Vol 2 Chapter 6 (1/2)

Episode 6: Firefox Traditional Food(火狐の伝統料理)

Kuu and I along with a number of Firefoxes entered the old workshop.

It is considerably cramped with all the equipment that was taken from enemy soldiers. I want to make a third workshop, but getting the materials for that is going to be a bit harsh. I have to think of another plan.

We came to the old workshop to take out cooking appliances and the foodstuffs that were stocked in secret.

The cooking appliances were meticulously made and was originally intended for the potato harvest festival.

While I prepared the cooking appliances, I instructed the girls to butcher and fabricate the wild boar and deer.

「It’s an amazing amount of weapons and armor… This seems like it’s for war.」

Kuu while looking around seeing the armor and swords, raises a surprised voice.

「There were crudely made arrow holes, but now it’s used for the raw materials. Anyway, Elves hate heavy equipment.」

Elves favor agility and speed. To be killed while being wrapped with iron armor is something they don’t want to think about.

First, Elves fall behind in proficiency to soldier’s, it’s the same as fighting the empire and just waiting to die.

「umm, I want that iron pot, and that pot, also that large bowl, and that iron plate, I wonder if I can make that…. Oh and then that pot over there, and other various stuffs.」

Since there is a lot of considerably heavy things, they took it out with multiple people.

Taking the cooking appliances from the workshop, I make a landmark and divide the girls into several groups of people.

I need to issue instructs to every group. My first instructions was for everyone to gather iron pots.

「You guys in the potatoes squad. what you will be making is potato chips and pommes frites.」[Pommes Frites]

It was the most common method to prepare potatoes on earth, so it’s surely going to have the best taste in the world.

「Were going to heat the fat we got from the wild boar meat, after that the rest is simple. Toss the potatoes in and finally salt it. Let’s first start with preparing the fat.」

「「「Kay！」」」

The Firefoxes give back a healthy answer.

This group has Kemin and many other relatively young girls.

With me in the middle of it, my big brother act is certain to come out.

While the cooking appliances are being taken out the girls fabricate the wild boars, removing the back fat. The ma.s.s of back fat above all is hard sinew which is something you can’t possibly eat.

Usually Elves toss it away without eating it. If it was processed though it would be one of the best ingredients to use.

「Let’s start melting the fat. Put the sc.r.a.pings of the back fat in the pot there. Now, everyone heat that pot now.」

To easily melt the back fat sc.r.a.pings that were put into the pot. The girls nod and hold their hands toward the pot.

The Pot turns red and the back fat sizzles, bubbles and melts.

「uwaa~, it’s getting really hot. It’s hotter than boiling water.」

「Yep, the temperature is important. Water can’t reach this super high temperature to cook the potatoes, that’s why we need to use this oil.」

One of the girls stares inside the pot with great interest.

The oil temperature rises to 200℃, when I look at it, the white ma.s.s of back fat that was spewing out oil was rapidly getting smaller. The leftover meat and sinew fries and changes into a fox color and floats to the surface.

The oil initially had water in it, but that water will soon evaporate and what will be left over is pure oil.

「Yep, it looks good now. It will be ready when you scoop out all the fox colored ma.s.ses that are floating.」

「I got it, Cyril-sama! Do we throw away this floating stuff?」

「Throwing it away would be ridiculous, it’s very tasty and even has a long-shelf life.」

「is this really that tasty?」

「Ah, it’s because the oil and fat is packed with flavor that gets absorbed by the meat. You can’t even eat that sinew even if it’s baked or even boiled. But, frying it in oil…. When you fry it in oil that is overheated, it becomes crispy and crumbles in your mouth, becoming very tasty and edible.」

Actually, stuff made from frying with oil is often tasty. Of course even though it’s only stuff fried with pig oil. In the Heisei-era j.a.pan, 100 grams of fried meat stuffs was a high-cla.s.s item that was around 300-yen. Naturally, you can’t place a price on wild boar stuff here right.

It can be an ingredient in sandwiches, it’s good in soup, it’s also the best when used in fried rice and yakisoba.

The firefox girl tilts her head in doubt, she takes the iron ladle and scoops out all the fried stuff.

Shaking off the oil, she nervously put it in her mouth.

