Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Everyday Feast

I was preparing dinner in the kitchen.

I put a frying pan on the stove.

While the frying pan was heating up, in a bowl, I mixed together flour, grated yam, salt, water, and walnut oil.

As an arrangement this time, I chopped up the garlic chives I obtained from wild vegetable picking and added them. Garlic chives enhance the aroma and tighten the flavor when used as aromatic vegetables like this.

After letting it sit for a while, if you bake it in a frying pan instead of on a stove, it becomes a type of mochi-pin.

Mochi-pin is a thin bread often used in Chinese cuisine. A famous usage is for Peking duck skin.

With mochi-pin, you can make a meal in a short amount of time.

“Now then, while the dough is resting, I should prepare the main dish.”

I generously cut my proud bacon, marinated in special sauce and smoked with maple chips. Bacon tastes better when it’s cut somewhat thick.

I placed it on a heated frying pan without adding oil.

With a sizzle, the sound of oil splattering, the sweet aroma of oil, and the scent of maple wood used for smoking spread.

Since the bacon is fatty, the oil released from the bacon alone is sufficient without adding extra oil. The bacon is fried in the excess oil.

This is the correct way to make crispy bacon. This prevents any off-flavors.

The fat of the bacon becomes translucent.

At this point, I cracked an egg and placed it on top of the bacon.

What I’m making is bacon and eggs. It’s a very simple dish, but with good ingredients like special bacon and freshly laid eggs from this morning, it can’t go wrong.

“Cover it.”

I covered the frying pan. This creates a convection in the frying pan, turning it into a steamed state.

The yolk tastes better when warmed. I’d like to flip it to cook the other side, but since the bacon is underneath, flipping it would crush the yolk. So, I’ll steam it instead.

Timing it right, I lifted the lid, and smoke billowed out. The whites were firm, and the yolk was half-cooked. The perfect sunny-side-up.

“There we go, plenty of juices and oil.”

A significant amount of juices and oil oozed out from the thick-cut bacon.

I transferred about half of that oil to another container. I tasted it a bit. The flavors of the sauce and salt used for making bacon, mixed with the juices and oil, were delicious on their own.

Adding honey, vinegar, salt, and cranberry juice to it, I made a sweet and sour sauce.

I made sure to use the remaining oil and juices in the frying pan properly.

“I wonder if the dough for the mochi-pin I kneaded earlier has rested nicely.”

I rolled out the dough thinly and into a circular shape.

Placing the stretched dough in the frying pan, the dough started to fry in the wild boar oil.

This way, crispy mochi-pin is made.

Not only that, but mochi-pin soaked up plenty of the wild boar juices and oil, making it significantly more delicious. Yet, the part that hasn’t touched the oil remains fluffy and soft.

In no time, the mochi-pin was cooked through.

“The finishing touch.”

I arranged the bacon and egg on top of the mochi-pin, added shredded cabbage, and finally drizzled with seasoning made from the juices and oil. Then I rolled it up carefully to prevent the yolk and sauce from spilling out.

And it’s done. Bacon and egg wrapped in mochi-pin.

It would be even better with some spices…

I heated up the dried meat soup Tina made for lunch as a side dish.

Only two dishes, but it should be enough.

◇

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here’s tonight’s dinner.”

I moved to the living room, placing three bacon and egg wrapped mochi-pins on a large plate.

“Kurt-sama, I’ll bring the rest.”

“Leave it to me.”

Tina hurriedly headed to the kitchen.

Looking towards the kitchen, I saw that Tina had arranged small plates and the soup I had heated up on a tray.

As expected of Tina. She predicts what I’m preparing and acts accordingly.

“Oh, so that’s your cooking, Kurt-sama. I’ve been smelling the savory aroma of meat for a while now, and I couldn’t help but get hungry.”

“I apologize for the simple dishes.”

“As a servant, I don’t desire fancy dishes. I do, however, have high expectations for the taste.”

