Your POV:
We woke up earlier than usual because Abel had been searching for games for SCP-053, but instead of getting them through a legitimate website, he used some shady forums, downloaded a virus and infected 079's hosting computer by accident. Thankfully it wasn't connected to anything else except for a single television screen, but because Siggurós went away to do something, SCPs had to use more classical methods than reality bending to save their friend and prevent the virus from spreading, which, as it turned out, was a RAT, also known as Remote Access Trojan, giving the attacker full access to the computer.
After a short quarrel, SCP-682 unwillingly agreed to give three of our IT technicians access to his friend's host, and because of his screaming at them to save him faster, almost nobody was able to fall asleep again, and thus most of us decided to get this over with and went to the challenge room, while the IT department slowly removed all the backdoors and reversed the changes done by the virus and the attacker, while also giving Abel a lesson about how not to download things from the Internet.
Forty-five minutes after our anomalous AI regained complete control over the computer, SCP-239 came back and started announcing the next competition:
- Sorry for a small delay everyone, but I had to do something important... - She apologized and began explaining the competition. - Each team shall choose a squad of four, who is going to participate in this cooking competition.
At this point SCP-953 gave me a thumbs up, as the tip from her turned out to be true.
- You will prepare three dishes, and you will have a generous ninety minutes to prepare each one. The first meal is going to be the entrée, another one will be the main course, and the last one is going to be a dessert. Additionally, each dish will be judged by a different person. The maximum amount of points you can score is 3, and every judge is choosing a dish which will get the point. Judged can be quality of the food, taste, texture, serving method and overall appearance. Your first judge is going to be Abel, all ingredients are in the kitchen, good luck everybody! - 239 spoke before teleporting somewhere else once again.
Because we have already chosen our team yesterday, we immediately ran to the kitchen and started thinking about what to prepare. We had one and a half hour for the dish, but at the same time we didn't want to do something, which would take all of our time. After discussing it with Amanda, Diana and Leif, we immediately grabbed the ingredients and started preparing it.
First, me and Leif decided to peel some potatoes, while Diana and Amanda started searching for some wooden skewers. Even though there were almost all possible ingredients, finding the utensils was an absolute nightmare, but ultimately they have found it as we finished peeling and cleaning our potatoes under cold water.
- Alright, what now? - Leif asked before adding: - Are we going to turn them into fries?
- Close. - I responded grabbed a knife. - We need to cut each one of these into rectangles, each one around half an inch thick.
- How much is that in centimetres? - Amanda asked while I answered:
- around 1.3 cm of thickness, we can't be that exact anyways.
We started cutting them, and after that we grabbed the skewers. We put two of them on two longer sides of those potato rectangles, and began making thin slices across them. First we did that the short way on one side, and then on both diagonals on the other side. By using those sticks we made sure not to cut all the way through, as they blocked the knife at an appropriate length of the cut.
After that, we put them into a pot filled with water, and began searching for a good quality meat. After a bit of running, we have found a fridge completely filled with steaks.
- Which one do we take? - Diana asked, while Amanda began analysing them.
- Rib-eye, tenderloin, New York strip, picanha, skirt steak, top round, bottom round... Which one do we choose? - She asked us, completely overwhelmed by the amount of steaks in that fridge. - There is even Japanese wagyu in here!
- Rib-eye maybe? - Leif suggested while Diana denied.
- It is good, but I am not a fan of this fat in the middle. What is this picanha steak?
- A cut of beef very popular in Brazil, but because of the pretty huge fat cap on top, I don't think it is going to fit what we are trying to make. - Amanda responded.
- We could technically just remove it, even though it would make the steak less edible and we would waste it. - I suggested and started looking at a very lean cut. - What about this one?
- Tenderloin? We could cut some filet mignons out of this, and to be frank, I think it would be perfect for us, as it is pretty lean and very tender.
