食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12] Quotes

“ The seafood is so fresh it is otherworldly! Their rich umami flavors swirl together in my mouth like a whirlpool!
The pike is transcendental fresh, yes? It's tender and fatty and melty sweet!"
"I'm impressed he had the strength to cram this much powerful umami into a single dish! So refined, yet utterly savage. Ryo Kurokiba has reached a new pinnacle!"
"That looks sooo good!"
"But still, do all Japan pike have this much flavor in season?"
"Good point. Not all do.
How did he manage to create this strong of a flavor while using hardly any seasonings?
Hm?
Wait... it's faint, but I smell hints of a refreshing scent. A scent that is not seafood!"
"It is the fragrance of herbs."
"Exactly! I added a pat of this to the dish!"
"Aha!
Herb butter!
Finely chopped herbs and spices are mixed into softened butter...
... and then wrapped up and chilled in the refrigerator for a day to allow the flavors to meld."
"I stuck a pat of homemade herb butter into each wrap right before I put 'em in the oven. Baking on low heat made the butter melt slowly...
... allowing its richness to seep into every nook and cranny of the entire dish!"
Both flavor and fragrance have the punch of an exploding warhead! What an impeccably violent dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“I see prawns, mussels... a whole host of seafood!"
"Don't forget the perfectly ripe tomatoes and the bottle of olive oil.
Aah, I get it. It seems he is making Acqua Pazza."
ACQUA PAZZA
A local delicacy in Southern Italy...
... Acqua Pazza is a simple yet gourmet dish of poached white fish mixed with a variety of other ingredients.
Traditional ingredients include olive oil, tomatoes and shellfish.
"Compared to many other poached or simmered dishes, it uses relatively few seasonings. Because it's so uncomplicated, the quality of the ingredients themselves comes to the forefront. It's the perfect dish to show off his superhuman eye for selecting fish."
"Not that Acqua Pazza itself is a poor choice...
... but the centerpiece of the dish must still be the pike!
Yet the ingredients he's chosen have distinct flavors that demand attention. Won't simmering them all together drown out the flavor of the fish?"
"True! It would be a waste of an in-season pike to-
Wait..."
"Exactly.
Precisely because it is in season, the pike's flavor won't be drowned out.
Instead, it has the potential to become the base of the entire dish!
It's a recipe only someone with great confidence in their eye for fish could have chosen for this competition.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“What luxury ingredient will it be this year?
Matsutake mushrooms?
"Returning" Skipjack?
Fresh soba?"
"IT'S MACKEREL PIKE!"
"Really? Pike?!"
"Umm... that's kind of a letdown, to be honest. They're such common fish..."
"Not so fast, folks.
It is true that throughout Japanese history, pike was viewed as a common fish that only the peasantry ate. But recently, high-class restaurants have begun serving it...
... and it now appears on the menus of restaurants across the world. It has become an unspoken representative of the Fall Fishing Season.
A dish that uses pike in some way...
... is the theme for the final round of this year's Fall Classic!"
"Mmm, pike! The first thing that springs to mind is yummy salt-grilled pike!
The crispy skin... the hot, succulent meat... the savory smell of its juices...
A dollop of grated daikon radish on top, and it's yum, yum, yum!"
"It's been showing up on sushi menus recently too. That's a general ingredient for you. You can do tons of stuff with it."
"As you all know, pike can be used in a wide variety of dishes. But strangely enough, this one ingredient...
... has connections to all three of our contestants.
A pike..
... with its fatty meat is known for its robust fragrance.
It is a prized ingredient in seafood dishes across the world.
And it has a long history of use in what is viewed as common cuisine!"
"Oho! It has facets that appeal to all three chefs."
"That means it's an ingredient that can play to each of their strengths!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“I thought Hayama's talent lay in the mixing of varied exotic spices to create the perfect fragrance."
"No, his skill is in manipulating fragrance itself. He can do more than just add more spices into his recipes.
In fact, this time he subtracted spices instead. In so doing, he accentuated the freshness and flavor of the in-season pike."
"Uh, I get that much, but, like, how did he manage to get that rich of a fragrance with only one spice?
