The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Southern Wheat and the Dumpling Party

The kitchen was more crowded than usual.

Marie, Cedric, Ed, Anna, August, Theodor, and me—even with the recent renovation making it slightly larger, the kitchen was packed.

“Since we have a lot of people today, let’s make a dish where we all cook and eat together.”

Next to me, with my apron on for the first time in a while, Ed stood with his back straight and alert. After everyone washed their hands with soap, we took out a small barrel filled with flour.

“First, we’ll mix this flour and the other one in equal parts, add a little salt, and knead it with hot water that’s warm to the touch but not scalding.”

“Lady Melfina, what’s that other flour? It looks like regular wheat flour.”

Melfina laughed, a rare sight of pride, at August’s question.

“This is a very special kind of wheat flour.”

“…How is it different?”

August’s expression seemed to say, “Flour is flour,” but it’s completely different.

“It’s made from wheat grown in Romana. We only got a single barrel, but it finally arrived in Enkar with the plant paper.”

It’s the most commonly used flour in my past life—cake flour. Unlike the strong flour used for bread that’s cultivated throughout the entire Francesca Kingdom, it’s a variety suitable for dishes with a less sticky finish.

I was so happy to receive it that I gave the merchant a cask of ale as a reward, in addition to the payment.

“I’ve asked if we can buy it regularly, but Romana seems to be facing the effects of the famine, so it’s been difficult. The merchant said that their climate is warmer, so the situation isn’t as severe as in Francesca or the north.”

As she spoke, she continued to knead the flour with a spatula. Once it was a cohesive mass, she moved it to the countertop.

“Now we knead this well and let it rest until the surface becomes shiny.”

“I want to try!”

I handed the task to Ed, who enthusiastically volunteered, and then took out a block of pork wrapped in Moon Rabbit leaves. We have a higher proportion of men here, and everyone works hard, so we prepared a generous amount of meat.

“Cedric, would you mind pounding the meat?”

“Are we making minced meat?”

I nodded, and Cedric took the meat with the ease of someone used to such tasks. August, who should be used to this by now, wore a surprised expression, while Theodor next to him looked genuinely astonished.

“I’m surprised. It’s Cedric holding a knife.”

“Unthinkable a year ago, right?”

“I heard that.”

Cedric said in a low voice without turning, causing the two knights to shrug. I giggled at the scene and started chopping vegetables with Marie and Anna.

“We’ll use strong-flavored onions, garlic, ginger, and cabbage for today. Chop them all finely, since we’re mixing them into the meat.”

“Lady Melfina, please teach me later.”

Ed, who was kneading the dough, called out nervously. “Of course,” I replied.

“Lady Melfina, can I help with something?”

“The countertop is full, so you can help stretch the dough later. August is skilled, so he’ll be a valuable asset.”

Once the dough was ready, we covered it with a tightly wrung cloth and let it rest. Cedric, who had expertly pounded the meat, added the vegetables to the resulting minced meat, generously salted it, and added oil extracted from beans.

I really miss soy sauce, now that I think about it.

As Melfina, I never had the chance to cook in my previous life, so my culinary knowledge relies heavily on my past life’s memories. However, most of those recipes rely heavily on fermented foods like soy sauce and miso, and umami ingredients like dashi.

They all say my food is delicious, but I’m sure their reaction would be even better if they were served a dish with dashi—full of amino acids.

The only umami-rich ingredients I can easily get my hands on are cheese and consommé, but although Enkar isn’t facing a food shortage, the continent as a whole is still struggling. That’s why I haven’t been able to try making consommé.

Maybe I can make something similar with beef bones and leftover vegetables.

Chicken consommé would be easier, and I’ve already made something close to the base, the fond, for consommé. I thought about giving it a try sometime, and then I finished kneading the meat and washed my hands.

“Alright, August, it’s time for you to shine. Knead this dough lightly, roll it into a long shape, and cut it into equal pieces. We’ll use them to wrap the meat filling, so make them about this size.”

“Is it something like a corn pancake?”

“That’s made with a press, but this one is stretched.”

“With a stick?”

“Yes, just a stick.”

Francesca doesn’t have a culture of eating noodles, so there are no rolling pins, but since there’s a decent demand for them in the lord’s mansion, I had a woodworking craftsman make a rolling pin-like tool. It’s not a necessity, but it’s a useful tool for stretching and even pounding.

“Now, roll these round pieces of dough on a floured surface with a stick—that’s how you make the wrappers. We’ll fill them with the meat, so keep making them.”

“Leave it to me.”

We had Ed and August make the wrappers, and the rest of us worked on filling them.

I chose the most basic, crescent-shaped wrapper with pleats.

“Wet your fingertips with water, fold it in half from the middle, make pleats, and then fold the edges in. Don’t be greedy with the filling or the wrapper will break. It’s better to err on the side of putting in a little less.”

Everyone sat down at the countertop and started wrapping the meat filling in the wrappers. August, who had finished making wrappers, joined in.