“In that case, you’re in good hands. I guarantee the flavor.”

Volg and I exchanged glances and grinned.

Tina returned with the tray.

She placed the soup and small plates on the table.

“Let’s eat while the food is still warm. Freshly made dishes taste the best.”

“We must eat it as soon as possible. We can’t let your cooking go to waste, Kurt-sama.”

We each took our seats.

Volg didn’t seem to mind Tina sitting at the same table.

He seemed to understand the customs I explained earlier.

“We give thanks to the forest and the gods for providing us with today’s sustenance.” we said in unison.

We finished our pre-meal prayer in unison.

And then, we began our meal.

“Kurt-sama, there are no knives and forks. How should we eat this?” Volg asked, looking puzzled.

Although he claims to be of average origin, Volg’s manner of speech may be rough, but there’s a sense of elegance in his behavior.

Perhaps he was born into nobility but couldn’t inherit the title and became a commoner. I couldn’t help but wonder.

“In this village, there’s no refined way of eating. We just dig in like this.”

I picked up the bacon and egg wrapped mochi-pin with my hands and took a bite.

“I see. I appreciate the guidance. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten like this, not since the battlefield. But strangely, it feels exhilarating. Well then.”

With a slight hesitation, Volg also took a bite of my dish.

“What is this!? Amazing!”

It was a momentary change; he devoured it without any manners, licking the sauce off his hands uncouthly.

Then, after finishing his meal, he sighed deeply, looking dazed.

“This is incredible. It’s amazingly delicious. I forgot myself.”

“If it brings you that much joy, then I’m glad.”

Glancing at Tina, I saw her earnestly munching on the bacon and egg wrapped mochi-pin with a small mouth. Very cute.

“I could smell something like spring onions even before I tasted it, but the moment I took a bite, the aroma of meat and sweet and sour sauce rushed in, followed by the flavors of the juices and egg yolk spreading in my mouth. It perfectly complements the sauce, and the texture is fascinating. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. There’s no way to stop eating something like this.”

Wrapping it in mochi-pin was to ensure the aroma and juices wouldn’t escape.

Thanks to wrapping the bacon and egg tightly, the aroma that was trapped burst out in the first bite. It’s what they call an aroma bomb. Then, the sweetness of the special wild boar bacon and egg attacks.

The sauce released when cooking elevates the umami of the meat and eggs several times over, and the mochi-pin absorbs that umami.

But the mochi-pin’s role doesn’t stop there. The crispy surface fried in oil provides a satisfying crunch, while the fluffy interior interacts well with the juices and egg yolk, creating a moist and fluffy texture that changes as you eat.

The garlic chives also do a great job of washing away any heaviness.

Because it’s a simple dish, the little details make a big difference.

“It’s surprising to create something this amazing with such simple ingredients.”

“Yet, you seem unsatisfied.”

He likely enjoyed the dish sincerely.

But he’s not content.

“Did I give it away? Honestly, I’m a bit unsatisfied. Eating something this delicious only makes me feel emptier.”

“I thought so, that’s why I prepared something.”

I return to the kitchen momentarily.

Then I bring back a bottle and a plate with thinly sliced bacon quickly heated up.

“What’s this?”

“It’s mead. I’ve been thinking of making alcohol on my territory soon. It’s a prototype. Let’s have this with some bacon as snacks.”

Mead is said to be the oldest alcoholic beverage in human history and is extremely easy to make. Just leave low-sugar honey alone, and under the right conditions, it’ll turn into alcohol by itself.

It would be suitable to start making it in my territory.

“What a great idea. I’d be honored to try it.”

I nod at his words and pour plenty of mead into his glass.

I’ve heightened the alcohol content quite a bit, leveraging my knowledge from past lives. After indulging in delicious food, he’ll likely let his guard down even more after drinking this.

Now, let’s see if I can gather some information.

I don’t think Farne is up to anything suspicious, but it wouldn’t be surprising if people around her were considering various things through her.