Chapter 89: Deep-Fried Food
Chapter 89: Deep-Fried Food
At the request of his cute little brother, Sylvio-niisan departed towards the mountain.
I asked him to gather more edible plants and mushrooms than usual, so that we will not lack in ingredients.
Just this alone will make the dinner’s menu lavish. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
The meal will look appealing and lavish if it has colors such as green and orange.
While I was waiting while preparing for lunch, Bartolo turned off the fire and walked towards the bowl.
This is the advantage of the magic stove, you can turn the fire off immediately.
「Oh, about time the preliminary fermentation is going to be over, right? 」
Apparently, the preliminary fermentation of the bread seems to be over.
When I stopped cutting the vegetables and approached him, Bartolo was currently removing the Muona1leaves which was used as a means to prevent the dough from being dry.
Then he showed me a bowl of hot water for adjusting the temperature.
In it, there was the lump of bread dough that looked two times larger from the first time I saw it.
「Waー, it have become twice as big.」
While I was raising my voice in wonder, Bartolo put some flour on his finger and gently poked the dough with his finger.
It’s the so-called finger test.
After he pulls out his finger, the hole from his finger remains open, and it remains there for a while.
If the hole appears to close immediately after the finger is removed, then it hasn’t fermented long enough.
「It has fermented properly.」
「……wish Eleonora-neesan’s chest can also get this big.」
「Sometimes you say something preposterous, you know that. You’ll be killed, you know!?」
Hearing my sudden remark, Bartolo raised his voice in a hurry. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Eleonora-neesan was talking happily with Elna-kaasan just now, and she’s not nearby nor is she listening to us.」
I heard a happy voice, when I headed towards Sylvio-niisan’s place some time ago.
I heard something about tongs and the royal capital or other, I guess they’re talking about what happened in the royal capital.
Anyway, she was in talking happily with Elna-kaasan, so I couldn’t go to her and say something like 「Go gather edible wild plants in the mountain with Sylvio-niisan」
I’m a little brother who can read the mood, after all.
「Re, really? You look strangely confident, despite your usual modest behavior.」
「That’s not it. That’s just because I can’t say it normally, so I said it here.」
Since I’ll be killed if I say it in her face.
「I don’t know whether should I call you a big shot or a small fry.」
「But, it’s true isn’t it? Even though Elna-kaasan’s are so big……I feel sorry for Eleonora-neesan……」
This sister of mine, Eleonora-neesan is thirteen years of age this year. For a woman, it was the time when they should have blossomed. Sheila is special, while even Ema-oneesama have blossomed a little.
However when it came to Eleonora-neesan, there’s still no sign of her ‘preliminary fermentation’. 2
The preliminary fermentation, second fermentation, and it seems that it reaches the third, but where does Elna-kaasan’s gene go I wonder?3
I wonder if maybe it was discarded, in order to acquire her talent in swordsmanship.
And I also know that every time she gets out of the bath, she repeatedly touches her cutting board-like chest in the dressing room *petapeta*.
I also know that she listens attentively to my joke, 「It seems that it will get bigger if you drink milk」 and drink milk every morning.
Each time I see it, I feel my heart ache…… www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Oi, kid. You said that while you sounded like you’re laughing. The person herself also cares about it. Leave her alone………」
「But still, she hasn't experienced the ‘preliminary fermentation’ yet. 」
「Ooh! It smells good today!」
「「Uhahahahaha!」」
While we were still laughing happily, I suddenly felt a presence from behind me.
「Hey, kaasan said 『It smells so sweet and good, there must be snacks in the kitchen!, so I came here』 ………do you have any snacks?」
Eleonora-neesan suddenly appeared in the kitchen.
Apparently, it seems like she came here because of Elna-kaasan’s specific instruction.
It makes me want to really retort 「Does Elna-kaasan have the nose of a monster or what?」 . This is MY bread crust stick.
Trying to snatch the snacks her son made, what a greedy mother.
More importantly, I wonder whether she heard about our talk of ‘fermentation’ earlier.
When we sent our gaze to her as if asking about it, Eleonora-neesan looked at us in puzzlement in turn.
「……what is it? The both of you have pale face you know?」
「N, no it’s nothing! It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Look, here’s a bread crust stick, take it with you!」
「Bread crust stick? Is it good?」
When I pushed the plate with the sticks to her, Eleonora-neesan took one stick and ate it.
Then I heard a crisp, and grating sound from her and Eleonora-neesan laughed happily.
「This, this is interesting and delicious, it’s good! You can readily eat it at anytime!」
「Right, right?」
Her reactions are lacking as usual, but anyway, it looks like she took a liking to it.
Eleonora-neesan ate it quickly *karikari* and stuffed her cheeks like a squirrel, then she licked her fingertips *pero*.
Then she smiled involuntarily, took another stick and put it in her mouth.
Before you knew it, you won’t be able to stop eating them, that’s the dreadfulness of potato chips and bread sticks.
That’s right, I forgot about it, but I will make potato chips later.
「You’re not going to bring it to Elna-kaasan?」
She’s bad for my heart, so I want her to leave this place immediately.
When I said that with that message from the heart put into it, Eleonora-neesan opened her eyes widely as she remembered, then she quickly stuffed the stick into her mouth *karikari*.
She looks like a small animal somewhat, cute.
「That’s right. I unintentionally……… Then I’ll take this with me!」
We waved at Eleonora-neesan with smiles on our face, and after checking that she had left, we sighed deeply. Of course that’s because we’re feeling relieved.
