Translator: Nox

Chapter 13

13 Royal Cuisine Master (2)

“For a fair competition, both cooks will be provided with the same ingredients.”

The cooking contest was just beginning.

A large fish was placed right in front of Ji-young.

Royal Cuisine Master Jeon Se-ho, standing next to her, also had a similar-sized fish placed before him.

“The cooking time is two gak (approximately 30 minutes). Within that time, you must complete a Royal Cuisine dish using these ingredients.”

Judging by the way things were done, cooking contests seemed to be held frequently in the Royal Kitchen.

Well, whether it was the Joseon era or now, Korea was a country obsessed with tests.

There was no way they wouldn't test the skills of new cooks when selecting them for the Royal Kitchen.

This contest was an extension of that.

However, there was one very big difference this time.

The person judging the contest would be completely different from usual.

‘……He actually followed me all the way here.’

Yeon Ji-yeong and Jeon Se-ho, facing each other before the contest, saw Yeonsangun sitting with a smile on his face.

“How could I miss such an interesting spectacle?Sitting next to him was Yoon Nae-gwan, the Provision officer of the Court Provision Department.

The practical manager in charge of the miscellaneous administrative affairs of the Royal Kitchen.

And sitting on the opposite side was Seong Hui-an, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, with a cold face that seemed impenetrable.

‘Why is that rigid nobleman here……?’

Why that man had to be here of all people, but after a moment's thought, it was understandable.

The Royal Kitchen belonged to the Court Provision Department, which in turn belonged to the Ministry of Personnel.

It wasn't unreasonable for Vice Minister Seong Hui-an to be present at this event.

So, the judges of this cooking competition were Yeonsangun, Provision officer Yoon Nae-gwan of the Court Provision Department, and Vice Minister Seong Hui-an of the Ministry of Personnel.

“Now then, let the Royal Kitchen’s cooking contest begin.With Yoon Nae-gwan's clear voice, the sound of the gong signaling the start of the cooking filled the Royal Kitchen.

Ji-young quickly examined the fish in front of her.

About the size of two palms,

With dark bluish-gray scales on its back and a prominent bright silver belly.

‘A mullet! A regular on the ancestral rites and banquet tables of the Joseon Dynasty, and a representative fish that often appeared on the Royal Cuisine Table.That's why the Chinese characters for mullet are written as 'venerated fish' or 'outstanding fish', wasn't it?

Ji-young was able to recognize the mullet instantly.

She could immediately tell what the Royal Cuisine Master was planning to make with this mullet.

‘If he’s the grandson of Jeon Sun-ui, the author of <Sanga Yorok>, he’ll definitely use the recipe from that book.’

For Ji-young, a modern person who knew all the recipes in that book, it wasn't difficult to predict what it would be.

‘He’s definitely going to prepare Fish Dumplings!’

Fish Dumplings.

The finest Joseon dish, using thinly sliced fish instead of wheat flour for the dumpling skin.

A dish that was served not only on the usual Royal Cuisine Table but also at receptions for foreign envoys, astonishing them with its exquisite technique.

The firm and dense mullet was the perfect ingredient for those Fish Dumplings.

But it was something that couldn't even be attempted without advanced skills.

‘Thinly slicing the fish to the point where it can be used as dumpling skin requires tremendous skill.’

So, in this contest where they had to showcase their best cooking skills, there was no way the opponent wouldn't show off his talent.

As expected.

Ji-young glanced at the next station and saw the Royal Cuisine Master already skillfully removing the bones from the mullet and slicing it so thinly that it was almost transparent.

A unique method of coating the thinly sliced mullet with starch, then filling it with the dumpling filling and wrapping it around like dressing it in fish.

By coating the surface with starch once more and steaming it, the Fish Dumplings were completed.

It was a unique cooking method of Joseon that was rarely found in other countries, so it was a recipe that was often mentioned as a research case among modern culinary researchers.

Ji-young, who had been absentmindedly watching the scene of that recipe being recreated right in front of her, shook her head and regained her composure.

‘Get a grip! I can’t just stand here and watch.’

She had to prove that she had the skills to make a dish that was as good as Fish Dumplings.

She couldn't properly show her skills with a common cooking method like simply grilling or steaming the mullet.

‘I have to show them something they’ve never experienced before!’

It wasn't that Ji-young didn't have any recipes in mind.

In that it used fish to create a unique form, it could be said to be similar to Fish Dumplings.

A specialty of Lyon, a city called the 'Gastronomic Capital' of France.

Quenelle de Brochet.

A French-style fish dumpling dish using 'Brochet' fish caught in the Rhone River, the lifeline of Lyon.

‘It’s a dish that’s known for requiring delicate and precise skills, even among French cuisine.’

So, it was that bewitching dish that frustrated countless culinary school students.

It would be a bit of a struggle without modern cooking tools, but it wasn't impossible if she used the items in the Royal Kitchen well.

Ji-young quickly removed the scales from the mullet and filleted it.

Speed was more important than filleting it precisely and beautifully.

‘I’m going to grind it all up anyway.’

• Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack

After chopping the filleted mullet with a knife on the cutting board, Ji-young brought a stone mortar she found in the corner of the Royal Kitchen and put the chopped mullet in it.

Then, she began to crush the mullet, pressing it down with a wooden pestle.

Before long, her arm ached as if it would fall off, but she couldn't stop grinding until she got the texture she wanted.

‘In a modern restaurant kitchen, this would be easily done with a commercial food processor…….’

How long had she been grinding?

