Author's Note: Thank you ladies and gentlemen, you have been fantastic with reviews, PMs, adding this story and myself to various lists. It's always a thrill to see those reviews and to speak with you guys. I just can't thank you enough. Now then I hope you enjoy this chapter, I couldn't resist Tea, the are in England after all. For those of you who have been reviewing without accounts your reply to your reveiw is at the bottom.
Chapter 41: Knife 3: An Englishman and his Tea
Tea was a very broad category and the idea that they had selected only ten teas to represent such a wide range of tastes, textures and brewing styles was startling. Then again, this wouldn't be the final challenge if the ingredient hadn't been difficult. He waited quietly for Ash to turn the knife, he noticed how the chef seemed far more confident and relaxed than before. Ash smiled slightly as h held the point with the tip of his index finger and flipped the blade. Sebastian's eyes widened, written in bright green bold letters was, "MATCHA." Sebastian's eyes glittered with happiness, a grin curved his lips. The crowd looked at one another in confusion as Vincent smiled and stated, "Matcha, for each tea we had brought in a guest and an individual who is considered an authority on the topic. Allow me to introduce you to one of the highest praised Tea Master's in Japan," stated Vincent. Sebastian and Ash looked at one another before turning their attention toward the doors which were in the back. They swung open with little warning, "15th generation Tea Master Tanaka," Vincent boomed as he gestured toward the familiar grey haired elderly gentleman.
Sebastian froze, it was the man who had given him the business card and the address, even stated that the position was open. Yet standing before him was the most enigmatic man he had ever met, he stood before the crowd, his silver round glasses rested on his nose and his hands were at his sides, he stood poised and serine. His kosode and Hakama rustled as he moved, swaying slightly as he continued his path toward them, his head was held high and his gaze was intense. His skin stood out greatly compared to the beautiful navy blue of his kosode and the slate blue hakama he wore, he looked as though he had just stepped out of a Chanoyu, and was standing before them. Tanaka stood before Vincent and bowed before turning to the crowd and turning on his microphone. He held it in his white fingers and smiled before saying, "Matcha is a very fine green tea powder, which is often brewed for Tea Ceremony. However, this tea is unique to Japan," he said simply there was a glint in his eyes as he continued, "Unlike other teas, this particular one is bitter, initially it's vegetal and then transforms into something slightly sweet toward the back of the tongue. Wine drinkers and Sommeliers alike have compared it to their first glass of wine, bitter but sweet toward the end," Tanaka explained, his voice was light and filled with passion as he spoke, it was as though tea was his passion and life.
Tanaka gestured to a table off to the side and walked past the two chefs who immediately followed, as well as an all too curious camera man. "For this challenge I have taken the liberty of brewing a sample. Unlike traditional tea, Matcha uses the entire leaf and is filled with a number of antioxidants and vitamins," he stated. Ash and Sebastian stood before the table which was lined with a several instruments used to make tea in a traditional setting. Sebastian stared at Tanaka took the temperature of the water, his eyes narrowed before opening a canister with fine green powder in it and dipping small wooden spoon into it. Sebastian had tasted the tea before but he had a feeling Tanaka was going to make it really pop. With a tap he had two spoonfuls in the bottom of the bowl, once finished he added the hot water and picked up a bamboo whisk. With a simple motion he began to mix the powder into the water, the pair watched as the clear water turned into a smooth green, Sebastian was taken aback by this, he never had seen what it looked like in the bowl. Before he even realized it the bowl was being offered to him. It was a beautiful piece, round, smooth and he loved the green glaze.
Sebastian slowly accepted the heavy bowl with both hands. The warmth of the bowl seemed to seep through his fingers and relax him. Crimson eyes fell on the green liquid, the tea smelt beautiful and earthy as he looked at the rich liquid. Sebastian ran his fingers over the sides of the bowl and slowly shifted his hands so one of them was supporting the bottom of the bowl while the other caressed the side of it. His eyes closed as he held the bowl to his lips and allowed the warm liquid to caress his tongue. He hummed with delight as he tasted the bitter flavor, it wasn't like the harsh Earl Gray of the West, it was as though he were tasting the essence of the leaves themselves. The flavor was raw and yet polished, the liquid was smooth like silk on his tongue and rich as chocolate. Sebastian slowly lowered the bowl and opened his eyes, earthy, mysterious and natural, he knew just what to make. He slowly handed the bowl to Ash who took a sip as well, already his mind was filled with different ideas as to just what to do next.
Sebastian looked over to Claude and winked, he knew just what he wanted to make, something raw but polished, elegant and yet wild. He planned on blind siding the judges and wasn't about to let up now, "Now then, you have two hours, let it begin!" said Vincent with gusto, there was a thunder of applause as the two chefs grabbed a large silver canister of the tea each. In a flash Sebastian was under the logo of Ciel with a raven beneath it. He strode off to the oven and was quick to start preheating it, he had a ton to do and very little time to do it in. The first thing he had to do was make the sponges of the cake, what better way to end than to do a twist on a classic with a little imagination.
