Chapter 793: Chapter 792: The Cuttlefish Roe that Calls to the Ocean

“Contestant A990?”

Zhao Qi stepped onto the stage and placed two trays on the inspection table. The female emcee said with surprise next to him, “You’ve brought up two totally different exquisite dishes in just one hour? Wow!”

“Pretty impressive!”

Hearing the female emcee’s praise, Zhao Qi forced a smile that looked uglier than crying, “Actually…”

He was about to explain, but then Judge Mu Nanzhi gestured to stop him.

The balding middle-aged gourmet, hands crossed, chin resting on his hands, scrutinized the food on the two trays with a discerning eye.

“What’s in here?”

Mu Nanzhi raised his hand toward a plate on one of the trays.

The plate, pure white and plain with a cover on top.

The three judges at the table could distinctly smell the seafood fragrance pouring out from the gaps of the lid.

Hearing this, Zhao Qi was taken aback, a hint of unspeakable joy surfacing in his eyes.

That plate contained his culinary creation!

Zhao Qi immediately understood that his dish, in terms of attraction, surpassed the sealed pot next to it.

“This is my work—”

Zhao Qi smiled slightly, the surprise in his eyes transforming into a strong confidence.

“Is that so?”

Mu Nanzhi nodded, about to lift the cover off the plate. As he reached out, he abruptly realized he wasn’t the head judge.

However, seated beside him, Head Judge Xu Liuyue suddenly fell quiet.

With that thought, Mu Nanzhi glanced over curiously and saw Xu Liuyue looking intently at a spot in the venue. Following her gaze, he saw the back of a young man who had chosen to leave the stage quietly and unnoticed.

Mu Nanzhi couldn’t help but scoff, “Chef Xu, don’t worry about it. Every year there are countless contestants who fade away without a stir, not everyone is cut out to make a stunning debut.”

Xu Liuyue withdrew her gaze, her eyelashes fluttering, and smiled resignedly, “It’s not that.”

She didn’t elaborate further; having accepted the official invitation to be a judge, she had her responsibilities and couldn’t possibly act like those star-chasing girls, screaming and running after her idol for a photo.

Yes, Xu Liuyue was certain she hadn’t misrecognized the person. It was him! That…

Click!

The cover of Zhao Qi’s culinary plate was lifted.

The seemingly large plate only had a bowl-sized portion of “grain pasta” at its center.

Compared to Yang Man’s colorful, childish approach, Zhao Qi’s dish was simpler, adorned solely with a fresh sprig of parsley in the middle for a touch of green.

The cover-lifter Xu Liuyue, amidst the influx of seafood aroma, opened her eyes wide in surprise, “Seafood flavored grain pasta?”

Zhao Qi served a little of the dish into three small bowls for each judge—just a few spoonfuls.

But the seemingly meager portion of grain pasta in the bowl held an unbelievably profound aroma that filled the nostrils.

Mu Nanzhi took half a spoonful and was taken aback, “The style of Western cuisine, the freshness is highlighted exceedingly well!”

The second male judge, Chen Zhen, was chewing.

The softened pasta released a strange and wondrous flavor as it was crushed and ground by his teeth.

The flavors were complex.

The aroma of white wine, garlic, chili, parsley, and other seasonings, but as Mu Nanzhi had pointed out, the seafood flavor was the main theme, with Chen Zhen tasting the rich broth made from clam and prawn heads and shells.

The intricate flavors, bursting in their mouths, were not chaotic but instead bestowed upon the judges a sense of depth.

That sensation…

Was like freely swimming in the deep sea, unrestrained.

From this taste structure, the judges also discerned Zhao Qi’s personal culinary philosophy and his passion for cooking.

Xu Liuyue finished her bowl of seafood grain pasta, bite by bite, and exclaimed, “Many people dislike eating prawn heads and usually discard them when eating shrimp. Actually, prawn heads are extremely delicious, especially for making soup—they’re rich and savory!”