When the fish was crushed to a porridge-like consistency, Ji-young mixed in eggs, milk, and flour, and then put it back into the mortar and crushed it finely.

‘The finer the particles of this dough, the more chewy and elastic the texture will be.’

Ji-young placed the dough on a fine sieve and rubbed it with a spatula as if squeezing it out.

Soon, the dough poured out like silk onto the bowl placed underneath.

‘Now all that’s left is to shape it.’

Ji-young took a little of the dough and shaped it into a large almond shape, turning it with two spoons.

‘If I boil it thoroughly and then brown it on a griddle, it’s done.’

She glanced at the Royal Cuisine Master cooking next to her, and he was also in a situation where he only needed to steam the shaped Fish Dumplings to complete them.

While the quenelles were cooking, it was time to make the sauce.

There was a sauce that went perfectly well with it. That was,

‘……Nantua Sauce.’

An orange-colored sauce named after a small town northeast of Lyon.

The key to that sauce was the unique flavor created by mixing in crayfish.

But there was no way there would be crayfish in this Royal Kitchen now.

‘Then I just have to use something as similar as possible.’

Even if it wasn't exactly the same, if she could recreate a somewhat similar flavor, it would definitely blend in wonderfully.

With that in mind, Ji-young noticed something among the Royal Kitchen ingredients,

Chicken shrimp from the South Sea.

‘It’s an ingredient that tastes somewhere between shrimp and crayfish.’

If she ground the chicken shrimp with its innards, mixed it with milk, and simmered it until creamy, she would be able to recreate the unique flavor of Nantua sauce.

• Sizzle

Ji-young lightly fried the boiled quenelles on a griddle, skillfully placed them on a plate, and generously drizzled the chicken shrimp Nantua sauce over them.

The dish was complete.

[Mullet Quenelles with Chicken Shrimp Nantua Sauce]

“That’s it!”

At that moment, with Yoon Nae-gwan's clear voice, the sound of the gong signaling the end of the cooking echoed throughout the Royal Kitchen.

* * *

“Oh, amazing. Beautiful.”

Before she knew it, two plates were placed side by side in front of where Yeonsangun was sitting.

One was the Mullet Fish Dumplings made by Royal Cuisine Master Jeon Se-ho.

The other was the Mullet Quenelles made by Ji-young.

Yeonsangun's eyes were already faintly shining with anticipation of eating a new dish.

“Then…… I shall first taste the Fish Dumplings made by the Royal Cuisine Master.”

Yeonsangun brought his chopsticks to the Fish Dumplings.

What was already eliciting admiration even before eating was the unique appearance of the paper-thin fish enveloping the contents.

The beautiful shape was secondary; it was a realm that couldn't be imitated without tremendous skill.

‘If the thickness of the fish isn't consistent, the relatively thin parts will burst during the steaming process. So, that perfect shape is impossible without highly skilled craftsmanship.’

Ji-young couldn't help but inwardly marvel at the skill.

There was nothing to criticize in the way the thin fish semi-transparently wrapped around the contents.

Yeonsangun admired the shape for a while, then dipped the Fish Dumplings in mustard vinegar sauce and put them in his mouth.

A moment later,

“Kkeueuheung…….”

A low moan-like sigh escaped.

The thin fish dumpling skin coated with starch, and the dumpling filling tightly wrapped inside, made of minced meat, shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried cucumbers, and mung bean sprouts, burst out all at once, filling his mouth with their juices.

A rich and diverse taste that harmoniously blended together as he chewed.

“Indeed, it is worthy of being called the best dish in Joseon.”

Yeonsangun swallowed the Fish Dumplings with an expression as if he was newly impressed.

Yoon Nae-gwan, the Provision officer with a stern expression next to him, was also diligently munching and checking the condition of the Fish Dumplings.

“The texture of the mullet skin is excellent, and each of the dumpling fillings inside is cooked just right.”

Vice Minister Seong Hui-an of the Ministry of Personnel also slowly savored the taste and nodded.

“The cooking method is accurate and excellent, without deviating even an inch from the rules.”

“Indeed, it is a skill worthy of the Royal Cuisine Master of this country.”

“I am honored.”

Royal Cuisine Master Jeon Se-ho put his hands together and bowed at Yeonsangun's praise.

It was clear that it was a Fish Dumplings of the highest quality.

Ji-young could tell from the faces of the three people who had started evaluating.

‘……But that is only a result within the expected range.’

The food that Yeonsangun would eat from now on would be beyond the imagination allowed by this era and region.

“Next, it is time to taste the dish made by that woman.”

Yeonsangun picked up a piece of the Mullet Quenelles dish with light brown chicken shrimp Nantua sauce and looked at it this way and that for a while, as if it was strange.

“Oh, it’s a dish I’ve never seen before. What on earth is this?”

At Yeonsangun's words, Ji-young explained in a clear and calm tone.

“It is a local specialty dish called ‘Quenelle de Brochet’ from a region called the pinnacle of gastronomy even in the West.”

“Que, Quenelle…… Bro……? What?”

Yeonsangun repeated the unfamiliar words that didn't stick to his tongue several times, as if they were strange.

“It is a dish made by mincing mullet, grinding it finely, then shaping it again and cooking it.”

“Heo, that’s a bizarre method.”

Yeonsangun, who had been examining it with his eyes for a while, slowly put a piece of the quenelles with light brown sauce in his mouth.

And the moment he took a bite.

His eyebrows twitched strangely as if convulsing.

“Ooooh! This…… this texture!”

Yeonsangun's fingertips were already trembling.