「Uhwaaa~, it’s tasty, the flavor from the meat is very rich.」

「Ahaaa~, why only Yukino, that’s not fair!, me too! me too!」

「It’s just like Kurone to just go past like that!」

Everyone who was near the pot, while raising a racket started to pluck the fried stuffs.

「Okay, thats enough. You’ll eat all the stuff we need for the get-together. I think there is also those who want to eat too, so I want everyone to be patient. The left over stuff can be stored in bottles. They will make for splendid preserved foods. 」

「「「Kay!!」」」

The girls obediently obeyed me and started to stuff it into bottles.

Anyway, frying with oil reduces the moisture in the food. After if we put salt on it, it should keep for about a year.

After filling the bottle full of fried stuffs. Salt was put in and it was sealed and shaken to make sure the salt packed in there tightly.

「Now since there are still various uses for the oil let’s preserve it. It’s already warm.」

「So then, we can stop putting power, right.」

After the oil became cooler a handful of salt was put in.

「Next I wonder if it’s okay for oil to be at room temperature?」

「It’s easy business, right!」

Fire magic in essence is not making things hot, its regulating and managing the heat.

Therefore, you can also steal or move heat around.

After confirming that the oil has become room temperature, I pour the oil into a bottle.

「Okay, well please make this bottle cooler.」

「This time i’ll do it!」

The girl who called out earlier, Yukino cools down the bottle. The oil turns into a white cream inside the bottle.

Removing the impurities that formed in the oil, makes it become very smooth.

「Here, it became clean and soft right? This cream like stuff is called lard.」

Putting the ladle in, it sinks nearly without resistance.

「Amazing!」

「From the next one on just make the oil a little warm, when it’s like that it can be used as a tasty seasoning. I wonder if there is any bread from breakfast left? I wonder if it’s okay if I have them bake it.」

「Kay!!」

「Yukino probably did it earlier. I’ll do it next!」

Earlier some other girls baked bread. Anyway, the lard that was made can be stored in a bottle.

The warmed up lard has a sweet scent and can be melted and spread over the bread’s surface.

「Here, each of you take a turn trying it out.」

After saying that, the girls take turns eating the bread.

As everyone tried it their eyes brightened with surprise.

The wild boar fat was tasty.

It became something akin to b.u.t.ter.

Even though it’s pretty much just straight fat, it has the taste of meat as well as a strong sweet taste to go with it. Its warm this time, but it’s tasty even when cooled down.

Cow fat melts at around 48℃, but wild boar fat melts at 30°C. At that temperature it melts in your mouth making it easier to enjoy the taste of it.

If I were to rate them in order it would be: wild boar, Berks.h.i.+re pig, common pig, and then cattle. Wild boar lard has a extraordinary taste to it.

Because of its scarcity, its a super high-cla.s.s item that is rarely obtained on earth.

「Well, shall we get going to the production?」

I instruct everyone to start making lard, but since it’s going to be used soon I tell them not to bother bottling it.

「We are going to first make potato chips, for this we need to make ultra-thin slices of potatoes. Then we are going to put them in the piping hot lard.」

I had made a slicer for the potato harvest festival, at the time I was thinking for the elves to be able eat them on the spot. So I needed to make a slicer that anyone could handle.

When you pushed the potato against the blade and moved it, it would make slices that were thin enough to see through. It would get thrown out of the bottom and fall straight into the pot.

In a blink of an eye, one potato was completely sliced apart with the slicer.

The thin potato slices turned quickly into a fox color and floated to the surface.

It was scooped up and served on a dish.

Crushed rock salt from the Firefox village seasoned it to make it complete.

「Next is pomme frites, we make it a larger cut.」

Without using the slicer, I cut the potatoes that still had skin on them into 8 equal parts.

Pommes frites with skin are a bit large and this is a shortcut of making them.

I don’t recognize pommes frites that is the boiled, crushed and then molded stuff. That is not pomme frites.

「I wonder if you could lower the temperature just a little?」

「is this much okay?」

「that feels about right. remember this temperature well, kay.」

「okay!」

First we carefully raise it from a low temperature, to see if it’s enough to penetrate the potatoes.

「Yep! This time quickly raise the temperature in one go」

「like… like this?」

「more power!」

「Okay!」

「Okay, this is good. The trick is to begin with a simmer and to end it with high heat.」

While I stroke the head of the young girl. I take out the pommes frites and put it on a dish for serving. The high-heat toward the end of frying gives it the crunchy exterior that makes it taste way better.