“But, if prawn heads are an ingredient, then there are ways to prepare them.” She looked at Zhao Qi, “Your handling of prawn shells and heads was very clever, first sautéing ginger shavings and minced garlic in fat until golden, producing red oil, and then stopping the heat.”

“After that, pour clear water into a pot along with shrimp heads and shells to simmer. Remember to skim off the foam after the water boils.”

“Bring to a boil over high heat until the soup thickens and turns whitish; then remove and discard the shrimp heads and shells, filter the broth, and you have what could be described as a flavor bomb of shrimp soup, all done!”

Having said that, Xu Liuyue smiled and paused.

Mu Nanzhi said, “The shrimp soup is one thing, the clam juice is another masterpiece that must be mentioned!”

“Cuttlefish roe!”

Chen Zhen chimed in, “I can taste cuttlefish roe!”

Zhao Qi calmly replied, “Yes, while plating, I deliberately used cuttlefish roe, a local specialty from Treasure Island Donggang. I took a piece and sprinkled some small granules, like grated cheese, as the final finishing touch.”

Cuttlefish roe, known as one of the world’s three greatest delicacies in Neon cuisine.

In fact, cuttlefish roe is the roe of female cuttlefish. It undergoes a complex process of washing, salting, sun-drying, and air-drying to be made, and its rarity makes it precious.

“The most classic way to eat cuttlefish roe is to bake it and eat it directly. I borrowed this method, ground the roe, and mixed it with granular flour. The sticky texture of the roe, paired with boiled, softened starch, perfectly complements each other!”

“Next…” Zhao Qi’s eyes suddenly burst with confidence, “Chewing on the cuttlefish roe, the rich briny aroma from the eggs quickly spreads throughout the mouth, blending seamlessly with the shrimp soup and clam juice. The combination of the three forms the base for this ‘Seafood Granule Noodles’!”

“One could say, the cuttlefish roe is the flavor primer that summons the essence of the ocean!”

Applause spread from the judges’ table to all quarters.

The crowd’s applause was resonant.

“So impressive!”

“Who is this young chef? The judges are giving him such a lengthy review, taking up so much space!”

“In a platform like this, with a thousand participants, the longer you’re in the spotlight, doesn’t that mean you’re more outstanding?”

As the judges unanimously raised the “pass” cards, the audience was abuzz with whispers.

“Wait a minute—”

An untimely voice.

Seeing that the judges had turned their attention to him, Zhao Qi pointed to another tray, “There’s another dish here, submitted by kitchen A998… Uh, that guy is supposedly my friend?”

Even he sounded unsure.

“A998 had you submit their work?”

The judges exchanged surprised glances. Including Xu Liuyue, everyone’s brow furrowed, their faces inadvertently expressing a hint of dislike.

“Contestant A998, please come to the stage!” Mu Nanzhi coldly spoke into the microphone.

A hush fell over the entire venue.

Candidates waiting in line for evaluation looked around at each other, confused.

On such a grand stage for selection, there was someone who chose not to make a splash on camera and let a friend submit their dish instead?

It was truly paradigm-shifting.

Mu Nanzhi called out a few times, to no response. Seeing this, Zhao Qi’s mouth twitched, and he muttered, “Did that guy run off so soon? Emergency or…”

“We refuse to evaluate an ownerless work.”

Chen Zhen spoke coldly.

The event emcee hurriedly rushed over, bent down to clear the tray, intending to toss it into some corner.

“Since it’s already on the table, let’s take a look at the dish before deciding if it’s outstanding enough…”

The head judge, Xu Liuyue, raised her hand to stop the emcee, her lips curved into an odd, excited smile. She picked up the sealed clay jar from the tray, shaking it curiously, “Is it supposed to be poured out?”

She glanced at Zhao Qi with slightly widened eyes.

Zhao Qi simply spread his hands, “I have no idea!”

“It must be…”

Xu Liuyue lifted the lid, not looking closely, and held the jar above a bowl on the tray.

Buzz!

Something rolled out and fell into the bowl.

In an instant, the dazzling sparkle that burst forth silenced the entire venue.