Sebastian grabbed a large metal bowl and began gathering his ingredients from the pantry, almond flour, sugar, flour, eggs, unsalted butter, lemons, lemon oil, bitter sweet chocolate, lemon extract, coating chocolate and finally vegetable oil, he decided that he would grab the heavy cream when he needed it. He drew a deep breath as he placed the heavy bowl on his workstation counter and pulled the Kitchenaid mixer from the lower shelf and set it up. The smooth red mixer made him smile; it was nice to know that they had brought some things from the other kitchen. The set up was essentially the same as the other kitchen; the difference was that this one was larger and far more elaborate. Sebastian paused and looked up to see Claude standing beside joker, smiling with encouragement and he felt himself slowly ease out of tension. He was in the kitchen, it didn't matter where it was, or what it looked like a kitchen was his home. Sebastian smiled as he placed a sheet of rectangular parchment on a digital scale before he began to weight the almond flour. He slowly added the flour so it formed a mound and watched numbers on the scale climb. Almond flour was at one time the base of nearly every dessert made, a bulk of French Pastries still used this flour as the base and he smiled deviously as he finished watching the light golden yellow powder settle on the scale, he had precisely the amount he desired. He picked up the parchment gently and transferred the ingredients to a large glass bowl he had selected.
His fingers wrapped around a glass bowl and placed it on the scale to get the starting measurement before he continued measuring out the sugar, unlike flour which clumped together, sugar was far more processed and glandular which made it more likely to get everywhere except where he desire, the scale. Sebastian added the sugar to the bowl before weighing out the regular flour, the same method he had done with the almond. Sebastian still couldn't believe that the two judges had been added, Lucius Faustus and finally Monsieur Foist, his teacher from so long ago, a lifetime ago. Monsieur Foist was his first teacher, the baker from that Boulangerie near the orphanage. Monsieur Foist had aged a great deal since then, his face had wrinkled quite a bit and his once brown hair had turned gray, his eyes looked tired and he was wearing a pair of large glasses plastic glasses with thick lenses. His hazel eyes were sparkling slightly and he looked tired, yet happy to be present.
Sebastian opened the silver tin of matcha and quickly measured out the fine forest green powder, it greatly contrasted the white and golds of the almond flour as he added it to the bowl. Once the four dry ingredients were added to the bowl he turned his attention to the eggs. Unlike traditional flour, almond flour lacked gluten, a very important bonding agent, which allowed for the dish in question to become fluffy and would keep it rather flat. Although he had added enough of the traditional flour to offset this fact, he still had to be careful with the eggs. To do what he desired he needed a relatively flat but moist sponge cake, which mean just the right number of eggs. Too many and it would be too fluffy, too few and it would be too dense. He paused when he realized that he also needed butter melted, he turned on his heel and opened a box of butter and placed the sticks on the scale one by one to determine the proper weight. Once this was done he began melting them down and left the pot on simmer to do this slowly, he didn't like the idea of cleaning burnt butter.
Sebastian picked up a clear glass cup and cracked an egg into it, one by one he did this until he had cracked enough eggs and then added them to the mixing bowl. In a flash a whisk was in his hands and he began to mix the base of the sponge cakes. He smiled as he watched the powder and egg mixture turn into a velvety green batter and the earthiness of the matcha filled his nose. He loved the smell of the tea as he worked with it. He lifted the whisk from the bowl and watched as a gorgeous green ribbon fell from the tip of the whisk into the bowl, the long ribbon folded as it hit the base and he smiled. "Perfect," he whispered before setting the batter to the side and pulling a pair of glass bowls. He glanced over toward the stove and noted that the butter was indeed melted and quickly pulled the pot, placing it on a glass plate and then turned his attention once more to the bowls he had just set up.
In the second bowl he began setting up the base of a basic meringue, while the first was for the yolks. The first step was to separate the eggs from the whites, a skill which took patients and practice to master. Sebastian tapped one of the large white eggs on the rim of the glass bowl and gently cracked the shell before easing the egg open into two halves, a smile curved his lips as he began to separate the yolk from the white. The egg white fell over the edge of the white shell and into the bowl, as the yolk sat in the other side of the egg shell. His fingers were quick as he transferred the yolk from one shell to the other, careful to never break the thin white shells or drop the yolk. Once the white was separated he continued this process with the rest of the eggs he required to make the meringue. Meringues were simple to make ingredient wise, however the challenge came to the execution. Sebastian meticulously added the sugar to the egg whites and pulled another whisk from the vase off to the side which had been holding them as though they were a bouquet of flowers. He swiftly began to combine the sugar and egg whites, his motions were rapid as he cradled the bowl in one arm and began to whip it with the other. The key was to whip it with enough air to get a light and fluffy mix but not to kill it and whip all the air out of it, causing it to flatten. Traditionally meringues were used to add as a garnish, however he had something else in mind.
