Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Let’s Simmer The Meat And Potatoes. Is It Duck Meat Stew?
As soon as I park the car near the small grove, the rice cooker plays the "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" melody. It looks like the rice is done, thanks to the timer. While Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon went out for a quick patrol, I started preparing what’s not simple potato stew with meat, but rather potato stew with mad otter meat! I cut the peeled potatoes into bite-sized pieces and the onions into wedges. I also rehydrate some dried mushrooms I have leftover… I’ll keep the soaking water too, as it’ll make a good broth.
“Wow! It’s redder than I expected. Looks like duck meat!”
After preparing the vegetables, I took another look at the meat wrapped in bark… The contrast between the bright red meat and the pure white fat on top was quite striking.
When I lightly press it with my finger, it has a springy texture that pushes back. I wonder if this meat would be delicious no matter how it’s cooked.
“For now, it might be better to sear the surface…”
“Huh? Are you going to stew it whole?”
“No, I’ll cut it up after searing. The fat layer is quite thick, so I thought I’d lightly sear it first to render some of the fat.”
“Keeping it whole is good too…!”
“There’s a certain romance to a big piece of meat, right…!”
I rub some soy sauce and alcohol into the large, red, fatty chunk of meat on the cutting board to lightly season it. Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria stand beside me, watching my work with interest. It seems they’re curious about the cooking process. I wonder if watching like this might help improve their cooking skills. I think observing the process has some value, but to be honest, I don’t think they’re at that level yet…
“Now, I’ll sear the meat to render the fat and give it some color…”
“The fat is coming out…! It smells so good…!”
“There really was a lot of fat! I can see why it’s considered a tonic!”
When I put the meat in the heated frying pan, it sizzled loudly as the fat started to melt. Resisting the urge to poke it with chopsticks, I watch as the fat melts and pools under the meat. And it smells nutty and fragrant…! It’s hard to imagine such a delicious smell coming from that fierce-looking face! There’s no gamey odor or smell of blood at all.
Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria, peering into the frying pan, let out exclamations of admiration. They’re both wide-eyed, staring intently at the pan… It’s true what they say about couples starting to look alike…
Once enough fat has rendered, I quickly sear all sides of the meat to give it some color, then set it aside on a separate plate…
“Since we have this nice fat, let’s use it to sauté the veggies!”
“So many vegetables… but… I like the vegetables in your’s cooking, Rin!”
“That’s good to hear! Today’s vegetables will absorb the meat’s flavor, so I think they’ll be delicious!”
“…Rin, I won’t lose to you, okay?”
“Please stop, I’m going to die! We’re just talking about cooking here!!!”
I add the cut vegetables to the bubbling fat, stirring with a wooden spatula to coat everything evenly. The savory aroma mixes with the fresh, sweet smell of the vegetables—it already smells delicious! The golden fat is coloring the surface of the vegetables a beautiful golden hue. As I stir the pan to prevent the softened onions and slightly translucent potato edges from burning, I suddenly feel something odd…
Looking down, I see Ms. Aria smiling like a blossoming flower, gently tugging at the hem of my clothes and tilting her head. Wow, this beautiful and adorable wife! Isn’t this a bit unfair!? Her usually porcelain-smooth cheeks are slightly flushed rose-pink, and her ice-blue eyes seem to melt with warmth as she gazes at me… It’s truly… truly a feast for the eyes, but, um… Mr. Ed is staring at me like he’s about to bite through a handkerchief, his pupils dilated, so I’d really rather not, you know!
She immediately went back to her usual smile saying "Just kidding☆", but I bet she was at least half serious!
Geez! Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria are truly a monster husband and wife duo!
“A-Anyway… now I’ll add the mushroom soaking water and some regular water, then let it simmer a bit.”
“Just leave it like this?”
“Well, not quite. I’ll still need to add the meat, skim off any scum, add seasonings… it needs some attention.”
But I won’t back down! I’ll actively seize any chance to talk with a beautiful lady!
…Well, since we’re both women, I guess Mr. Ed lets his guard down a bit, which is probably why I’m able to get away with it.
I return the meat, now cut into 1cm slices, to the pot and start by adding sugar and mirin. They say you should add seasonings in the order of "sa-shi-su-se-so" for the flavors to penetrate properly. The aroma immediately became richer, making my nose twitch involuntarily. I think this is one of the joys of cooking—how a single seasoning can change the whole character of a dish.
…Huh? Are you asking what "sa-shi-su-se-so" means? It’s the initial letters of seasonings added for good flavor: “satou shouyu (sugar soy sauce), shiro shouyu (white soy sauce), su shouyu (vinegar soy sauce), seuyu (the historical name for soy sauce), and soy sauce"!
It’s a cooking basic, so it might be good to remember!
Just as someone might point out, "It’s all soy sauce!" I’ll add that soy sauce too and bring it to a quick boil! By the way, the original "sa-shi-su-se-so" of cooking was actually "sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso".
And that’s the finishing touch!
I ship Rin and Ville with my whole life! But reading how Rin and Aria friendly flirting with each other is always gave me butterfly ❤️❤️
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