Without any hesitation I grabbed it and brought the whole Tenderloin to the cutting board, where I cut it into around 2 inch, or 5 centimetres thick steaks. Unfortunately due to the lack of time we didn't have time to dry brine them, and thus we had to use our limited time for this. First we covered it generously with salt from all sides, and then added black pepper, in order to keep the seasoning pretty standard.
At the same time Diana brought some room temperature butter, along with thyme, rosemary and garlic, which she has already peeled and smashed a little bit to make it release juices, while Leif brought a cast iron pan.
- How hot does it need to be?
- Put it on the high setting and bring me some avocado oil.
- What about the oven?
- Pre-heat it to around 93 degrees Celsius!
- How much is that in Fahrenheit?
- 200, I think. Oh! And don't forget to add a lot of oil to a frying pot, which you should get to 350 degrees Fahrenheit!
- How much is...
- Around 177 degrees Celsius...
Amanda quickly rushed to find it, while I pre-heated the pan. After some time I have added the oil, and then laid down the steak, while also pressing it down, to allow a full contact with the pan. After around a minute, I flipped it to the other side, in order to do the same thing, while also moving it in circles. After another minute I started flipping it frequently from one side to the other, in order to fully develop the crust, and after some time started rolling it on the sides, to ensure every part looked the same.
As I finished the sides, I reduced the heat and added the butter, along with rosemary, garlic and thyme, and then started basting the filet mignon with it for around ninety seconds, in order to fully develop the flavours, and at the same time slowly start cooking the steak internally from all sides. After that I placed it on a rack, along with a cooking thermometer, and put it into the oven.
- When it reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit, or around 49 degrees Celsius, one of you pull it out, pour the flavoured butter from the pan on it and let it rest for around 5-10 minutes! - I yelled at my team and quickly grabbed the potato accordions, which I threw into the hot oil.
- Do we need anything else?
- Yes Leif, we still need to make the chimichurri. - Diana said and rushed for the ingredients.
- Okay. Diana, you are responsible for the chimichurri, I will take care of those accordions, Amanda and Leif, make sure this steak doesn't overcook!
- Yes chef! - All of them yelled and ran to do their things.
I looked at those accordion fried potatoes, while Diana prepared the chimichurri by mixing together a decent amount of parsley, three cloves of minced garlic, one teaspoon, or around 6 grams of salt, the same amount of red pepper, two tablespoons, or around 30 grams of red cooking wine, and a cup, or around 109 grams of olive oil. After adding the ingredients, she gently mixed them all together, while I pulled out the potatoes when they got to the right colour.
I put them aside on a paper towel for a brief moment in order to remove excess oil, while Leif pulled out the steak. As I looked at the thermometer, I realized Leif and Amanda made a small mistake, as they pulled out the filet mignon at around 133 degrees Fahrenheit, which is approximately 56 degrees Celsius.
- I told you to pull it out at 120 Fahrenheit, not at 133! - I yelled in fear as I realized it could mess up our dish pretty badly.
- 133 is a perfect temperature for medium-rare, did you want it to be rare? - Leif asked while Amanda chuckled:
- He probably wanted to serve it raw to Abel.
- I don't think you understand the situation... - I spoke with disappointment, as I laid the steak aside. - If we were cooking is sous-vide, then you would be right. 133 degrees, maybe one or two less, and then we would give it a quick sear. But when cooking it normally you have to let the steak rest... It will allow the juices to redistribute, but at the same time it will finish cooking the steak internally...
- So... - Amanda got stunned for a second. - We won't get a medium-rare...?
- If everything goes well, we should get a medium steak, which is also pretty tender and juicy.
We poured the flavoured butter on the steak and then let it rest for eight minutes, after which we cut it into not too thin, not too thick pieces. We laid a few of the fried potato accordions on a plate, added a sprinkle of salt, then put a piece of a filet mignon on each accordion, and finally topped it with a little bit of chimichurri, after which our dish was done, and there were two more minutes remaining. It didn't matter though, as the D-class team was also done, and theteams started presenting dishes to the judge.
