The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 86

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 86. Breaking Common Sense
‘This is interesting material.’
I tapped lightly on the cutting board, quickly assessing the ingredient’s condition.
The surface had hardened like stone after long periods of drying and aging.
Inside was packed with thick beast bones and condensed fat.
My analysis was complete in an instant.
‘Compared to the orc and troll hind legs I hunted during the Apocalypse, this is remarkably tender.’
Those desperate days of survival when food was scarce, squeezing every nutrient from a monster’s single bone joint and every drop of marrow to brew my stew.
Compared to then, this mere pork hind leg bone was simply an excellent and precious source of protein.
I placed the jamon rack onto the cutting board.
Then I heard a voice from beside me.
-Wow, you’re placing that jamon rack up there without any hesitation!
That’s right. The ingredient I received was jamon.
Not jamon that had already been sliced, but rather a raw jamon rack in its whole state.
It was certainly not an easy ingredient to work with.
Even in Spain, jamon’s country of origin, there are specialized experts who carve jamon separately. In other words, handling it itself is difficult.
So was I backing out?
‘Not a chance.’
I went in boldly.
I raised my crude, worn knife high.
-Isn’t that expensive!?
-It is! It’s among the most expensive things ever.
-Wow. But doing that to it!?
The voices of the MC and panelists echoed from a distance.
“Uh, u-uh? What is that person doing right now…!”
“Why are they raising a knife so urgently against jamon?”
The chefs then cried out in shock.
Ignoring them, I brought the raised knife down.
Crash! Bang!
Crack! Crunch!
“C-crazy!”
Premium Iberico jamon worth at least several million won.
I smashed its bones to pieces with the flat of my blade.
Delicate carving?
I had no need for such luxury.
‘In the end, what matters is serving proper food with the ingredients I have, right?’
What lay before me was simply an ingredient.
Precious, yes, but soon to be cooked by my hands.
Because of that, I had no hesitation whatsoever.
I sorted the smashed jamon’s bones, fat, and the meat I’d cut into large chunks.
I mercilessly poured the jamon bones—the heart of the ingredient—into the massive pot.
[Activating skill 【Ingredient Enhancement】.]
[Skill 【Heat Control (Lv.Max)】 triggers.]
[Drawing the ingredient’s potential to its absolute limit.]
Whoooosh!
Intense flames wrapped around the pot as it began boiling fiercely.
From the dry-aged jamon bones, a rich, milky broth poured out like madness.
I lifted another pan beside it with a sharp motion.
‘The main ingredient just needs to be jamon. There’s no rule against using other ingredients.’
Pork bone broth went into the pan beside it.
A milky broth rose up in an instant.
The chefs who saw this stopped cooking and erupted in chaos.
“Are you… are you boiling that precious jamon in water?”
“You’re smashing the bones like that to make broth? Do you know how much that costs!”
“Insane! Such precious material…!”
“That’s sacrilege to the ingredients!”
Ern Kim was the first to gasp in horror, clutching his head.
Watching premium Western ingredients worth millions of won being handled in such a crude manner!
‘Yes! This is gold! Pure gold!’
PD Leela was delighted, capturing everything on camera.
I continued cooking amid their shock.
* * *
‘The broth will develop perfectly if I adjust it this way.’
But their astonishment didn’t last long.
My hands moved ceaselessly after that.
‘Ratio: pork broth two parts, jamon broth one part. Absolutely no added salt. It’s already salty.’
Jamon itself carries a strong salinity.
I could season it perfectly with that alone.
Leaving the pot bubbling behind me.
I placed jamon fat onto the cutting board.
‘Time to slice.’
Tap-tap. Tap.
I diced it finely. Very finely.
I threw the diced fat into the heated pan.
Sizzzzle—
Slowly over low heat.
‘Now’s the moment!’
Shhhhh—
The jamon fat melted away smoothly, releasing a clear oil.
A rich, concentrated jamon-infused oil.
I strained it through a sieve and set it aside separately.
I had to move forward before it solidified.
‘Now for the next step. I need to build the umami layer.’
Taste is ultimately layers upon layers.
In other words, the more layers stack and accumulate, the deeper and more complex the flavor becomes.
I had to move with purpose.
I poured finely crushed jamon meat fragments into the bubbling, milky broth.
‘Exactly fifteen seconds. I have to time this perfectly.’
Boil it too long and the jamon’s delicate aroma disappears entirely.
…13, 14, 15!
Click.
I killed the heat without hesitation.
Next came the garnish.
Gripping my sturdy kitchen knife, I sliced the whole jamon into paper-thin sheets.
‘A professional carving knife? What’s the point. My blade work is more than enough.’
Whoosh—
The jamon fell away like tissue paper.
Thin slices of jamon.
I picked up the torch above it.
Whoosh!
I lightly charred only the white fat portions.
Controlling the flame carefully, I focused on the char.
The concentrated fat melted and released an explosive meaty aroma that consumed the entire studio.
“Insane. What is that smell?”
“How is that coming from over there?”
Startled voices erupted from where the chefs were stationed.
But my hands were already moving busily.
‘Now to assemble it.’
I laid steaming rice in a rustic stone pot.
I poured the deeply infused broth generously over it.
On top, I heaped the crushed jamon pieces and the torch-charred jamon slices without restraint.
A drizzle of the reserved jamon fat completed the perfect presentation of a soup rice bowl.
