Appraiser 13

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Lunchtime With An Easy Tannindon

"Okay, let's all make lunch together."

""Yes!!""

Energetic responses came from the kitchen. Though they spent the morning cleaning the hideout, these boys were aspiring treasure hunters, training every day. Yuuri moved about three times more than the others, but nobody showed any weariness. Yuuri had been told not to overexert himself, so he cleaned at his own pace, relaxed and laid back.

The reason for such consideration was the current moment. It wouldn't do if Yuuri exhausted himself when it came time to cook lunch. Yak remembered that. He remembered that Yuuri could make delicious dishes easily. Therefore, all the apprentices lined up before Yuuri and responded obediently.

"For today's lunch, since there are fewer of us, let's have Tannindon."

"Tannindon?"

"Well, it's a dish where you simmer meat in a sweet and savory sauce, top it with a scrambled egg, and serve it on rice. How about with a vegetable soup?"

"Is it tasty?"

"I think it's a dish that goes well with rice, you know?"

""Alright!!""

As Yuuri tilted his head and answered, everyone was thrilled. They were incredibly delighted. Yuuri's cooking was already known to be delicious. And the croquettes he taught them to make were really tasty. So when Yuuri said it was a dish that goes well with rice, it had to be delicious. The boys' hearts became one.

They waited for Yuuri's instructions. It felt like they were urging him to hurry up and give them tasks. Yuuri planned to help while making his own portion. There is a suitable-sized frying pan, so he planned to make a scrambled egg for one person in it. However, seasoning would be difficult without practice, so Yuuri planned to simmer the meat in a separate, deeper frying pan.

"Alright, let's start with the soup. Yak, could you boil the bones like last time?"

"Roger-"

"...Hey, Yuuri. What are these bones for?"

"I got them from the butcher after they got dismantled. Broth can be made from bones, enhancing the flavor."

""Eh?!""

Ignoring the shocked boys, Yak tossed the bones into the pot. The broth was essential for flavoring the vegetable soup. So Yuuri received discarded livestock bones from the butcher. And it was free. From the butcher's perspective, it was just taking out the trash, so it was a win-win.

Meanwhile, Yuuri took out another pot. It was filled with water, and inside it were green objects none of them had seen before. They didn't know what it was, but it was a familiar ingredient for Yuuri: kelp, which was very helpful for making broth.

Yuuri discovered this kelp in a corner of a shop that sold dried fish and bought it. The concept of using kelp for broth wasn't known around here, so it was considered a useless mystery product. Even the owner of the fish shop didn't understand it; he just bought it when he purchased dried fish from fishermen. Yuuri thought seriously that if the fishermen explained it properly, the greatness of kelp broth might spread beyond port towns.

Now, they transferred the soup from the kelp-infused pot to a deeper frying pan. Once it was about halfway filled, they also moved some kelp into the frying pan and put it on the heat. While doing so, Yuuri picked up an onion.

"Do you all know how to peel an onion?"

"Huh? You just peel off the brown part, right?"

"Yeah. Then, after removing the top and bottom, cut it in half vertically and remove the core."

""...The core?""

They didn't know about removing the core of onions. The cores they held were still white, seemingly harmless. However, Yuuri always removed them. It was the part where the sprout would eventually grow. Somehow it didn't feel appetizing. It wasn't poisonous, but the texture was different, so Yuuri always cut it off without hesitation.

So, while watching Yuuri's method, the boys followed suit. Each of them had their onion. Yuuri had two because he was also making one for Tiffana, who was watching over them.

They peeled and removed the core of the onions, then sliced them to their preferred size. Yuuri liked them thinly sliced. But not too thin that you couldn't enjoy the texture. Yak and Ulguus went for slightly larger pieces for stir-frying. Camille's were similar to Yuuri's in thickness. And Mag cut his so thin that it resembled onion slices, working quietly like a craftsman.

Next, Yuuri took out the meat of the Big Frog. He began slicing it into bite-sized pieces. Slicing it increased the surface area for the flavor to seep in and ensured it cooked quickly. After cutting enough for everyone plus a little extra, Yuuri checked the kelp broth, which was boiling now. Of course, he had removed the kelp before it boiled.

"We'll season it with soy sauce, sake, and a bit of sugar to make it slightly sweet."

"Okay. Why use this kelp-infused soup?"

"Kelp releases a lot of flavor among seaweeds. And just having broth makes it much tastier, right? Try tasting this kelp broth alone and compare it to normal water."

Yuuri ladled the kelp soup into small cups for tasting. The four of them drank it and were surprised, their eyes widening. It had flavor even though they hadn't added salt or soy sauce.

"Huh? Why? It tastes like something."

"Wow, it's delicious even though it's just water-"

"It's a different taste from animal bones."

"...Delicious."

""Did Mag just talk?!""

"...Huh? Doesn't Mag usually talk?"

Seeing the three of them making a fuss, questioning whether it was a lie or for real, Yuuri now raised an eyebrow. Mag was generally quiet, with his eyes hidden behind his bangs, so his expression was unreadable. But he was diligent in his work, reliably completing any task given to him. So for Mag to mumble something was surprising to everyone.