Sebastian lifted the whisk out of the bowl and looked at the stiff peak forming on the tip of the whisk. He could tell a camera man was very intrigued and figured most of the pastry students in the room would be as well. He grinned as he took approximately a third of the fresh meringue and added it to the batter. He slowly began to fold the cloud like white meringue into the mossy green velvet batter of the sponge cake. There was a gasp and a little confusion from the people who had been invited as he did this. The meringue would give the almond flour a bit more of a boost and increase the likelihood that the sponges would be fluffy but not overly. Little by little Sebastian had added the entire bowl of meringue to the green matcha base. Before he could go any further he added the cooled melted, unsalted butter to the batter.
Once this was done Sebastian finished preparing 3 long rectangular pans by lining them with parchment. After doing so he picked up the large glass bowl and began to evenly add the batter to the pans. He watched the green base spread over the parchment pans. once there was a nice layer on the bottom of the pans Sebastian picked the 3 pans up and placed them in the oven which was now up to temperature. He switched the broilers off and set the oven to bake and made a mental note to watch the bases, the key was to bake them but to not allow them to brown. The signature green of the matcha was what would make the dish work.
Sebastian walked away from the ovens, he could feel the eyes of hundreds of people on him. Oddly he felt as though he were back in Paris teaching classmates how to bake. They would watch his every move as though he were a master in the field. He could remember the job offers, the chatter and even the critics who were furious at Sebastian for simply existing. Yet none of them knew where he came from. None of them knew that he was a beaten little boy who had been hurt deeply and forgotten by the person who was supposed to care for him. That at the age of 17 he was sent on his way from the orphanage and lost his position at the boulangerie after Foist learned what had happened to him as a child. To this day Sebastian couldn't understand why he had been pushed away rather than soothed. Then again, Foist wasn't one to show such emotions. Sebastian looked down at the double boiler he had set up absentmindedly and turned his attention to making the sweet butter base required for the lemon butter cream. Somehow during his musings he had managed to separate the whites from the yolks, then again with the amount of practice he had doing this it wasn't difficult. He watched the egg whites slowly change from clear to white and added the sugar in gradually. If he added it too quickly he would shock the butter and the sugar wouldn't dissolve entirely which would in turn make the butter cream gritty and not pleasant in texture. The trick was to keep the temperature low and whisk continuously, while the egg whites weren't directly on the burner it was still possible to burn them, which would only make the chef irritated. He noticed the whites were fluffy and light but hot to the touch. Sebastian lifted the arm of the mixer and quickly added the whites to the bowl.
Traditionally he would make the butter cream from scratch however; the mixer was far more through than he was. His long fingers were quick to drop the arm, lock it in place and then begin to have the mixer begin whipping it. Whipping the mixture accomplished two things, the first being air was added and the second was rapid cooling. He placed his hand on the side of the bowl and smiled, this was when he felt like a magician or a wizard. Something as simple as rapidly cooling ingredients, but not shocking them and incorporating air into them seemed like magic. Sebastian picked up a board with softened butter on it and began to slowly add it tablespoon by tablespoon. He turned the speed down as he did this, not too much but just enough to gain a little more control over the mixture. It wasn't until he pulled out the press and a lemon that scent was introduced into his world once more. He cut the lemon in half and then began to squeeze it gently, never slamming it down on the prongs or twisting it, but gently rubbing it against the core of the press. This prevented pulp and also allowed for the oils of the skin into the juice. Crimson orbs fluttered closed as he enjoyed the clean scent of lemons. A smile curved his lips as he added the juice and then opened the bottle of lemon oil. The lemon butter cream smelt wonderful and had maintained its beautifully white hue, which would only contrast the green sponges. He couldn't wait to start assembling; his fingers were itching to begin doing so.
Sebastian picked up pace as he dashed over to the walk in and grabbed a carton of heavy cream, he had to keep an eye on the sponges, he couldn't risk them burning. The next elements were the easiest to make the Chocolate Ganache, Lemon Simple Syrup and finally the Chocolate Glaze. He continued to keep time in his head, he had just enough time to make the Ganache before running off and pulling the pans, as they were cooling he would make the Lemon Simple Syrup and Glaze. The key to successfully pulling off the dish wasn't just technique, although that was a major part of it, but it was timing and attentiveness. Like many things cooking was about observing and timing. Sebastian began to hum as he cooked, knowing full well that he would have to run to the ovens in the blink of an eye to pull the sponges. The first person to teach Sebastian this was actually Foist, even as a child in the kitchen Foist believed in little preparation and that the best way to learn was to throw an individual into the fire. Needless to say at an early age Sebastian became very good at saving things as well as timing when each element needed to be finished. He could remember the hot kitchens and the boiling summers in the back as he rushed from oven to oven, and then the counter to the front and back again. It was chaos at first but later he realized it was like a symphony, each part had a place and time required to execute it.
