Night.
Yukihira Soma, with a dried squid in his mouth.
After experiencing hunger and cold, his mentality finally collapsed!
Who would have thought that Totsuki Academy's land area would be so exaggerated? Just walking from the assessment location all the way to Polar Star Dormitory took several hours!
Finally, he managed to reach Polar Star Dormitory according to the map.
However, he found that this place, unlike the buildings he had seen along the way, looked a bit old and dilapidated.
"So tired!"
"And, is this Polar Star Dormitory?"
Sōma withdrew his gaze and asked with a bitter, helpless smile.
Just then, a chilly wind suddenly blew by, making him feel even more eerie.
So he quickly stepped forward and pressed the doorbell!
"Who is it? Could it be Tadokoro Megumi from Room 302, back from outside?"
Soon, an older voice came from inside, and then the door slowly opened, with a head peeking out slightly.
Out of the corner of her eye, Oomido Fumio, the dorm manager, saw that the person ringing the doorbell was not Tadokoro Megumi, but a red-haired young man. She couldn't help but be stunned for a few moments.
"Excuse me."
"Is this Polar Star Dormitory?"
Sōma scratched the back of his head, somewhat at a loss.
"Hmm!"
"And you are?"
Fumio frowned, then suddenly slapped her head.
"Oh, my memory! You're Yukihira Soma, the transfer student who wants to stay here, right?"
"First, let me introduce myself. I'm Oomido Fumio, the dorm manager here. Of course, you can call me Polar Star Dormitory's Holy Mother, or you can call me Old Lady Fumio..."
"Polar Star Dormitory's Holy Mother?"
Upon hearing this, Sōma felt embarrassed.
He suddenly had a bad premonition, always feeling that he might have come to a very strange place!
"Are all the ingredients ready?"
"Ready for what?"
Sōma's expression turned to confusion.
"Don't you know that every student who wants to move into Polar Star Dormitory must first undergo an admission trial?"
Looking at Yukihira Soma, who seemed genuinely unaware, Fumio put her hands on her hips and continued without ceremony: "If you can't show me your cooking skills, then you won't step foot into this dorm!"
"And if you can't complete the trial, you'll have to sleep outdoors, so..."
"How interesting."
"Then, may I borrow your kitchen?"
"I truly had no idea about this admission trial."
"But since there's such an assessment condition, then naturally I must perform well and earn your approval with my cooking!"
Finally, Sōma's lips curved slightly, and he said to Oomido Fumio with a sharp gaze.
"Hmm?"
Fumio was stunned when she saw this!
...
Before cooking a dish.
We must try to recognize it, understand it; this is the foundation of deliciousness!
After all, for a single recipe, the taste produced by each chef can vary greatly. Of course, this doesn't mean there's a problem with the recipe, but rather that chefs' habits, techniques, and so on will have deviations.
Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is noticeably below the rice grains, then reduce to low heat and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
Keep it uncovered throughout the process. After 10 minutes, insert the clams, then sequentially add the squid, mussels, shrimp, and tiger prawns.
Pay attention to how the seafood is added: both clams and mussels must be inserted upright, only then will the delicious juices steam out and flow into the rice.
Then, since squid is more heat-resistant than shrimp, place it at the bottom, and lay the shrimp and tiger prawns on top, where they will receive less heat.
Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 6 minutes.
The reason for 6 minutes is that at approximately 2 minutes, the lid will become hot, initiating steaming; at 5 minutes, the tiger prawns' skin will turn red.
Generally speaking, seafood should not be heated continuously for more than 3 minutes to keep it tender and fresh.
Simmering for an extra minute here is to allow more sweet juices from the seafood to flow into the rice, making the flavor of the entire pot of rice leap.
Finally, while the seafood is simmering, pick off the parsley leaves and chop them.
Serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and slice two lemons. The aroma alone is incredibly fragrant!
...
The Valencia Paella on the table was steaming.
The saffron-infused rice, illuminated by the light, presented a beautiful golden color, lightly spread across the plate, carrying a subtle fragrance.
At the same time, the surface of the Valencia Paella was covered with mussels, oysters, fresh shrimp, and lobster tails. The sweet and fresh flavors of various seafood had directly permeated every grain of rice; one could feel that it was all the taste of the ocean!
At this moment, just one glance was enough to deeply feel that the Valencia Paella made by Sosuke possessed a kind of boundless creativity.
He was like an omnipotent creator, blending various seafood and rice to create this fragrant plate of Valencia Paella!
"What?"
"This... is this still the Valencia Paella I remember?"
Kakizaki Taki couldn't help but exclaim in surprise after a single glance.
Even without truly tasting it yet, she could deeply sense from the appearance of this dish that a cuisine capable of changing the entire Western cuisine might just be about to arrive!
Delicious and crisp squid.
Refreshing and tender white shrimp.
Soft and sweet mussels.
Rich and succulent clams.
Crisp and chewy kelp.
...
These seafood ingredients, each with distinct colors and flavors.
They were presented in a bright ceramic plate, layered with the soft, glutinous rice, blending together, giving one an urge to feast heartily!
"Here."
"And here's a wine unique to the Valencia region for you."
"It will be even more refreshing when paired with the Valencia Paella."
Then, Sosuke placed two glasses of his specially prepared wine in front of Kakizaki Taki and Sonoka.
Perhaps to accompany the esteemed Valencia Paella with a perfectly complementing drink, they even invented a beverage made from sugar, orange juice, and Cointreau, aptly named:
Valencia Water.
Kakizaki Taki withdrew her astonished gaze.
Then, she eagerly scooped a mouthful of Valencia Paella with her spoon and ate it.
In a plate of Valencia Paella, the most enticing elements often seem to be the large shrimp, clams, and squid.
However, many people might overlook that the "rice" is the main star. Places that can make Valencia Paella are not necessarily rich in seafood, but rather in rice production.
This principle is similar to why pizza is pizza.
It's not about how many tricks you can play with the toppings, but first, you must have a dough base.
At this moment, with one bite, her mouth was full of seafood flavor.
Then the layers of flavor gradually unfolded in her mouth, like ocean waves repeatedly crashing against the coastline.
Perhaps only rice grains with a firm core, coupled with a layer of crispy crust at the bottom of the pot, possess the authentic texture of Spanish Valencia Paella. Therefore, Kakizaki Taki, who had just swallowed, couldn't help but widen her eyes!
"This... this rice..."
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