Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Dinner of the Four Dukes

The day of the dinner with the Four Dukes had arrived.

This is where my true worth will be tested.

I was doing a final check of the preparations in the kitchen. Tina and the others were with me. There were tasks that only she could handle. It was already midday, so we needed to start finishing up the dishes that take longer to prepare.

Most of the processes were going smoothly. The only concern was…

The only ingredient that needed to be delivered today for it to make sense hadn’t arrived yet.

“Chef Kurt, the ingredients have arrived!”

My subordinate burst into the kitchen with the announcement. It was the words I had been eagerly awaiting.

“Finally!”

The ingredients I had been hoping for had arrived.

It was venison. I had asked a hunter I met in town for it.

Fresh venison, just caught early this morning.

“Get it into the kitchen right away. Let’s start preparing it.”

“Yes!”

A splendid deer was brought in.

The bleeding was perfect. And its condition was excellent. There were no signs of struggling, as if it had been dealt a fatal blow with one strike.

It was the finest venison.

“Chef Kurt, freshly caught meat isn’t usually very tasty. Are you sure you want to use this?”

“Indeed, freshly killed meat doesn’t have much flavor.”

Meat lacks flavor when it’s freshly killed. It’s only after it’s aged that it starts to taste good.

“Then why bother with freshly caught venison?”

“I’m not using it for the meat. …What I’m using is this. When it comes to offal, the fresher, the better.”

With a butchering knife, I split open the deer’s belly and extract the liver.

It emits a beautiful deep crimson glow. It’s the liver of the deer.

“Are you planning to serve offal dishes to the Four Dukes?”

“What are you talking about? The liver is the most delicious part of any animal. Even wild beasts eat the organs first. And the fresher, the better. Moreover, the flavor of deer liver ranks at the top among all livers. It’s going to be the best in the world. Let’s make some sashimi out of it.”

Ignoring the stunned subordinate, I return to handling the liver.

There’s a bit of a knack to processing deer liver.

Deer don’t have a gallbladder; they store bile directly in their livers. This bile is bitter, unpleasant, and harmful to the body. It needs to be removed.

I split the liver in half with the knife. There’s a core-like hollow in the center of the liver, where the bile accumulates. I discard that and rinse it with water.

Separating the upper half of the liver, which has hardly come into contact with bile due to its structure, I transfer the portion that’s been continuously exposed to bile to another plate.

No matter how much it’s washed, the lower half, which has been in contact with bile, retains an unpleasant taste. It’s more than good enough, but for the Four Dukes, only the tasty parts will be served.

“Tina, please freeze this liver.”

“Yes, Chef Kurt.”

Tina’s fire magic… In reality, it’s heat manipulation magic that rapidly freezes the liver.

This is to kill bacteria and parasites. Deer have extremely high body temperatures, and their liver is suitable for raw consumption, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

After it’s thoroughly frozen, it will be slowly thawed using Tina’s power.

This way, food poisoning is unlikely to occur.

“Now, for one more refinement.”

No matter how delicious raw liver sashimi is, I can’t just serve it as is.

I place a wire mesh over the prepared charcoal fire and roll the liver block on it, searing only the surface.

This activates the flavor.

After giving the liver’s surface a brown hue by rolling it on the wire mesh, I cool it in ice water.

Then, I thinly slice it and arrange it on a plate.

The exterior boasts an appetizing brown color, while the center gleams with a vibrant ruby hue. I drizzle it with a sauce made from vinegar and finely chopped herbs, tinted with an emerald green color. The secret ingredient is a miso skim made from fermented soybeans, imparting a soy sauce-like flavor. It’s not widely known in this world.

“It’s ready. It’s the best sashimi in the world. Please, give it a try.”

I hand a piece of the liver to my subordinate, one that wouldn’t be served to the guests.

He swallows hard. The combination of brown, ruby, and emerald is enticing. It must be stimulating his appetite with its vivid appearance.

And then, he tastes it.