‘The final, climactic kick.’
I retrieved a small bottle.
Persimmon vinegar.
Tap. Tap-tap.
Exactly three drops.
I let it fall directly onto the pot without heating.
It captured the heaviness of the fat in an instant.
A perfect touch of acidity that drew out the jamon’s vivid aroma to its absolute peak.
[You have completed the dish 【Bone-Boiled Jamon Special Rice Soup】.]
[Grade: Premium Nourishing Cuisine!]
‘It’s done!’
* * *
‘Now, let’s go.’
All I had to do was bring it to the judges’ table.
I carefully loaded the earthenware pots onto the cart.
That’s when I was about to push it toward the judges’ table.
“I’ve finished!”
At precisely the same moment as me.
Ern Kim, the Michelin two-star owner chef, had also finished cooking and was pushing his cart out.
Standing side by side, Ern Kim’s gaze fixed on my cart.
It was directed at the rustic earthenware pot bubbling away.
His mouth twisted into a sneer.
“Jamon rice soup? It looks like pork rice soup with a scrap of jamon on top. Did you really think this would work? The key is controlling the salt content.”
‘This guy is still the same even with cameras rolling. At least he’s consistent, I suppose?’
I smiled lightly at his sarcasm.
“Well… even if you tried to teach me!”
“I don’t need lessons.”
Instead of answering, I took a quick glance at his cart.
Perfectly seared scallops, an elaborate sauce, and delicately plated caviar dish came into view.
It was a magnificent dish befitting a franchise fine dining establishment.
‘Classic technique.’
But you can only tell the difference when you see them side by side.
Both carts arrived at the judges’ table simultaneously.
“Wow!”
The judges’ eyes widened.
Two dishes with completely opposite visuals had appeared at the same time—it was only natural.
Jang Han-su, who was hosting, grabbed the microphone and raised the energy.
“Wow, you both finished at the exact same time! So, what dishes have you brought?”
“Sous vide egg caviar. It’s one of the classic caviar dishes.”
“Oh. What’s that?”
“It’s a dish where you place caviar on top of an egg cooked sous vide. It looks simple, but you know? The precise texture and temperature are more important than you’d think. Even a slight mistake can lead to overcooking.”
“And if that happens?”
“It loses its flavor. Ha ha.”
“So this one is…!?”
“Delicious, is what I’m saying.”
“Wow. I’m really looking forward to this.”
With heightened energy, Jang Han-su immediately turned to me.
“Now then, this is quite intriguing. What dish is this?”
“Jamon rice soup.”
“Wha—jamon rice soup?”
“Yes!”
“That’s fascinating. Making rice soup with that intensely salty jamon. I can’t even imagine what it would taste like! But then again, Kim Seon-woo’s cooking always transcends the ordinary!”
At the mention of transcending the ordinary, Ern Kim’s smile faded momentarily.
Jang Han-su brushed past it lightly, raising his voice to direct the camera toward himself.
“So, what should we taste first?”
To Jang Han-su’s provocative question, I answered calmly.
“Either way works for me.”
“Same here. The outcome is obvious anyway.”
Ern Kim shot back arrogantly, lifting his chin.
Jang Han-su’s eyes sparkled as he made a suggestion.
“Then how about we settle it fairly with rock-paper-scissors?”
“Ridiculous! How could you use such childish games in a sacred culinary competition!”
“Haha. Well, you’re right.”
“Absolutely not!”
Ern Kim bristled, raising his voice.
At his affected indignation, I let out an inward scoff.
‘So tampering with things in a sacred cooking competition is fine, is it?’
He had no right to say that after blatantly rigging the spinning wheel to sabotage someone else’s ingredients.
‘Though Ern Kim might not even realize that. His pride in cooking itself seems genuine, at least.’
Rather than bicker with him, I extended my hand gracefully.
“Then I’ll defer to you. Please go ahead.”
“Hmph! Yes, as expected! Let me show you what true fine dining excellence looks like.”
Ern Kim’s caviar dish was served first to the judges.
The judges elegantly picked up their forks and tasted the dish.
The moment it entered their mouths, their heads began nodding repeatedly.
“Mm! Excellent. The caviar’s flavor really shines through… Oh, wait—there’s scallop hidden in here?”
“Wow. A surprise. So it’s a slight twist on pure tradition?”
“Haha. Exactly.”
“Wow! The scallop’s tenderness blends perfectly.”
“Truly Michelin two-star!”
“The taste of tradition. Nothing to fault.”
As everyone offered satisfied praise, Ern Kim displayed an arrogant smile, confident in his victory.
“Well, the tasting of this excellent traditional dish is complete! Now then…”
Jang Han-su’s gaze turned toward my cart.
“It’s time for Owner Kim Seon-woo’s ja! mon! rice soup!”
Inside the rustic earthen pot.
Over the bubbling white broth, the jamon fat torched to a char melted away with a glossy sheen that boasted its richness.
That glossy sheen became a salty, weighty aroma.
The scorching heat rode the air and spread ferociously throughout the studio, threatening to consume everything in its path.
“I-I’ll give it a try!”
Lee Sae-rom swallowed hard and picked up her spoon.
Ha-yun and Sonny, as if entranced, scooped up generous portions of broth and brought them to their lips.
“…!”
“Mmm…!”
In that instant, the judges’ eyes widened simultaneously, growing as large as lanterns.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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