- I am glad both of your teams finished in the given time, so now I'd love to hear what you prepared to me as an entrée. - Abel said and called us to go first.
- For our dish we are presenting accordion fried potatoes with slices of filet mignon cooked to medium, and topped with chimichurri. - Diana spoke as she gave Abel the plate with our dish.
- Sounds pretty promising, let's see how it tastes... - He responded and took a bite out of the meal. - I am saying this immediately, I am a big fan of your dish. - He spoke which made us smile. - The potatoes are very crispy, and the meat is pretty juicy, I am glad you didn't overcook it. The chimichurri is also pretty good, and I will gladly learn how to make it, but there is one thing I have to complain about... It is a minor problem though... I can taste you cooked this steak on a pan, and then in the oven. I am missing that delicious charcoal and smoke taste...
- There was no other way though, we didn't have a grill to do this... - I tried to explain, while Abel shrugged.
- That's the thing though. You had a grill in that kitchen with a ventilation above that. Sigurrós gave you everything you could have ever used. But that's the only thing I can complain about. Now, let's see how your opponents did... - He said and called a D-class, who presented him with another meal.
- Long time ago there was a movie which taught many of us, that everybody can cook if they want to. As an honour to this movie and its lesson we have prepared a dish called ratatouille. - The D-class spoke with a smile, and presented Abel with a beautifully presented meal. He grabbed a fork and tried the dish, which made him smile widely.
- Our of curiosity, is this a vegetarian or a vegan dish?
- Vegan.
- In that case this is the best vegan dish I have tasted in ages, and that is a huge compliment. The vegetables are delicious, the sauce which you used leaves a really pleasant aftertaste... I don't know... It is hard to decide which is better...
He tried both dishes once again, but still couldn't decide which one should win, as he was a fan of both of them, until finally he made his choice:
- I am going to grant a point to the D-class team. - He spoke which saddened us and excited the enemy team. - Even though I liked both dishes, the presentation of this ratatouille was a bit better, and I am really fond of your motivation to make this. I might even watch the movie soon because of you...
Having said that, he grabbed the remaining plates, stood up and went to sit with other SCPs, while Sigurrós stood up once again.
- One dish done, two more to go. Your main course is going to be judged by Sun Jung!
- I asked you not to use my real name in this competition... - SCP-953 stood up and went to the judging seat, while Sigurrós only shrugged.
- It sounds better than SCP-953 though, am I right? - She spoke and looked at the livestream chat, which confirmed her words.
- Whatever. - Sun Jung spoke mildly annoyed. - For the main course I am giving you only 60 minutes, but you don't have to prepare anything fancy. I want a delicious cow liver cooked to medium-rare. How you prepare it is up to you, but I don't want it to be overcooked. If you cook it to well-done, I promise will shove the dish up your...
- Yeah, yeah, we get it, you don't need to swear in front of the camera... - Siggurós stopped her while some people in the chat went crazy because their favourite SCP has finally shown herself in this show.
- Sorry Sigurrós... - 953 apologized and looked back at us. - Sixty minutes is ticking, hurry up!
We ran back to the kitchen and immediately started looking for a liver while also sharing ideas for how to prepare it.
- Livers with onions? - I asked almost immediately. - It is a classic after all.
- Too simple. - Leif disagreed. - We have lost the first round already, we need something more creative!
- How about we make multiple different livers, and then serve them together? - Amanda asked which made me confused.
- I don't really see a reason to do that, especially after Sun Jung specified that it has to be a cow liver.
- No, no! Like, let's prepare it in four different styles, each one representing one of the tastes: Sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
- Okay, and how are we going to do this? - Diana asked as she finally found the liver and put it in a bowl of milk in order to kill the bitterness.