Sebastian picked up a knife and paused as he looked at the long thin scar on his hand from when he had gotten himself with the knife the last time. It was a reminder for what happened when he allowed his thoughts to get away from him. He shook his head and began to break up the bar of baker's chocolate. The crunch filled the air and he heard a sigh of relief from the camera man, "You know I'm not incompetent," Sebastian remarked and looked directly at the camera man who blushed. He had sandy blond hair and a pair of dark brown eyes, "I know, it's just that other time," he replied sheepishly. Sebastian continued chopping the block up and chuckled, "Believe me, it's not going to happen again." There was a snicker throughout the audience when Sebastian added, "Besides I think a certain Head Chef would kick me onto the couch if I did it again."
Crimson eyes danced as he looked up to see a blushing Claude, who was attempting to hide it behind his hand. Sebastian could tell that the man's face was going to split in two if he kept smiling like that. He finished chopping up the chocolate and turned swiftly to head to the ovens. In moments he had the pans out and was waiting for them to cool, he sighed with content as he placed them on the counter and reached behind himself for a piece of what looked like thin plastic. He ran his fingers over the material and grinned before taking out a thick mat and a small knife knife. There was a murmur and a shout from the people who had been invited to watch, "This isn't arts and crafts!" Sebastian chuckled as he made swift sweeps with the silver knife and began to cut out a pattern, "That's good because I'd make a terrible boy scout. The whole tying knots thing and living in the woods isn't my forte. I prefer fully stocked kitchens," he remarked as he continued to cut the stencil. He smiled as he lifted the mat and threw the slivers into the trash, leaving the cut out on the mat and then covered it with parchment before the camera man could figure out what it was for.
Sebastian turned his attention to the cakes and clapped his hands together, they were perfect, a beautiful moss green and he hummed with delight as he removed the sheets from the pans, they were perfect, just the right texture, not too fluffy and not too flat. He placed the cakes on cooling racks and noticed how flat they were, he was pleased to note that he wouldn't have to trim them off and smooth them out, which would save him time. "Just enough time to make the Ganache," he commented as he picked up the heavy cream, weighed it and began to heat it. Ganache wasn't like a glaze, it was thicker, but not an icing. It was thin and had a smooth gloss like finish and was idea for what he had planned. Sebastian kept a close eye on the heavy cream and noticed how people seemed to be more and more interested in his work. Out of the corner of Sebastian's eye he could see a certain white haired chef leaning over his table, he held a pan in his hands and was slowly coaxing a green sheet out of it. The tell tale sign of a splat mat was just beneath it, the orange border was unmistakable. It was amusing to see that they had both selected cakes, yet Sebastian was getting the attention.
Sebastian pulled the heavy cream from the stove and smiled before putting it on a glass plate temporarily and moving the chopped chocolate from the board to a large metal bowl. The large chocolate chunks stuck up like mountains in the bottom of the bowl, begging for him to add the warm cream to melt them. Sebastian could remember the first time he had made Ganache, he had made the mistake of over whisking it, causing the chocolate and cream to separate. There was one thing he didn't understand though, it was how his double boiler kept getting clean when he didn't wash it. Sebastian gazed over his shoulder to see a young man run in, swipe it and then vanish, leaving in his wake a sparkling clean one. A chuckle left him as he shook his head, clearly Vincent's doing since the man was grinning broadly with a very familiar tall German as his shadow. Sebastian paused, that meant that the Vincent on the phone with Diedrich also known as Dee, was actually Vincent Phantomhive, Ciel's father. He blinked in realization and stopped whisking when the Ganache was thick enough and set it off to the side.
First he had seen Tanaka, the man who had given him the address and the business card and now he saw Diedrich, something very odd was going on here. He shook his head and turned his attention to the simple syrup, which was one of the easier parts. Time was ticking away and he still had to finish the glaze and assemble it. Sebastian sighed as he began to boil water and added sugar. He would have to assemble the dish and then worry about the glaze and he still had to make the second icing. Once the sugar was fully dissolved he added a touch of lemon extract and set aside. His table was clear and now came the toughest part, assembling. He closed his eyes after looking at the clock, he was cutting it close.
~~xXx~~
Claude was on edge, Sebastian was making a ton of elements but had nothing assembled and time was running out, the chef had 45 minutes left. He began feeling anxious, even though Sebastian looked calm and collected, he wouldn't usually speak to the camera man unless he needed to take his mind off of an issue. This time in particular it was time, he slipped a hand through his black hair in an attempt to calm himself. What he wouldn't do for a cup of tea at that point was frightening. His eyes wandered over to Ash, he watched as the chef made a light whip cream, he was flying through his dessert and had kept it simple. Sebastian was daring with his complications. The only complicated element was the decoration Ash had done on the splat mat, he had created a koi fish on the mat, froze it and then piped the cake batter onto it after placing the mat in the baking pan. The result was a beautiful fish in the white icing, that was right now resting on parchment.