His dish's impact was on par with Ryo's!"
"Yes! Just searing not give that punch. It is inconceivable!"
"I used kaeshi sauce.
Right before serving, I brushed a thin layer of kaeshi onto the fish slices."
"Kaeshi? Does he mean the ramen soup base?!"
"Kaeshi was mentioned during the Ramen Bout in the Quarterfinals, yes. It seems this time it is being used in a purely Japanese fashion."
"Kaeshi? Like Tsubame-Gaeshi Sword Cut, yes? Kojiro Sasaki Swallow Cut!"
"I'm surprised you're familiar with that sword technique. But no, this is different.
Kaeshi is a mixture of soy sauce, mirin and sake.
It is most often diluted with dashi stock to go with noodles.
It is considered an all-purpose seasoning that can be used in almost any Japanese dish."
"No wonder! Fish meat generally does not brown easily, even when using the high, focused heat of a blowtorch.
But the sugars present in kaeshi make that easier!
It also prevents the heating time from dragging out too long and ruining the freshness of the fish. "
"The fatty acids of the fish mix with the sugars in the kaeshi. Add heat and they will sizzle and boil.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“ So luscious! The dressing is extra-virgin olive oil and wine vinegar exquisitely melded with pureed pike liver.
The rich, full-bodied flavor of the liver seeps into the tongue, gracefully underscoring the mild sweetness of the fatty meat. I feel like I'm drowning in a tidal wave of flavor and fragrance!
Unbelievable!
How many spices must he have mixed to-"
"No. The spice used in this dish...
... is allspice alone."
"What?!"
"I thought Hayama's talent lay in the mixing of varied exotic spices to create the perfect fragrance."
"No, his skill is in manipulating fragrance itself.
He can do more than just add more spices into his recipes.
In fact, this time he subtracted spices instead.
In so doing, he accentuated the freshness and flavor of the in-season pike.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“Mmm, pike! The first thing that springs to mind is yummy salt-grilled pike!
The crispy skin... the hot, succulent meat... the savory smell of its juices...
A dollop of grated daikon radish on top, and it's yum, yum, yum!"
"It's been showing up on sushi menus recently too. That's a general ingredient for you. You can do tons of stuff with it."
"As you all know, pike can be used in a wide variety of dishes. But strangely enough, this one ingredient...
... has connections to all three of our contestants.
A pike..
... with its fatty meat is known for itsrobust fragrance.
It is a prized ingredient in seafooddishes across the world.
And it has a long history of use in what is viewed as common cuisine!"
"Oho! It has facets that appeal to all three chefs."
"That means it's an ingredient that can play to each of their strengths!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“He carefully grilled the pike over an open charcoal brazier before steaming it together with the rice! Detailed touches like this give the fish a richer flavor and fragrance, which then soaks into the rice!
The pike itself is extraordinary! The first touch on the tongue is a strong salty flavor, but hidden underneath is a deep umami undercurrent with a fluffy, savory fragrance that spreads through the mouth with every bite!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“What an exquisite pike recipe. It was stunning from the very beginning, with the beautiful vision of its chef striding through the silvered moonlight to present his dish. The plating and presentation showed a thorough grasp of modern cooking trends, an important skill for all chefs. Given how the entire crowd was leaning forward in their seats, I can only say that his plan to draw attention to himself and away from his competitors was a rousing success. Most Acqua Pazza recipes involve anchovies in some fashion, but as his used herb butter, he wisely omitted them. Had both ingredients been included, their flavors would have clashed, muddying the overall taste of the dish. That herb butter, in fact, was the keystone upon which the whole dish rested. The butter's mellowness melded with the strong-tasting juices of each individual ingredient, underscoring them with a common flavor and tying them together, while the refreshing scent of the herbs kept the powerful impact of the dish's flavor from lingering too long on the tongue, making it instead a sharp and quick jab. That in turn masterfully accentuated the strong fragrance of the in-season pike. Both the herb butter and the heat-resistant film worked in perfect harmony for the sole purpose of emphasizing the deliciousness of the chosen pike...”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]