- For the sweet part, we need to make a sauce from fruits. Y/N, you will be the one who makes it. Try to make it somewhat balanced. Leif, take care of the sour part. Make a sauce based on sour cream and lemons, add whatever you believe is necessary to make it taste good. Diana, take care of the bitterness. Use dark chocolate and make a sauce based on it. I will make the caramelized onions with some balsamic vinegar and salt in order to make it salty. Am I clear?
- Yes chef! - We yelled and ran to create our parts of the dish.
As Amanda started caramelizing the onions and Leif and Diana started making their own sauces, I tried to figure out which fruits should I use for my fruity glaze for the liver. I have decided to use cranberries, strawberries and cherries. I quickly grabbed a good amount of them, removed all the seeds and leaves and then added 1 cup, or 175 grams of the fruits in proportions of 1:1:1, along with a quarter cup, or around 50 grams of sugar, and a quarter cup, or around 60 grams of water, which I brought to a boil and continued gently mixing until I got the consistency of a sauce I wanted.
While I was preparing it, Diana and Leif already finished their sauces, while Amanda was still preparing the caramelized onions. When she saw we were already done, she asked Leif to grab the pan, which we would use to fry the liver. Having pulled it out of the milk, we cut it into thick slices, which we were going to fry until they were cooked, but not overcooked.
When we were done, and the pan was already hot enough, Leif started frying the liver, while I quickly grabbed a plate which we planned to use to serve our dish. We needed to make a proper presentation, so we used a big plate, which we started decorating. First we put three big spoons of my fruit sauce, on which we layered the first pieces of fried liver.
A few inches away to the right we put a few more pieces of the liver, and then covered it with Amanda's caramelized onions, which by this point were already ready. We made sure not to just put them in there, but instead we tried to place them to make the dish look more appetizing. After that, we placed more liver in another corner of the plate, and then used Leif's sour sauce, which we have squeezed gently on the liver cuts to create a beautiful pattern.
In the last corner we decided to place four pieces of the liver, then covered them in the bitter sauce made by Diana, and placed another four pieces on top of it, and quickly grabbed a bottle of red, semi-dry, poured it to a wine glass and served it to 953 along with the liver just before the time ran out.
- Alright... - Sun Jung spoke as she quickly glanced at our dish. - Let's try the wine first...
She took a small sip of the wine and smiled widely, which gave us confidence in our choice.
- Not bad, I will give you some style points for this. Now let's see the dish...
She started trying all of the different flavours along with the liver, and each time she took a bite, she smiled widely, but surprisingly it wasn't a malicious smile, as she was moving her tails left and right while eating.
- Okay, I don't know which one of you came up with this idea, but I absolutely love the way how you served it! So unless the D-class team beats it, I think this point is yours. - She responded happily, as she indicated at the other team to come and serve their liver.
- For our dish we have decided to go with something simple, yet delicious. Fried liver with caramelized onions. - The D-class spoke as she handled the liver to Sun Jung.
- The crust is not looking too good... - She looked at the liver with a slight disappointment before trying the onions. - The onions are absolutely delicious, but I am worried about the liver. Did you cook it sous-vide and then forgot to give it a proper crust? - She asked the D-class team, who was looking at her slightly terrified.
She slowly cut into the liver, and almost immediately her expression began turning from disappointed to angry, and then gradually to completely furious. As we tried to find out what the reason for this was, she immediately started yelling at the opposite team:
- I told you to cook it properly! What the hell is that supposed to be?!
- W-We cooked it like you wanted! - One of the D-class members started explaining himself. - A liver with a little bit of pinkness in it!
- A little bit of pinkness...? A LITTLE BIT?! This liver is raw! It is so fucking raw, that it is still mooing and eating the grass! - She started yelling even louder, which made the chat satisfied, as she threw the liver at the D-class who served it. - If you put some salad on this plate this liver would have eaten it already, that's how raw it is!
She continued yelling at them for around three more minutes, before she finally calmed down a little bit and gave the point to us, before grabbing the plate we have given her, going back to the rest of SCPs and sending the third judge, who came to us while wearing sunglasses.