Claude's eyes fell on the figure in the black coat and stared at he watched Sebastian spread a layer of Ganache on the top of a sheet. The chef did this with each piece and Claude watched as the Patissier allowed them to dry and then gently flipped the sheets over, "What?" he asked in confusion, he thought that Sebastian was making a layered cake, but the layers were too thin and now he was soaking the sponges in the lemon simple syrup. By doing this he would ensure that the cakes would stay moist but that would imply adding Ganache to both sides. His eyes widened as he watched the patissier removed the parchment from the other side, it was a swift motion and made him dizzy. His hands slipped into his pockets as he watched Sebastian intently, every movement the chef made was swift, calculated and technically perfect. "What are you doing?" he asked.
He began searching his memory and remembered something from Paris, a dessert which Sebastian had crafted for a fundraiser, it was perhaps one of the most beautiful for the evening and the only reason he didn't receive credit was because no one knew who had crafted it. A smile curled Claude's lips as he watched Sebastian add the lemon butter cream, now he knew what it was. A smile curved his lips as he shook his head and chuckled, now all the pieces made sense, even the stencil, "Daring," he said simply, "My dear raven you are running out of time." Sebastian draped another layer of dark chocolate ganache over the fluffy butter cream, the contrast between the mossy green sponges, the sheet of cloud like lemon butter cream and finally the thin but pronounced black line which was a result of the Ganache stood out. Ash's dessert had nothing on the technical skill of this one, especially in the attention to detail, a soufflé was predictable and he knew that but this wasn't this was a work of art by the time he was done. It was actually about the same size as a calligraphy box. Claude glanced over to see Tanaka sipping more matcha out of his mug, there was a grin on his face and Claude began to wonder why.
Tanaka wasn't an expert on pastry, unless he had seen it before, but that was impossible because Vincent kept him on a tight leash. The day that Tanaka had seen him about a loan was the first that Claude had seen the man around without the overbearing Lord. Claude turned his attention to Sebastian once more and watched as the final mossy green cake was added. The tower was perfect, the edges and corners lined up precisely and the finish was clean. Sebastian allowed the cake to rest, it looked like an Opera cake without the glaze. Sebastian picked up the cake and walked to the walk in and placed it in the walk in. He needed the ganache to set as well as the butter cream or it would be a mess.
He hummed as he watched the chef complete the glaze and move on to making green icing. Now he knew what the stencil was for the question was, what it was of. He had seen all of the intricate piece cut out of the white board but wasn't sure how much of it was giving shape to items or simply cleaning up the edges of it. Sebastian finished both and walked back into the walk in, he strode out with the cake in hand, Ash was putting his matcha roll in the walk in and stared at Sebastian who had just set his cake down, there was 30 minutes left. Sebastian whisked the chocolate glaze once more before picking up the pot and walking over to his counter. His face was stiff as he focused all his concentration on the pot in his hands. All hints of merriment were gone, the smile that had been tugging at his lips had vanished and he had transformed into the sincere beauty from his college years. His crimson eyes seemed to peer through the cake and the glaze as he began to slowly drape it over the top. There was a gasp as they watched the satin like curtain of chocolate fall from the side of the pot onto the level top of the cake, from edge to edge and corner to corner the top was covered in a thin layer. Claude's eyes widened as he stared at the chef's quick snap of his wrist, he didn't expect that kind of skill. The layer of glaze was the same pencil thin layer as the chocolate ganache. Sebastian hummed as he placed the cake back in the walk in, the crowd thought it was just a chilling time until Sebastian looked at the clock on the wall, there was 25 minutes left.
Now the chef was in his element and Ash was the one who looked terrified, Sebastian was using every second he could, while Ash had finished his in record time. Ash had selected a Japanese take on a classic cream filled Swiss Roll. The recipe was simple but the presentation was elegant. Green tea rolls had become popular in Japan as of late and in all honesty he wasn't very impressed, yet a number of people who were watching seemed to be. Claude pulled out his mobile and gaped at the number of viewers, there were four million people logged on alone. Now that was impressive. Comments about the chefs were flying and a number of people were stating that there was no way Sebastian could win if he was behind. Claude heard the walk in open again, ten minutes had passed and he watched as Sebastian ran an edge around the cake to wipe away excess glaze and then pulled the stencil out.
Sebastian placed the stencil on the hardened glaze gently and pulled out a spatula to apply the green icing. The white edge dipped into the glass bowl of icing and Claude watched as Sebastian spread it on like butter. The fact that the icing was that smooth startled him, he half expected it to be difficult and clumpy. Yet here it went on with ease, keen red eyes were narrowed as they gazed down Sebastian's beautiful nose and onto the piece below him. He looked like an artist scrutinizing his work before displaying it. His spatula moved like a brush across canvas, broad, light and strong strokes of green on the stark white stencil which had chocolate bleed through it. Sebastian smiled as he placed the spatula down and took hold of the corners of the stencil. He had eight minutes Claude was on edge and the cameraman was practically on top of him. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, this decoration was daring, because Sebastian had pushed the glaze to dry fast, which mean he could have destroyed it. Claude's palms were sweating as he watched Sebastian, if he managed to pull this off he would earn a ton of respect from professionals. Sebastian grinned and winked at Claude before lifting the stencil and flipping it for everyone to see, there wasn't a speck of chocolate on it.