「Okay, next is your turn, place the potatoes from where I did it before.」

「O… Okay. 」

They didn’t say it with confidence, but I allow them to try it themselves. Starting from low heat and ending it with high heat.

With this it seems leaving it up to them looks okay.

「This! I want to treat everyone to this potato cuisine! I want to make a hundred portions. Cooled down potato chips are also tasty, like a hundred can be prepared on request. We will be offering freshly prepared pommes frites. Now that you know how to make potato chips and pommes frites, cut the potato! See, you can do it!.」

Everyone gave me a nod from my question.

With this the potato squad will be alright.

Next is the steak squad, and then my cloths was suddenly caught at the hem.

「ummm, Cyril-sama is it ok if I try tasting it once?」

The girl, Yukino embarra.s.singly asked.

「ah, okay. Both parties only get one though okay.」

When I said that everyone’s eyes light up and they started to stuffing their cheeks full of samples of potato chips and pommes frites.

「These potato chips are crunchy and interesting!」

「I like soft and flaky pomme frites.!」

「Either one is super tasty!」

It being popular with the Firefoxes is good.

It’s all from simple ingredients. But the ingredients are super high-cla.s.s stuffs, so there is no way it’s not going to be good.

The ingredients being natural homemade wild boar lard, potatoes raised with only organic fertilizer, and rock salt taken from the Firefox village.

A normal store couldn’t place a price on it for sure.

Potatoes completely absorb the wild boar fat flavor along with the minerals and flavor from the rock salt. It is the ultimate meaning of luxury.

I felt comfortable leaving those girls after seeing their smiles.

From that I left that place.

Next is the steak squad.

It will be the main dish that will be served up today. Even though it’s wild boar meat I would rate it about the second softest. The meat most suited to be steak would be the loin which the girls head for.

From one boar you can only take nothing but several dozen Kg of meat. You must use this amount of meat to make steak for sure.

The peach sheen and rose meat is actually below a level in taste. I want to use sirloin, but there aren’t enough people to help prepare it so I gave up.

The girls gathered a huge iron plate and a huge pot. This squad has a higher percentage of average ages in this age group. It gives me an image of gathering of housewives.

「Sorry for the wait, well then, today I will show you a special way of making steak!. It will be the Plat de résistance, so it’s a heavy responsibility.」 [Plat de résistance]

I say that aloud, but everyone here seem to be in low spirits.

「I wonder why you’re down. you all seem unenthusiastic.」

I inquire and one of the firefoxes raises their voice nervously.

There is a woman in her early thirties blus.h.i.+ng and emitting s.e.xual appeal. I selfishly name her miboujin-san. [miboujin-san]

「Cyril-sama baked wild boar will be hard and sinewy, and it won’t be liked very much.」

「That is true, isn’t it. I also might like it better when wild boar is cooked well.」

Everyone nodded their head in agreement. It’s certainly as the women said, only housewives would have that deep knowledge of cooking.

Muscular wild boar have hard and large meat and muscles. Without a scheme, just baking it would make it hard to eat.

「I said we are making it a special way right? The steak I am going to show is going to be soft and easy to chew. Well let’s just try with one and then sample it.」

The proof is in the pudding.

Rather than repeating what i said earlier it’s faster to just let them try it.

I take out meat that was soaking in the pot that had red-purplish liquid and set it beside the iron plate.

Before I left to hunt, Lucie and I prepared the stuff to distribute with the meat.

The thickness is about 1 cm.

My way of cooking is the best.

「Sorry, but can you warm up the iron plate for me?」

With my direction, the miboujin-san warmed up the iron plate.

「I drop a drop of water, if the water beads that is when it is the best temperature. everyone do remember this.」[Leidenfrost]

I put a drop of water down and it beaded and then disappeared from evaporation.

Then I melted lard on the plate and set some meat upon it. The smell of meat and cranberry started to spread.

The red sauce I used on the meat is diluted cranberry fruit juice.

「Grilling it half way is the best. From this heat, looking at it from the side when the color changes turn it over on the iron plate to the other side.」

After saying that I turn the meat over to the opposite side and wait for it to turn to the same color and then transfer it to a plate.

