kscans

Chapter 114 - Various Kinds of Steaming - 1. Adon's Request

"A dish that would appeal to nobles… you ask?"

"Yes. I was hoping you might know of something, Yuri-kun."

Making an unreasonable request of a twelve-year-old recluse was the master of this mansion, Adon. To be fair, he himself seemed to know it was an unreasonable request, and there was no sense of pressure in his questioning. It was more of a feeling of, "if something comes of it, it’s a bonus."

"So winter is the social season."

"When the roads are blocked by snow, business transactions and the like tend to slow down. Especially here in Laurenzen, a merchant city, that tendency is strong. Well, since travel to and from other domains and countries comes to a halt, it seems the nobles also get bored, and they apparently have a constant round of parties in the royal capital."

"And that’s why you need dishes for parties."

"That’s right. For a merchant, a party is a battlefield. You could say it all depends on how much you can stun your opponent. But the food tends to lack variety."

"I see…"

"It would be great if we could use that papas potato, but we just can’t get it in time. The head chef is pestering me to get it quickly."

"Mand-san?"

"Yes. He seems to have taken a liking to the fried dish you made… and he’s apparently trying it out with various other ingredients as well."

"Huh? In that case, wouldn’t fried food be fine…?"

"It’s not bad, but… the appearance, you see."

"Ah, I see."

Meat, fish, and vegetables, once coated in batter and fried, all look the same. A plate lined with brown fried food would inevitably look plain. Yuri was convinced. …To be fair, only Yuri was thinking of "coating and frying." Adon and Mand, who did not know about frying in the first place, were attempting to fry things plain, without any coating. …Yuri had not thought that far.

"Hmm… there’s the option of adding color with sauces, but… it would still be more of the same."

"Mand has been trying various things as well. Yuri-kun, do you know of any interesting sauces?"

"I’ve heard from my grandfather about a sauce that uses raw eggs, but… I’m too afraid to make it."

"Ah… raw eggs… that is a bit scary."

Mayonnaise and tartar sauce, which use raw eggs, have a high risk of causing food poisoning if the eggs are contaminated with salmonella or other bacteria. It would be fine if he could confirm they were not contaminated with 【Appraisal】, but it was doubtful whether he could get uncontaminated raw eggs here in Laurenzen. As a merchant, he should avoid anything risky.

"Hmm…"

When it comes to party dishes, it goes without saying that they must be delicious, but as Adon mentioned earlier, visual beauty and impact are also important. For example, a hamburger steak made with ground meat could be mistaken for a dish made from scrap meat. It might be a top choice for a home-cooked meal, but it might not be suitable for a party dish. Besides, on Earth, meatloaf already existed in this era, so the impact in terms of novelty would probably be small. Rolled cabbage might still be unknown, but it was also more of a simple, home-style dish. He was not averse to teaching the recipe, but he felt it was slightly off from what Adon was requesting. In that case, what about an omelet? The star of French cuisine, the omelet, but they all look more or less the same. The bright, soft yellow is certainly beautiful to the eye, but what about the impact? If there were ketchup, the contrast between red and yellow would be eye-catching, but…

(I think ketchup… or rather, tomatoes, which are essential for ketchup, are unknown here. I might be able to use Pepit, but providing a large quantity at this point would be unnatural…)

He would keep it as a candidate for now, but what else…

(Hmm… steaks and stews probably have similar dishes already, and simmered or grilled dishes lack impact. Fried foods have the drawback I just mentioned… and for fish dishes, I’m worried about sourcing the ingredients. Sashimi-style dishes would probably be treated as a bizarre food rather than a delicacy… I probably can’t arrange for cheese or liquor in time. As for sweets… fresh cream would be a bottleneck, and chocolate is unobtainable. In any case, they use a lot of sugar, but in this country, sugar isn’t used much, and honey and maple syrup are the norm… I’m not sure how the taste would differ…)

While Yuri agonized, with Adon fretting beside him for having made such an unreasonable request, he eventually hit upon the idea of steamed dishes. It might not be a bad idea for an insect dish, but the hurdle might be a little high. Come to think of it, he did not think he had eaten many steamed dishes since coming here. There was an oven in the kitchen, so it was not as if steam-baking was impossible, but perhaps the recipes were surprisingly scarce. That said, things like steamed potatoes were too simple… or maybe they would be a hit, but for now, he would exclude them from the candidates. Chawanmushi would be a problem because of the broth. That left gyoza, shumai, and Chinese steamed buns… Steamed vegetables would be good for color. What else…

"Adon-san. Have you ever heard of Hosho-yaki or Salt Crust Baking?"