The cameraman was practically on top of it when Claude's jaw dropped, it was a beautiful outline of a famous painting of a Japanese garden. It looked as though Sebastian had picked up a calligraphy brush and painted it on, rather than stencil. There was a gasp and applause as Sebastian lifted the sheet which the cake had been on and placed it on a black plate. The bright green stood out dramatically against the chocolate and made it seem as though the matcha had managed to seep through all of the layers and leave it's mark, the mark of where it was born and savored, Japan. Sebastian smiled as he let it dry and reached for an edge, people were jumping to try and get photos of the one of a kind piece. Ash was even gaping before he ran off to plate his Roll.
"Three Minutes!" shouted Ash as Sebastian quickly picked up a silver blade and sliced into the cake, each rectangular piece looked like a work of art, rather than segments. Claude watched as Sebastian plated each one and sprinkled a little extra matcha over them. Sebastian had just carried over the last plate when Vincent cried, "TIME!" Claude felt his whole body practically collapse, he had never felt that nervous in his whole life for another person. He knew better than anyone that right now what happened to Sebastian determined his fame, his skill and above all his title as chef. The pair were being judged by the men who wrote the books in their fields, gods among mortals as a number of chef called them. The only exceptions were his father, Vincent and Foist, the rest were legends. Now they had to wait as the judges left the tables and took their seats. Each judge looked genuinely interested in the piece on the table.
Even though Ash had done a simple dish, it was beautiful, the curl which could be seen on the end of the roll was a perfect spiral, the white filling was just right by the look of it and the strawberries added more flavor. The koi seemed to swim on the top with charm, it looked as though it were going to jump off of the cake and onto the table. He admired the detailing on the scales as well as the fins and eyes, every rib was visible. Ash even remembered the Koi's whiskers. He had pre sliced pieces and set them on the table from the looks of it Ash was first. All of the judges took their seats, young, old and every age in between had gathered to pass judgment on the man. "Well then Mister Landers, tell us what you made," said Vincent simply. Ash nodded and looked at each chef, his eyes hovered on Hugo longer than the rest. A tell tale sign that he didn't think the chefs would see his effort in this dessert. "I crafted a Matcha Cream Roll with strawberries," he replied. Oddly it wasn't Hugo who took the first bite but the unknown man who had just arrived that Sebastian had gaped at. "The texture is excellent on both the cake and the cream," commented the man.
Tanak was the first to take a bite, he was considered a guest judge and after all knew the taste of Matcha better than any of them. He lifted the fork to his lips and smiled, "Wonderful, you've managed to catch the essence of the tea, yet make it sweet and memorable," Tanaka commented as he took a bite of the slice of strawberry. The elderly man's lips curved as he enjoyed the piece of fruit, oddly he looked younger than when he first entered. Hugo slipped the fork from between his lips, "The strawberries provide an excellent contrast and I can tell you folded a meringue into this cake to fill it out. Excellent technique, most forget to do this," Hugo stated, his green eyes held a spark as he looked at the beautifully sliced cake and admired the curl in the middle. The white and green contrasted one another and the succulent red from the strawberries screamed for attention.
Renoir looked at the top of the cake and smiled, "Beautifully executed? Splat mat and frozen icing?" he asked as he looked at Ash. There was silence in the room before Ash replied, "Yes." Renoir chuckled as he looked Ash, Claude could tell that the man was tense. That technique was one that before Ash had attempted to follow everyone else that Ash was a fan of and his signature. Renoir hummed, "No bubbles either, those usually appear if the batter isn't piped into the frozen sketch properly," he explained. Claude knew Ash understood this, but the viewers didn't and it wasn't uncommon for a chef to explain why he was looking at a specific detail when addressing people who weren't accustomed to their trade. A grin curved the man's lips as he set the fork down on the table and looked Ash in the eye, his blue eyes bore into the man before he said sincerely, "Well done."
The rest of the table sang compliments which was a first for the most part, they couldn't find fault with the dish before them. Claude felt a smile tug at his lips, even if Ash had betrayed him and attempted to harm Sebastian he couldn't deny the fact that he was pleased to see that the chef wasn't lost any longer. In fact, from the looks of things he had come home. Ash had wandered aimlessly following everyone else but himself and now here he was with a dish, that while common was well executed, elegant and honestly well put together. Claude felt a little nervous Sebastian's was beautiful and of a higher level of daring, Opera cakes took a great deal of time to make and it wasn't as easy as laying a traditional cake.
