The world’s strongest knife sharpener?
Melk!
An image of a hulking man, over 2.5 meters tall, with a full beard and face covered in scars, a fierce expression, but a voice softer than a mosquito, flashed through Hong Yi’s mind.
He was a staff member of the IGO’s 0th Level Garden, an old friend of Chairman Ichiryu.
Although his profession was as a sharpener, he was no pushover in terms of fighting strength, capable of easily capturing Level 55 monsters by himself.
In terms of strength, he was probably no less than a Master-level Gourmet Hunter!
Being able to invite Melk to sharpen his knives, the Mito Meat shop run by Mito Ikume must have something special going on.
Melk gently swung the boning knife sharpened by him a few times.
The icy blade seemed to effortlessly cut through the air, leaving behind a curved, icy-white arc.
“It’s truly a great knife!”
Hong Yi exclaimed in admiration, immediately walking towards the courtyard.
He was already eager to taste Mito Ikume’s meat dishes.
Mito Ikume came to the stove, boning knife in hand, like a changed person.
Looking at the crocodile tail covered in tough scales.
Mito Ikume did not rashly wield the knife.
Instead, she carefully searched for the texture of the crocodile skin.
The next moment.
Mito Ikume’s emerald green pupils focused solely on the Garar crocodile tail, and she abruptly swung her knife.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water, her strokes as if guided by divine hands.
“Whoa!”
The boning knife sliced through, the tough crocodile scales, as hard as metal, were like paper and tofu being cut, revealing the white flesh underneath.
“Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!”
Mito Ikume’s speed increased, the arm holding the boning knife flicked out a blur.
She wasn’t standing still.
This crocodile tail, head and tail removed, was nearly three meters long.
Mito Ikume circled the thick tail, continuously dissecting it, the skin, flesh, and bones were quickly separated, piece after piece of crocodile meat appeared on the stove.
Hong Yi sat on a wooden chair at the entrance, leisurely sipping his soda, looking at the stove.
The pieces of crocodile meat, divided neatly, of uniform size, with a powdery white color, were as bright as jade, exuding a fresh air that seemed perfect for making sashimi, they felt like exquisite crafts, arranged there.
While his stomach was growling, a sense of satisfaction arose in Hong Yi’s heart.
As a Gourmet Hunter.
Successfully capturing the ingredients you want to eat, then bring them back and have your partner—the cook—cook them.
This feeling of happiness.
Hong Yi deeply understood it.
“The part of the crocodile tail near the tail tip is good for grilling and stewing.”
“The middle part, braised would be good too.”
“Then take out a portion and stir-fry it.”
“It’s really worthy of being a Level 5 capture, it’s even more perfect than beef.”
As a meat cuisine master, Mito Ikume was naturally extremely delighted with her first time cooking a Level 5 high-grade meat ingredient, her whole being was fully invested in it.
The stove had three pots, three fierce fires.
Mito Ikume first picked up the large pot for boiling soup, poured in the old soup base she had reserved, and brought it to a boil.
Then she lit another large iron pot.
She poured the washed crocodile skin and the removed crocodile bones into the pot and stir-fried them, then poured in mountain spring water, mixed with the ingredients and the charred layer left behind by the collision between the iron pot and the ingredients, to boil a new broth.
She didn’t stop for a moment.
She also lit charcoal beside the stove and started grilling the crocodile meat.
She was indeed a star-level cook.
Mito Ikume, who had entered a serious mode, was completely immersed in cooking the Garar crocodile.
It was as if she had cast a clone jutsu, the area around the stove was filled with afterimages.
One person, simultaneously carrying out the grilling, stir-frying, braising, and stewing of multiple dishes, was incredibly busy.
A normal chef would have been overwhelmed long ago.
But as an elite student who had gone through the hellish training of Totsuki Culinary Academy, she could still manage it with ease.
You see.
Totsuki Culinary Academy sometimes had training that required cooks to simultaneously prepare dishes to serve dozens, hundreds, or even more people.
In Totsuki Culinary Academy's view.
A qualified and excellent cook must not only be "refined" and "specialized", but also "fast"!
In the age of gourmet food.
There are too many unknown delicacies, too many special ingredients.
Their methods of cooking often require incredibly high culinary skills.
For example, the knife speed needs to be fast enough to remove the venom sac in 0.1 seconds.
For example, you need to perfectly master the heat, with no temperature fluctuation of 1°C before and after.
For example, you need to listen to the sounds of the ingredients, and you can only cook with the ingredients’ approval.
Because of the existence of these special ingredients.
The requirements for chefs in Totsuki Culinary Academy have also become extremely strict, with frequent hellish training.
Thanks to these high-intensity, high-difficulty training.
Mito Ikume could single-handedly handle the cooking of the Garar crocodile’s tail meat, weighing two or three tons, alone!
Half an hour later.
The entire courtyard was filled with the aroma of meat.
Grilled meat aroma, stewed meat aroma, stir-fried meat aroma, intertwined perfectly, making one's mouth water, salivating.
Hong Yi’s stomach was rumbling like a drum.
“Alright!”
“Serving the dishes~”
Mito Ikume wiped the sweat from her forehead and brought out the dishes on plates.
“The first dish, Black Pepper Garar Crocodile Square Meat on a Hot Plate!”
“Since the Garar crocodile’s meat has fat that even high-grade snowflake beef cannot match, grilling it is the most suitable method.”
“You only need to add a little bit of rose salt to bring out the most authentic flavor of the Garar crocodile’s meat!”
Hearing Mito Ikume’s introduction, Hong Yi’s gaze fell on the black hot plate on the tray.
The high-temperature hot plate was still scorching the fat, juicy crocodile meat, a sparkling oil bloom and a “sizzling” sound could be heard between them, undergoing the Maillard reaction all the time, releasing a rich aroma.
Just the first dish.
Had almost captured Hong Yi’s taste buds and stomach.
Damn!
How delicious could it be!!
Hong Yi was already salivating.
Yesterday, he could only slurp instant noodles, nibble on steamed buns, and eat the dark cuisine of the school cafeteria, but today, he could eat star-level beautiful girl chef’s high-level cuisine, specially prepared for him.
“You eat first.”
Mito Ikume handed Hong Yi a pair of chopsticks.
Hong Yi eagerly picked up a piece of square-cut crocodile tail meat, put it in his mouth.
The hot plate maintained the heat of the meat.
Added to the fat far exceeding that of snowflake beef, one bite down, the scalding oil, mixed with the rich meat fragrance, was like a delicious bomb, exploding in Hong Yi’s mouth.
Holy crap!
It’s so delicious, I want to swear!
Worthy of being a Level 5 high-grade meat ingredient.
Even the top A5 Wagyu beef on Earth couldn’t compare.
Hong Yi didn’t know how the Garar crocodile grew such meat.
It couldn’t be described by simple terms like lean and fatty.
This was a perfect combination of fat and lean!
One bite, it had the chewiness and Q-bounce of beef, as well as the fatty softness of pork belly, and it wasn’t greasy at all!!
…
This chapter pairs best with Lao Gan Ma!
Thank you to 【eewewe】for your support!!
Hee hee hee!