Chapter 697 - A Small Offering
Chapter 697 A Small Offering
Matthew was a renowned chef in Rodu. Back when he was working as the head chef of Moissan Fish Cottage, many customers would line up every day just for a chance to taste his signature fish dish.
His fish feast was the go-to option for all wealthy customers who visited the cottage. Many years ago, the second prince recruited him as a chef after eating his fish feast, and he became the designated chef for all of the fish dishes cooked in the manor.
As such, Matthew was extremely confident. Even the veteran chefs in the royal palace couldn’t make fish that was better than his, and the second prince had told him in person that his fish was even more delicious than the fish cooked in the royal palace.
However, Matthew was completely rooted to the spot when Mag opened the door of his oven.
A strong spicy aroma intermingled with the fragrance of grilled fish swept through the entire kitchen. The scorching spicy scent made everyone reflexively narrow their eyes, yet the aroma of the grilled fish was making them salivate uncontrollably, and they wanted to open their eyes wide to see what kind of grilled fish was being revealed.
This was a very unique aroma combination. Even though the spiciness was making their eyes water, the aroma of the fish itself wasn’t overwhelmed in the slightest. Instead, it seemed to have only been magnified, and was the purest aroma of fish without any of its signature rank odor.
How could this grilled fish smell like this? The intense spicy aroma hasn’t masked the scent of the fish at all! How has he managed to do this? Matthew felt as if there were an earthquake rumbling through his heart. The fish that Mag was cooking had completely revolutionized his concept of how fish should be cooked. It was completely different from how he would cook fish, yet the aroma emanating from the dish was far superior to the aroma of even his best fish dish.
“My eyes are stinging! But it smells so good!”
“The spicy aroma is so painful, yet so alluring! I really want to taste this fish.”
“The fish cooked by Chef Matthew is quite delicious, but it seems to be lacking in terms of aroma compared to this one.”
The student chefs discussed quietly among themselves as they salivated incessantly.
It’s stinging your eyes? That’s what it’s supposed to do! This is the three times insanely spicy grilled fish; it would be strange if your eyes didn’t sting! A faint smile appeared on Mag’s face.
The second prince was a sworn enemy of his, and even though he couldn’t topple the second prince yet, it wasn’t in his nature to leave Josh without a memento.
“His Highness is here!”
Right at this moment, a loud voice sounded from outside, and the young man in a set of lavish blue robes made his way into the kitchen.
“Your Highness.”
Everyone in the kitchen immediately extended respectful salutes toward Josh.
“This aroma!” Josh paid no heed to everyone else as he stared intently at Mag, who was wearing a pair of oven mitts as he pulled the grilled fish out of the oven. Josh’s eyes narrowed as he exclaimed, “Is that fish?”
Mag smiled as he removed the lid from the pot that contained the braised chicken, allowing its delicious aroma to also waft through the air. “Yes, Your Highness. This is one of the dishes I’m preparing to cook during His Majesty’s birthday banquet. The other two dishes are the black pepper steak and the braised chicken and rice.”
The aromas of the steak, braised chicken, and grilled fish intermingled with each other, creating a captivating symphony for one’s nose.
Josh had tasted countless delicacies cooked by the most exceptional chefs all over the continent, but he was still struck by the urge to salivate as he looked at those three dishes.
This was incredible to him.
No food had ever held such allure to him, but he could sense the yearning in the pit of his stomach, urging him to taste those dishes.
Josh nodded with a calm facade as he said, “The aroma is indeed quite extraordinary, but I’ll need to taste it to see if they’re actually as delicious as they smell.”
“It may smell good, but that doesn’t mean it tastes good. There’s no way that such a spicy fish could be edible,” Matthew murmured to himself. He had recovered his confidence and composure.
As a chef, he had an extensive knowledge of condiments, and using spices to mask the rank odor of fish certainly wasn’t some kind of well-guarded secret. However, a good chef would never allow the flavor of the spices to overwhelm the main ingredient. Otherwise, the dish would be a complete failure.
The other chefs also nodded in agreement. Setting aside the black pepper steak and the braised chicken for now, the spicy grilled fish smelled extraordinarily alluring, yet they also suspected it to be a gimmick. It was very difficult to imagine just how many chili peppers would’ve had to have been used to create such a powerful aroma.
Mag didn’t pay any heed to what the chefs were saying. Instead, he turned to Josh with a smile, and said, “Please take a seat outside, Your Highness; I’ll bring out the dishes right away.”
There was a small dining hall outside the kitchen for the chefs to use every day.
“Sure.” Josh turned and made his way out of the kitchen.
Mag filled a bowl with braised chicken, and then filled another bowl with moonlight rice. Both bowls were placed onto a platter before he turned to a young student chef, and instructed, “Please bring this braised chicken and rice dish out to His Highness.”
The student chef hesitated momentarily, but he still accepted the platter in the end before carefully carrying it out of the kitchen.
Mag then plated the steak and asked another student chef to carry it out into the dining hall. After doing all that, he carefully carried the spicy grilled fish on his own and made his way out of the kitchen.
“Let’s see what His Highness has to say about these dishes,” an elderly chef said as he led the way out of the kitchen.
“Let me see if that grilled fish is even edible.” Matthew harrumphed as he also made his way out into the dining hall.
Aside from the student chefs who still had to prepare ingredients, everyone else filed into the dining hall outside as well.
Mag placed the steaming spicy grilled fish on the table in front of Josh, then smiled, and said, “Your Highness, I suggest you have the braised chicken and rice first. The spicy grilled fish is quite strong in flavor, so it’s best to taste that one last.”
Josh picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks. Everyone else in the dining hall was also staring at that portion of braised chicken.
The golden pieces of chicken were all completely even in size, without any imperfections or blemishes. The potatoes were soft, yet still maintained their structural integrity. The asparagus was crisp and green, while the different-colored bell peppers embellished the dish like works of art. The thick golden broth of the braised chicken was catching and reflecting the light, yet it didn’t appear to be greasy in the slightest.
The entire dining hall was filled with the rich aroma of chicken and shiitake mushrooms, and one couldn’t help but salivate just from looking at it.
The evenly sliced cubes of chicken had perfectly absorbed the flavor of the condiments and broth, and a piece of this delectable chicken was currently on its way into Josh’s mouth.
The cube of chicken was enshrouded in delicious broth, and the incredible flavor instantly set Josh’s taste buds alight, completely enthralling him in the process.
After biting through into the cube of chicken, he discovered that the texture of the meat was extremely tender, and the flavor of the condiments and shiitake mushrooms had completely seeped into the meat, elevating its flavor to a whole new level. Even after swallowing the mouthful of chicken, a fragrant aroma lingered in his mouth.
Josh’s eyes had completely lit up, and he couldn’t help but praise, “Both the flavor and texture are outstanding!”
He picked up a spoon with his left hand, and drank a spoonful of the broth. The flavors of the condiments and shiitake mushrooms were even more pronounced in the chicken, and as it slid down his throat, he felt as if every single pore all over its body had opened up; it was a warm and extremely comfortable feeling.
He then scooped up a spoonful of rice, and felt as if he were looking at a spoonful of translucent little moons that were exuding a faint fragrance. He placed the spoonful of rice into his mouth, and found that the texture was slightly chewy, while the flavor became even richer after biting into the miniature moons. Furthermore, the aroma was only becoming more delicious as he continued to chew.
A bite of chicken, a mouthful of rice, a spoonful of soup; the cycle repeated itself over and over again, and Josh simply couldn’t stop eating!