The chefs moved to Sebastian's table and it was as though the atmosphere of the room changed, they all stood for a moment and looked at the pieces before them. Hugo looked a little confused as was Porrot, who obviously recognized the dish but not entirely. Harmon looked at Hugo who in turn looked at him, the techniques to make the dish may not have been soufflé worthy but the ability to get the dish assembled and look the way it did was a feat. Scott, Settler and Tanaka were the first to sit, his father was next, he could see that his father was slightly less impressed by this dessert. Then again Sebastian had served that beautiful cube to him the first time they met, that dish seemed more finale based than this one, yet this was what Sebastian chose. Claude felt slightly confused but also knew that whatever was special about this dish it would floor the judges, he wouldn't have chosen something that was so technically involved if he didn't.
Their eyes were trained on Sebastian and for a moment Claude felt genuinely nervous for the chef. Sebastian was standing before them grinning broadly and confident. "Mister Michaelis?" asked Vincent curiously as he took a seat beside Lucius.
~~xXx~~
Ash's dish had been easy but this dish was different, while Ash had gone with something popular, Sebastian had decided to twist things a bit. Green eyes fell on the table as he looked at the beautiful black, white and green bars resting on it. Each bar had a beautiful portion of the scroll like artwork that had covered the top of the cake. It was a beautiful garden with a sweeping tree, mountains in the background a bridge over a river and a waterfall cascading toward the back. Off to the side there had been a structure that looked like a tea house. His eyes traveled down each of the pieces, they were works of art in their own right, each of them a portion of the world in which this tea had come from. The lines were stunning as he looked at the variation of thick and thin lines, his lips curved, technically he had done something very daring, stenciling on glaze. "Hugo," whispered a familiar voice, he looked over to see Harmon trying to get his attention. He had been so lost in the elegance of the decoration that he hadn't even realized that he was still standing. The use of line in the dessert was appealing to the eye, the horizontal layers of the cake contrasted with the combination of sensual curved lines and firm lines which made up the picture.
The chef swept a strand of his long black hair behind his ear and looked at Sebastian and then the three who were seated. All of them were equally curious as to why Sebastian had chosen to do this dish. The truth was Hugo had dined at Ciel a few nights ago and had received one of the beautiful white cubes which had become all the rage, what confused him was why the chef had chosen something considerably safe in comparison to that night. Hugo sat down after a moment and looked at Sebastian curiously, he felt as though once again he was in the room with one of his teachers, learning for the first time what it meant to be a chef. "Mister Michaelis?" asked Vincent, he sounded as confused as everyone else.
A brilliant smile was flashed by the Patissier before he said, "This is a twist on an Italian classic, a Matcha, Lemon, Chocolate Opera Cake." There was silence in the room as though somehow Sebastian had committed a grievous crime. Then again for those who knew the origin of the pastry they recognized that an opera consisted of four basic ingredients that could never be changed, almonds, lemons, chocolate and a meringue. This piece of art broke that convention as soon as the Matcha was added and the piece of art was added to the top. Porrot glared at Sebastian and shot, "This isn't an Opera," he stated. Sebastian shifted a little and his eyes fell on the plates, "I know, I said it was a twist," Sebastian retorted. Hugo picked up his fork and looked at the cake, part of him ached to cut it, it felt as though he were desecrating a piece of art, rather than a cake. He had to hand it to Sebastian, it took quite a bit for him to feel that way.
The fork slid into the cake with ease and he watched the sponges rebound a little, they were the perfect texture. In truth it was the green color that impressed him the most. Ash's was a little darker but this green was vibrant and if Hugo hadn't been watching closely he would say that Sebastian had used food coloring. The fresh scent of lemons, earthy chocolate and the snap of green tea greeted his nose as he slipped the fork between his lips. As soon as the cake hit his tongue his eyes closed and he felt as though the world of flavor he knew was complete. The green tea and chocolate danced on his tongue. The ganache which he feared would be too stiff and hard was just right, coupled with the succulent lemon sweet butter that was a creamy and full texture and the soft but firm sponges of the cake he felt his world shatter. What made the sponges different was that the almond flour Sebastian had used wasn't lost, it was still present in flavor and brought out the leafy taste of the tea, the lemons which had been in the simple syrup only added to the taste and he felt as though he were sipping a specially blended tea in a cafe. Matcha was usually consumed straight, however there were a select few who were daring and would incorporate it into other things. He savored the high notes of the lemons, the low notes of chocolate and the matcha which seemed to dance between the two. Now he understood, it wasn't the complexity that was key or the number of ingredients it was how the person tasting the dish saw it.
"Stunning," breathed Hugo, before realizing that he had just said that out loud. Harmon nodded in agreement as did Renoir and Porrot finally gave in. "The texture of the cakes, the flavor," said Hugo slowly, his head was in a fog from tasting the treat he had been presented with. "All of it, on top of the presentation is breathtaking. The sponges are quite honestly perfect I don't think any of us could do butter," he said sheepishly as he took another bite. Harmon was grinning from ear to ear and picked up where he had left off, "Between the clean presentation and the taste I'm honestly at a loss to find something wrong with it. It's honestly perfect," Harmon mused before helping himself to another piece of the bar. The table was silent as they became lost in the treat Sebastian had crafted. The audience was still and Hugo had forgotten what it was like to taste a treat this well crafted. He had been tasting Sebastian's work the entire time but this was the first time he had tasted this.