Those sunglasses weren't there without a reason. Even though she was already a teenager, her anomalous effects haven't stopped, and SCP-053 still had to make sure normal humans didn't look into her eyes or touched her by accident. Slowly she came to the judging seat and spoke calmly and peacefully:
- Okay, so I am supposed to judge the desserts you make for me... I am fine with that, I haven't eaten any sugar in a long time, and I am really in a mood to eat something sweet. Get creative, good luck and have fun!
We ran back to the kitchen and instantly began arguing about what to make, which made us waste almost three minutes out of the ninety given to us, before we finally decided to make an ice-cream sandwich from scratch. We began by pre-heating an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is around 177 degrees Celsius. Then we filled up a medium pot with 1.25 centimetres, or around half an inch of water which we brought to a boil, then reduced the heat and placed a bowl on top of it, to which we have added half a bar of dark-, and one bar of sweet chocolate, with the bar weighing 100 grams, or around 3.5 ounces, and then added 115 grams, or 4 ounces of salted butter, which we mixed until it all melted and incorporated together. Then we mixed in one whole eggs and one egg yolk, along with 3.7 ounces, or 105 grams of sugar.
After that we added 150 grams, or 5.3 ounces of all purpose flour to a separate bowl, along with 2.5 grams, which is 0.09 ounces of baking soda and the same amount of dark cocoa powder. After whisking all of it together we added the mixture from the previous bowl and mixed it all together.
After that we greased a baking sheet, put some parchment paper on it, and greased the paper too, before placing the mix onto the sheet and making sure it would fit on it perfectly. Then we put the mix in the oven for ten minutes, and while it was baking, we began preparing the ice-cream.
We started by quickly blending two cups, or around 470 grams of heavy cream, one cup of sweet condensed milk, which is around 300 grams, a quarter cup, or around 60 grams of regular milk, and a little bit of salt, which we then quickly mixed together using a mixer. After that, we added it to an ice-cream maker, which slowly started giving it a thicker consistency.
While the ice-cream was slowly getting ready, we pulled out the base of our ice-cream sandwiches, and allowed it to rest for 30 minutes in order to cool down. By this time our ice-cream was done, and it wasn't completely hardened yet, which was perfect for spreading it. We cut the dough into two even pieces, then put one of them into a smaller baking sheet, and then added all of our ice-cream on top of it, before putting the second piece of dough on top of it. The smaller sheet made sure the ice-cream wouldn't fall off, and thus we were able to use all of it to make it thicker.
After that we put it in the fridge and realized our mistake. We had around 45 minutes left, and it would take around 8 hours for the ice-cream sandwich to fully freeze, which put us in an uncomfortable position.
- Maybe we could use liquid nitrogen for this? - Diana asked while Amanda denied:
- No chance, it would freeze it too much...
- Then could we ask Siggurós nicely to somehow speed up the time of the freezer and give us a chance of succeeding?
- I doubt she will agree, but I can go and ask... - Amanda responded before leaving the kitchen and going to the SCPs.
It took her around five minutes, but ultimately she came back with some good news. The fridge would freeze it for eight hours within just thirty minutes of time, which left us ten more minutes to cut it into smaller pieces.
When it was the time to pull out the dessert, we quickly grabbed it and cut it into four equal pieces, which we placed on a plate along with some fruit slices, which I cut together with Leif while the sandwich was still freezing.
When the time ran out, we went to SCP-053 and presented her with our dish. She took a piece of it and happily ate it, saying it was much better than the store-bought ones. However, when the D-class team brought their dessert, all of our hopes for winning this round sank down.
They prepared a dish known as Dirt&Worms, which they put inside a cup made out of chocolate. Our judge tried it and immediately gave them the point for the way how it was presented, which meant we have lost the competition 1:2. It wasn't the end of the world though, as we still had a decent advantage, but it sure felt bad knowing we have lost after Siggurós used her powers to help us with the final dish.