“Ed, can you start making other dishes?”

“Yes! I’ll also reheat the soup.”

“Anna, start cooking them up, and tell the others in the dining room that everyone can gather. Also, ask Rad or Cliff to bring the best ale barrel.”

“Yes!”

Dumplings are a complete meal—meat and carbohydrates in one—so we paired them with stir-fried vegetables and a simple soup with finely chopped vegetables.

“Cooking them is very easy. Heat some oil in a cast iron pan, then arrange the dumplings like this. Add water, cover it, and steam-fry them. Once the water is gone, they’re done. Everyone, move to the dining room once you’re done wrapping.”

“Lady Melfina, I’ll take over the cooking.”

Ed, who had quickly finished the side dishes, offered to take over. Anna was assigned to serve, and we switched cooking duties.

“We should make half of them crispy. Add a spoonful of flour to the steaming water and mix well.”

“Crispy?”

“When the flour is cooked and becomes thin and crispy, it’s called a ‘wing’ in this dish. It’s delicious, so look forward to it.”

“Yes!”

Ed’s response was good, and his skills were impressive. He cooked them efficiently on three stoves.

The head of the lord’s mansion, Melfina, has to take the first bite, so I quickly took off my apron and moved to the dining room. Everyone took their seats, and Rad and Cliff poured everyone a glass of ale.

Serleine and Simon were already seated, and everyone who had been working in the kitchen joined them. Once Ed and Anna finished cooking and sat down, everyone participating today was present.

“I’d like to introduce the new knight who will be guarding me for a while. He’s Theodor, a knight belonging to the Duke’s family. He’ll be here only while Cedric is on leave, so please lend him a hand if you need to. The main dish is best enjoyed fresh, so everyone, please eat up. Now, a toast.”

“Cheers!”

We clinked our glasses, and everyone took a bite of the first plate of dumplings brought to the table.

Without the taste of soy sauce or oyster sauce, it’s a bit bland compared to what I remember, but when I bite into the crispy wrapper, the chewy texture after the crunch, the delicious combination of meat and vegetables, and the aroma of garlic and ginger mixed with the meat juices all spread in my mouth.

I almost exclaimed about the heat, but I quickly took a sip of ale. The rich scent of the beer and the aroma of the dumplings mingled, filling my mouth and nose with a satisfying sense of fullness.

Beer and dumplings, a combination that was considered the holy grail in my past life, is truly a match made in heaven.

“Everyone, please try it while it’s hot.”

Noticing I was being stared at, I felt a little embarrassed and called out. Each person then picked up a fork and took a bite.

“Serleine, these are best eaten whole. Be careful not to burn yourself because they’re hot. Give it a try.”

I called out to Serleine, who was carefully cutting it with a fork and knife. She looked up at me, startled, then took a bite with the whole dumpling in her mouth.

“Hot!…Wow, it’s delicious!”

“The meaty flavor is locked in this wrapper, and it bursts in your mouth, it’s amazing. It’s hot, but washing it down with ale makes the aroma even more intense. This is delicious.”

While August was expressing his opinion, Theodor next to him had already finished half of his second plate.

Before I knew it, Ed had already gotten up and gone back to the kitchen to make more dumplings.

“Lady Melfina, these are truly delicious. It’s not that difficult to make, and if we can make a lot at once, it would be great to serve them at village gatherings.”

Anna said with a bright voice, and I smiled.

“I think it’s a perfect fit, but it’s hard to get Romana flour for the wrappers. I’ll try to get more later, so we can serve them at village festivals and events.”

“Yes, please do!”

She said enthusiastically, then got up and headed back to the kitchen, saying “I’ll go get plates.”

The knights, Rad, and Cliff were now silently passing dumplings and ale back and forth. I enjoyed that pairing for a while, but I’m not a big eater, so my stomach quickly filled up.

I called out to Ed and Anna, who were busy cooking and carrying food between the kitchen and the dining room.

“I’ll take over cooking, so you two can sit down. You haven’t eaten anything at all.”

“We can’t let you do that!”

“Right!”

They both responded emphatically, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. The two mood-makers of the lord’s mansion are so adorable.

“Sister, if you don’t mind, I’d also like to try making these.”

“It’s Serleine’s request. I’ll teach Serleine how to cook them, and you two can eat while I’m doing that.”

As I got up, Marie and Cedric naturally followed me. Seeing that, the two of them looked at each other, then resignedly sat back down in their seats.

“Thank you, Serleine. You two are so hardworking, I’m so grateful, but with those guys, I’m sure you’re too hesitant to ask for a break.”

“I just wanted to see how to make such delicious food. Oh, please let me join from the beginning next time.”

“Fufu, then let’s try some different variations next time. We can add cheese, use chicken meat, and even use it in soup, it’s delicious.”

“I’m looking forward to it!”

Loud chatter and laughter echoed from the dining room.

By the time I finished cooking the remaining dumplings and brought them to the table, the two hardworking individuals seemed to have eaten their fill.