Well, shrugging it off, Yuuri began adding seasonings to the kelp soup in the frying pan. He added sake, soy sauce, and sugar, simmering them to create a sweet and savory sauce for the bowl. Once Yuuri adjusted the flavor, then he added the sliced Big Frog meat. He let it simmer gently.

Yuuri swiftly sliced the onions ignoring the four who were staring intently at the frying pan. He thought about slicing the carrots the same way but reconsidered, opting for a different cut to make it more interesting, slicing them into half-moons. Finally, he cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and peered into the pot where the animal bones were simmering. The broth seemed to be coming along nicely.

With practiced movements, he transferred the bones into a bowl and quickly tasted the soup, adjusting the basic flavors with salt, pepper, and herbs. Since the main dish was the sweet and savory Tannindon, the soup was lightly seasoned to bring out the flavor of the vegetables. Once the flavors melded together, he added the vegetables and let them simmer over medium heat.

"Is the meat cooked?"

"The color has changed."

"Okay, let's taste it then."

Saying so, Yuuri took two larger pieces of meat, cut them into five portions, and placed them in a tasting bowl. Everyone took a bite, except Yuuri, and again, they expressed their joy at how delicious it was. Yuuri checked the texture and flavor of the Big Frog meat, now softened by the sake-based sauce. Without being told, one might mistake it for chicken thigh meat, both in texture and flavor.

However, the umami was tremendous. The meat of monsters was even more delicious than the livestock Yuuri knew were "raised for consumption." Indeed, the texture and flavor resembled those of the animal meat identified through appraisal results. They were similar, but the umami was on a different level. So this was monster meat, Yuuri thought. Perhaps because the ingredients were delicious, even simple cooking methods could result in delicious food.

"Alright, let's make the Tannindon, shall we? First, we'll serve the rice in bowls."

In this world, there were rice cookers among magical tools powered by magic stones. Of course, they had one in their hideout. The rice cooker Yuuri referred to was a big one that could cook about five or six cups of rice, and they had two. Well, even if they were to serve all twenty of them at once, it might not be enough. Anyway, Yuuri scooped freshly cooked rice into deep bowls. Since they would be topping it with meat and egg, it shouldn't be too much.

"I'll put the meat and soup for one person in this small frying pan. Then, I'll add the onions and simmer them until they're cooked."

Starting with his portion, Yuuri used a ladle to pour the meat and soup into the frying pan, added the sliced onions, and put it on the heat. As it simmered, he quickly cracked two eggs into a bowl and beat them with chopsticks. The rhythmic sound of the eggs being beaten surprised everyone, but Yuuri didn't notice such a thing.

"When the onions are cooked, I'll pour in the beaten eggs and cook them. Well, how much to cook them depends on personal preference. I prefer the whites to be cooked."

With a smile, Yuuri poured the beaten eggs over the rice in the deep bowls and topped them with the completed scrambled egg. The silky egg and the glimpses of meat and onions. And the sweet and savory sauce seeping into the rice. Everyone's throats gulped involuntarily.

"Now, let's each try making it while I watch, okay?"

""Yes!""

And without any major mishaps, everyone completed their Tannindon. Of course, Yuuri had also made one for Tiffana, who had somehow appeared in the dining area. The temptingly delicious Tannindon with melted onions and the scrambled egg was served. As they finished serving these two, just as they were about to start eating, Yuuri took action.

"Let's eat."

He clasped his hands together and quietly gave thanks for the blessings of the ingredients. It's a common gesture for Japanese people, but apparently, it seemed strange even to people from another country. It might be common to offer prayers to the gods before a meal, but few would understand the meaning of saying "let's eat" with gratitude. Especially in this otherworldly setting, where everyone was looking at Yuuri curiously.

Realizing this, Yuuri smiled gently as he explained.

"It's a custom from my hometown. It's a way of expressing gratitude to the ingredients and the people who made them."

"Then, let's follow suit. Like this, is it okay?"

"Yes."

"...Then, let's eat."

""Let's eat!!""

Following Tiffana's softly smiling words, the boys echoed. And then, they all started eating their Tannindon with great gusto. The boys only said it was delicious. Tiffana, with her feminine curiosity, seemed interested in the cooking process, asking Yuuri questions from the sidelines. After hearing the answers, she widened her eyes in surprise.

"It's so delicious, yet the process seems quite simple. And you can make it in large quantities."

"Yes, indeed. The Tannindon was a meal served to laborers in my hometown. It's quick, delicious, and easy to eat."

"...If you were to teach this dish at a restaurant, I think it would be very popular."

"Is that so? I'm glad to be of help, but..."

Yuuri laughed casually, and Tiffana smiled wryly. She seemed to think he was a person without greed. Looking at her eyes, soft and smiling, Yuuri couldn't help but tilt his head in wonder. To him, it was just lunch. But from Tiffana's perspective, teaching this dish and receiving royalties for it could be quite profitable. But Yuuri had no intention of that.

And besides, if someone asked him to teach, he would teach, and that would be it. After all, it's not like Yuuri invented it. Also, the idea of teaching cooking and charging money for it didn't exist in his value system. It wasn't something that would occur to an ordinary high school boy (albeit a girly boy) like him.

When he was invited to go to a restaurant together next time and simply nodded, the boys looked envious, but he didn't notice at all.