“This is amazing. It’s sweet, crunchy, and not at all smelly. I’ve never had anything like this before. I had no idea such deliciousness was hidden in deer.”

“You can’t achieve this level of flavor unless it’s fresh game caught today. That’s why we needed freshly caught deer.”

The sweetness of the liver comes from glycogen, but deer liver stores more than four times as much glycogen as cow liver.

There’s no liver as overwhelmingly delicious as deer liver.

What’s more, despite its richness in flavor, it’s low in fat and requires no oil in cooking, so it doesn’t make you feel heavy.

It adheres to my basic philosophy of not relying on butter or oil in my courses. The courses are built on flavor. This dish perfectly embodies that philosophy.

The role of the appetizer is to introduce what the upcoming courses will be like and to build anticipation.

Eating deer liver sashimi will undoubtedly astonish and excite, raising expectations for what’s to come.

“Chef Kurt, I understand it’s a magnificent dish, but isn’t the amount of liver a bit too little?”

“Deer liver sashimi is an exclusive dish reserved only for the Four Dukes. I simply can’t prepare freshly caught deer liver for everyone.”

For the other nobles, I’ve decided to offer only tuna tartare steak.

“In that case, it should be sufficient.”

“You might consider yourself lucky. You’ve had the chance to taste a dish that only the Four Dukes can enjoy.”

“Yes, it’s an honor beyond words! I’ll never forget this experience.”

Perhaps he’s genuinely impressed with the current dish, or maybe there’s a hint of admiration in his eyes as he looks at me.

“Now, we’re running out of time for the appetizers. Let’s keep pushing and finish up these dishes. We don’t have a moment to spare.”

“Yes!”

And so, the kitchen was engulfed in a battlefield-like frenzy.

I also began preparing the dishes.

Since I’m the one responsible for creating all the dishes to be served to the Four Dukes.

◇

Finally, the banquet began.

The Lenaril Duke’s mansion had several rooms dedicated exclusively to parties, and the most luxurious one was chosen for this occasion.

Everything in that room was top-notch. Every painting, chandelier, and dish could probably buy the entire Arnoldt estate on its own.

The Four Dukes were seated at a slightly elevated table, reserved exclusively for them, while the other nobles sat at a massive table.

Though the Four Dukes were in a league of their own, the other nobles seated at the grand table were still formidable figures in my eyes, including counts, marquises, and viscounts—entities that seemed distant and almost mythical to me.

A gathering of such esteemed figures is unparalleled.

I join the serving staff as we enter the room.

It’s the Duke of Lenaril’s order. I’m supposed to appear during the serving and provide explanations of the dishes if necessary.

As I approach the elevated table where the Four Dukes sit, all eyes turn towards me.

Especially noteworthy was the gaze of one of the Four Dukes I had a slight altercation with recently, Duke Heltring.

A scrutinizing look, as if he’s testing me.

As the appetizers and drinks are served to all attendees, Duke Lenaril rises from his seat, holding a microphone.

“I want to express my gratitude to all of you for attending tonight’s banquet, hosted by me.”

Quite formal.

Despite being almost the same age as me, he exudes an emperor-like aura.

“The courses for this occasion have been meticulously prepared by the Lenaril family, who governs the eastern territories of the empire. I assure you, they are completely new and of the highest quality.”

A murmur spreads throughout the room.

In a way, it’s expected. The Four Dukes take turns hosting these banquets, and claiming to offer something entirely new and superior is almost like surpassing all the other dukes combined.

Each time, the Four Dukes prepare the finest courses to showcase their power. These words are never spoken lightly.

I smile wryly. I didn’t expect them to be so blatant about raising the bar.

But I won’t back down. I’ve prepared dishes worthy of those words.

“But let us all raise our glasses and toast to the continued prosperity of the empire.”

Everyone in the room raises their glasses.

“To prosperity!”

And so, the banquet began.

The nobles moistened their throats with the aperitifs and then began to indulge in the appetizers I had prepared.