlike ordinary chefs who let the dough rest only once, Nakiri Alice adhered to a "three rests, three kneads" method. This process imparted elasticity to the dough, allowing it to be rolled out wide and thin, suitable for wrapping shumai.
After the third kneading, the dough intended for the shumai wrappers was as smooth as a baby's skin. With remarkable speed, Alice rolled it into a long log and divided it into 5-gram portions.
She flattened each portion onto the work surface, rolling it with a rolling pin into a circle about the size of her palm – thin around the edges and relatively thicker in the center. This way, the shumai wouldn't leak from the bottom.
Although just a minor technique, it significantly improved the quality of the shumai. Initially, Nakiri Alice had ruined quite a few shumai by overlooking this detail.
Because of that experience, she always remembered this point whenever making shumai, and leaky shumai were never born from her hands again. It truly goes to show, experience teaches lessons quickly.
Meanwhile, as Nakiri Alice was making the shumai wrappers, Kurokiba Ryou had already finished his dish. Radiating an intense aura, he walked towards Dylan.
"Try it! My Secret Cod Broth Ramen!"
Unceremoniously placing the ramen bowl in front of Dylan, Kurokiba Ryou stared at him, eyes seemingly burning with fierce flames. He clenched his fists, silently awaiting Dylan's evaluation.
"Earlier, when I saw you flaking the cod with forks, I thought you were going to make noodles with a topping, preparing a cod gravy to pour over them."
"But this style is quite good too. The cod fillet is fried to a golden crisp; it looks very appetizing. Additionally, you've added shrimp, crab meat, and roasted mushrooms, which further enhance the dish's flavour."
Looking at the Cod Broth Ramen before him, Dylan picked up a spoon, his expression serious as he observed the rich cod broth in the bowl before bringing it to his lips.
Threads of flavour spread across his tongue, diffusing throughout his entire mouth. Sensing the savoury sweetness of the fish broth, an expression of enjoyment appeared on Dylan's face.
However...
Lifting his head to look at Kurokiba Ryou, Dylan silently put down the spoon.
"This is ramen, correct?"
"That's right! How is my Secret Cod Broth Ramen? Doesn't it make you want to linger, unable to resist eating the whole thing!?"
Seeing Dylan's calm expression, even though Kurokiba Ryou had infinite confidence in his dish, his voice couldn't help but lower slightly at this moment.
He wasn't an idiot; he could naturally see Dylan's ambiguous attitude. So where was the problem? Many customers had praised this dish effusively!
"Regrettably, although the flavour is indeed excellent, this Cod Broth Ramen has a fatal flaw: it's far too oily."
"You must understand, you're making ramen. While simmering a rich broth can fully extract the ingredients' umami, it also, equally, makes the entire pot of soup greasy."
"Although cod's fat content isn't high among fish, you added a large amount of butter and cream during cooking, didn't you?"
"That's right! It makes the soup's flavour richer and pairs excellently with the ramen. Try it again with the noodles, and you'll understand!"
Perhaps thinking Dylan judging after just one sip of soup was too hasty, Kurokiba Ryou urged him anxiously, his voice betraying his eagerness.
"Actually, there's no need to taste further. The aroma drifting in the air already reveals it."
"Now, do as I say. Add vegetables like celery, onion, and carrot to this cod broth of yours to balance the soup's texture and flavour."
"The ratio of soup to vegetables should be 5:1. You added too much butter and cream; without enough vegetables, it's difficult to neutralize the greasiness."
"If you don't believe me, you can take both bowls of ramen outside and let the customers choose which one is more delicious."
Seeing Kurokiba Ryou's eyes flash with anger before calming again, Dylan calmly sipped his tea.
The Cod Broth Ramen before him clearly aimed to push one aspect of flavour to its limit, thereby providing diners with a powerful, impactful taste experience – a typical Western approach.
However, due to imperfectly honed skills, Kurokiba Ryou hadn't balanced this point well, resulting in an exceptionally oily broth.
To remedy such a situation, the only option was to add fresh-tasting vegetables. Otherwise, even if one finished the bowl, they would feel nauseated and lose appetite for any other food.
"Alright, I'll go try it. I hope it's really as you say."
Hearing Dylan's confident words, Kurokiba Ryou fell silent for a few seconds. Realizing he had nothing to lose by trying, he agreed.
If Dylan's suggestion turned out problematic, he wouldn't be the one facing criticism and losing face. Besides, he also felt there might be something wrong with his dish.
Although he was constantly praised, praise doesn't lead to improvement. Returning to his cooking station, Kurokiba Ryou opened the large pot containing the rich broth.
Even though it was a seafood restaurant, there were plenty of fresh vegetables in the kitchen. Ryou thought for a moment and not only added celery, onion, and carrot but also, based on experience, selected a few other vegetables known to reduce richness.
With the addition of several vegetables, the cod broth visibly became fresher. Scooping up a spoonful and tasting it, the flavour was indeed more palatable.
"I see..."
He ladled the improved soup into a large bowl. Then, he put fresh ramen noodles into a pot, cooked them, drained them skillfully with a strainer, and placed them into the bowl, creating ripples in the soup.
He heated oil in a wok and fried a cod fillet until golden brown on both sides, then prepared the other toppings.
Meanwhile, Nakiri Alice had also finished her shumai. Taking them out of the steamer, she skillfully plated the best-looking ones and brought them before Dylan like presenting a precious treasure.
The fish shumai were neatly arranged on the plate. Beneath the sparklingly translucent skin, the perfect fusion of fish meat and pork fat was faintly visible. The colour was enticing, and the aroma assailed the nostrils.
"Brother Dylan, quickly try it!"
The girl's voice was as crisp and clear as tinkling silver bells. As she spoke, she picked up chopsticks and brought a translucent fish shumai to Dylan's lips.
In response, Dylan simply opened his mouth to accept it, a faint smile on his face.
For some reason, Alice had developed a habit of feeding him recently, especially after successfully creating a delicious dish.
Initially, Dylan thought Nakiri Alice wanted him to evaluate the flavour so she could learn from the feedback and improve.
But later he discovered that his evaluations always seemed to leave her disinterested. Only when he said it was "delicious" would her face light up with a smile.
So she just wanted her master's approval!
Having figured this out, Dylan adopted an encouragement-based teaching method.
Simply put: first, praise Nakiri Alice's cooking as delicious, then gently correct any minor issues in the dish.
Thus, Nakiri Alice remained in a highly energized state every day, exceptionally dedicated to cooking, wanting to give him the best possible culinary experience.
Sensing her obvious progress, Dylan inwardly complimented himself on being outstanding, possessing a talent for teaching, completely oblivious to the fact that the way she looked at him was very much amiss.
____________
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