This emotion which was in the chef's dish, it wasn't the sweet bitter pain which the chef had been in, or the hot lust and desire of that tart. This was something soothing and Hugo looked at the chef with calculating eyes, "Serenity," he whispered.
~~xXx~~
The audience watched as the chefs vanished from view to determine the verdict, they were silent as though they were phantoms rather than corporal. Everything had been winding up to this judgment and everyone in the room knew it. There was no denying the fact that both chefs had gone all out the question was who won. An hour passed and still no verdict and people in the audience became more and more antsy to see the outcome. Ciel growled, he had dragged his hide down after his father had called him that morning. He had no interest in this event, except in the notion that if Sebastian won, it would mean that he owned the most promising chef in London. The swelling in his face had vanished as he stood in a blue suit with his arms crossed, the judges were taking a ridiculously long time in his eyes. Frustration ran through the young owner as he thought about the events of the day which had transpired. Sebastian hadn't returned and he found the Patissier kissing his Head Chef, that had to stop. Sebastian was his, and part of him prayed that with a little convincing that he would be able to pull the Head Chef away from his property once and for all. He was after all a Phantomhive and wouldn't settle for second rate.
If Sebastian didn't win, he would personally make Sebastian's life hell. He couldn't afford to look like a fool, not after everything he had sacrificed to keep the chef. He had even lost his fiancé, he froze when he remembered the look on Lizzy's face, no he hadn't lost her because he stated he was gay but the fact that he was cheating. He had yet to figure out how to tell his father that he wouldn't be joining the two families together through matrimony, he would have gone after her if he could find her. Lizzy seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth, not even his contacts could find her. The doors opened as the judges filed back in, it had been four hours to determine just who had won. It irritated Ciel, he wanted this to be over so that he could return to making money at his restaurant and not have to close for this foolishness. He had expected all the chefs to be smiling only to see a look of sincerity cross their faces, they didn't even walk up to the high table. The stood before the two chefs who were sitting in chairs which had been provided by the crew.
Ciel looked at Lucius Faustus, the man was smiling alongside his father which told Ciel immediately that something was up. His father's chocolate brown eyes glittered with mischief as he held the microphone in his hands and looked at the two chefs. "Both of you have done phenomenal this last challenge. Ash you're use of textures and the elegant decoration of the roll was beautiful, even though it was simple it was the simplicity of the dish that amazed us. You haven't baked anything like that in a long time, even here with the challenges," said Vincent with ease, Lander's eyes widened as he looked at all the chefs who were nodding, "Welcome back to the culinary world Mister Landers," Vincent said with ease, a charming smile curved Lord Phantomhive's lips. There was a roar of applause, apparently people were hoping to see Landers return to his former creative self.
"Sebastian, your dish was a showstopper, none of us expected that. With your twist on an Italian classic and the earthiness of matcha you managed to remind us what it means to be a chef," said Vincent as he looked over at Hugo. The long black haired chef spoke, his voice carried through the room, it was sweeter than a number of people realized, "Time and time again you have shattered our expectations and conventions, I hope you continue to show us your soul as well as bold flavor," Hugo said with a smile. There was another roar of applause as Sebastian nodded and blushed faintly. The light tinge of rose on his cheeks was wonderful and reminded him of the blush which covered the chef at night during his passion. Ciel licked his lips as images of Sebastian reaming underneath him assaulted his mind.
Vincent looked off to the side before he spoke, Ciel followed his gaze to see his Head Chef standing in a suit, he could tell it was custom. Over the last few days he had seen the chef frequently dress in better clothing and the Lotus Elise was something that not even Ciel had the kind of money to own. Claude's father was wealthy and he hadn't realized it until now, he had to stop this it was bad enough his name sake restaurant was coming under fire from the chefs and guests thought it was there place and Ciel was just a nice name.
"We have been at it for four hours, and we came to an agreement," shouted Vincent and the crowd roared, this was when Ciel honestly thought that the man was too attractive for his own good. Vincent smiled as the doors opened in the back once again and a table was rolled out with a deep navy blue silk over it. There was silence in the room as everyone looked at the table, the two crew members stopped before Vincent and the Lord smiled as his fingers wrapped around the edge of the cloth. His grasp was firm and with a rustle the fabric was removed, it floated through the air as it was removed, a gasp filled the room as the fabric fell to the floor revealing just what was underneath.
Ciel's jaw popped open as he heard the crowd scream, this wasn't what he saw coming when he had managed to get up.
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Anonymus: I'm glad that yo are enjoying yourself, I hope you like this chapter, it took a bit to choose the ingreident for the finale. I had to bring Grell in at somepoint, it was a matter of time. Besides he's always gettng in the way.