It’s only really searing the surface, but in the case of the wild boar, its fat melts at a low temperature, instead of beef steak it’s tastier when it’s close to bleu.[bleu]

It’s different from beef fat that doesn’t melt at a low temperature, raw wild boar is tasty enough by itself.

I cut up the steak with a small knife and gave it to the miboujin-san. She took it in her hand and put it in her mouth.

「I can cut it with just my teeth. It’s the first time tasting meat this soft!」

Seeing that, the other women scrambled to get a taste.

Inside their mouths the meat softly broke apart. The women became slaves to the specially made steak that overflowed with melted fat and Jus. [Jus]

「Here, it’s tasty right? But since we took out a step from the production it actually can get even tastier. Well, let’s get to it. We don’t have much time after all. We have to prepare enough for 260 people.」

「Okay!, please!」

Until earlier, everyone including the miboujin-san were reluctant, but they all became excited from the steak and how it was different.

「There are two parts to the secret of this steak being this soft, the first is this.」

I took out a cooking utensil.

It has the appearance of bra.s.s knuckles, with a row of countless chisel like blades, it had a fiendish appearance.

「You can tenderize the meat with this. But first the meat has to be cut to the appropriate thickness. It is important to remember it, okay.」

The miboujin-san stands behind, holding the special kitchen knife.

「Here, carefully hold down the meat.」

「o~, okay.」

With a slightly red face, the miboujin-san faces the meat.

「Like this, here this kind of thickness. This kind of softness if best. Well, let’s quickly cut it and remember, cut it about ten times.」

With a serious expression they cut the meat.

The finished steaks were about 150 grams, this should make it considerably easy to eat.

While doing so I release what I was doing, and let them do it themselves. It seems though they had already gotten the knack of it cause there wasn’t much different between the steaks I made and theirs.

「Now I am going to show you magic. The utensil I took out earlier is the tenderizer that I will use.」

I put on the bra.s.s knuckle cooking utensil.

And hit the meat…

Countless chisels pierce and shred the meat.

I s.h.i.+ft points slightly as I hit the meat.

The reason wild boar meat is hard is because of it being muscular with a lot of muscle meat. It can be softened from being tenderized. I have a hammer that is used to make minced meat, but it smashes the animal cells and it would change the flavor. I prefer steaks to be softened through cutting.

「And then next is the first real magic.」

I throw the meat into the pot that has the cranberry juice.

「The cranberry juice has the effect of breaking down the ligament proteins and amino acids. The meat becomes softer and you get a stronger taste of the proteins and amino acids. It’s killing two birds with one stone. Hitting action from before helps increase the surface area and penetration of the juice, doubling the effect. 」

「uhh, we have absolutely no idea what you just said.」

While giving a bitter smile, I scratch my head.

I overdid it… it would only make sense they wouldn’t know half of what the h.e.l.l I was talking about.

「The meat getting softer, and the taste getting better is what it all means.」

「If it’s just that then I get it!」

「Okay, because the grilled meat is going to be freshly provided, the meat has to be cut into the right sized pieces then tenderized. It then has to be soaked in cranberry juice. I know it’s bad that we need enough for 260 people and if we don’t hurry we won’t make it. Are you able to manage?」

「We will try.」

「You only have the people here to help you.」

They returned a reliable answer. I expressed a smile and started to talk.

「Okay, so with that being the case that is the final process. Earlier I said we skipped a step, but we are going to do that now. It is the process of making the sauce.」

Yep, after taking great pains to make the steak. there is no way you should eat it with just salt right.

「To make it, first we pickle the meat in the cranberry juice. It’s soaked and mixed to make the meat soft but no matter what part of the meat flavor bleeds into the juice. Since it would be a shame to waste it we will make the sauce out of it.」

I pour the cranberry juice into a small pot and tell the women to warm the pot to the point just before it boils.

「When the cranberry juice is boiled down the sourness and sweetness gets stronger making it actually quite tasty. For it to be even better we need to add more stuff in it.」[Demi-glace]

On top of the iron plate there is a perfect ma.s.s of muscle that no matter how you look at it can’t be eaten. I set the unusable meat on top.

「This meat is not really edible, even so this kind of meat when grilled produces wonderful Jus」