「……I thought my heart would stop you know, boy.」
「I’m the most surprised. I had an illusion of my head being smashed with her wooden sword from behind, you know.」
If Eleonora-neesan was a few more seconds late in arriving, things would happen just like what was in the illusion.
Maybe I had that illusion because I can visualize it so vividly.
「When you’re going to say something like that, you should check your surroundings a little more before you say it.」
「I can’t stop myself saying that.」
With pale faces, we started to continue our cooking.
◆
After that, we had lunch in between while the cooking was proceeding smoothly.
And since Sylvio-niisan have also come back from the mountain, we’re very busy making preparation for dinner.
Just now, the bread sticks that I gave to Eleonora-neesan to distract her before seem to receive an extremely favorable impression from the women’s group, and so the command to increase its production were given to us.
A mother who made a quick decision as usual. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
All of the leftover bread from this morning’s breakfast is fried in oil, then it becomes bread sticks.
It’s obvious that they will eat them all if we leave them as is, so in order for them to not be taken away this time, I have packed a box of sticks for my own share and secretly put them away using space magic.
This way, they won’t eat my share of bread sticks.
The bread has also finished its secondary fermentation and bench rest.
And now, I’m about to make the deep-fried bread.
「So, we’re going to fry them in oil?」
Looking at the streamlined shape peculiar to the bread roll, Bartolo asked me.
「That’s right.」
The oil has already been heated in the pot.
I put the saibashi into the pot to measure the temperature of the oil.
「Un, the bubbles have come out it’s probably more than 170 degrees.」
「………you’re as skillful as ever using those two sticks.」
Bartolo looked at it from beside me and earnestly said that.
「It’s pretty easy to use once you get used to it.」
「Is that so? Should I try practicing using that when I’m free then? It looks convenient. Then, you can tell the temperature just by putting those into the pot?」
「That’s right. If small bubbles come out slowly, then it’s 150 degrees. And if small bubbles came out from the whole chopstick, then it would feel like it was around 170 degrees. You’ll understand it if you use breadcrumbs.」
「I see」
Looking impressed, Bartolo put his hand on his chin, and put two pieces of bread into the pot.
The oval-shaped breads were soaked into the hot oil and it made a quiet crackling sound *pachipachi*.
And then, wait until one side has turned golden brown, then turned it around after the color changed to golden brown.
Simply cook one side at a time carefully. You can’t carelessly turn it over.
Then repeat that for some time.
Just like that, the fried bread is complete.
The soft, golden brown fried breads are spreading their fragrant smell in the kitchen.
I like the smell of baked bread, since it makes me feel at ease.
Then I sprinkle sugar on the piping hot bread roll that was placed on a plate.
「Aaaaaaaaaaahh!」
「What is it now Bartolo?」
When I sprinkle a large amount of sugar from the jar, Bartolo let out a strange voice and grabbed me.
「Don’t you think that you sprinkle too much sugar on it, boy!?」
「You made it just like this, you know.」
Not minding him, I pour the sugar. There’s a strange voice coming from beside me, but I couldn’t care less.
And then,
「It’s done!」
「Oi, my sugar have decreased by a lot.」
「……like I said, you’ll get fat eating this.」
「It’s good that it can be made easily, but it uses a staggering amount of sugar.」
Bartolo checked on the sugar inside the jar dejectedly. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
If you look at the plate, the fried breads were placed there and it looked as if it was covered in a blanket of snow.
If you take a bite out of it, it will be crisp on the outside - what’s with the bread dough covered in sugar - then the smell of freshly baked bread will spread inside your mouth.
And with the melted sugar soaked into the bread caused by the temperature and oil, the overwhelming sweetness will definitely spread throughout your mouth.
Just imagining it alone makes me drool.
「………then, let’s immediately bring it to them quickly!」
「Un, that’s why, everyone. I want everyone to move over there.」
At the kitchen door were the maids, Mina, Sara, Mel, along with Elna-kaasan and Eleonora-neesan, a total of five people peeking toward us.
Apparently, each and every one of them sniffed out the smell of the fried bread and came here.
They have actually been there ever since we fried the bread.
They raise their voice along with Bartolo, and when I sprinkle sugar over the bread.
And we didn’t say 「Let’s try it now! 」, because we’re being watched.
Cause if we said that, the hyenas will most likely rush in.
「How about the preparation for the tea?」
「「It’s ready!」」
Hearing Elna-kaasan’s voice, the maids answered together like soldiers.
「Well then, can you please call Nord and Sylvio?」
「「They have already sit in their seat!」」
「In that case, let’s go to the dining room. It’s snack time.」
「「Yes!」」
Elna-kaasan and Eleonora-neesan turn their backs, their hair sways gracefully with their movement.
Of course, they don’t forget to send a sharp look at us.
Then the maids followed.
What kind of farce is this.4
Bartolo and I thought like that, but we didn’t say it, we took the fried bread and followed after them.
◆
The fried bread was mainly popular among the women.
It seems that it’s a bit heavy for Sylvio-niisan and Nord-tousan, the two of them split the bread in two and happily ate half of the bread.
Needless to say, the leftover half-fried breads were taken away, snatched by the women and eaten.
It might be lacking in terms of appearance, but the fried bread received high evaluation, the magic stove played an active part in it.
Originally, I was planning to make an additional sata andagi, but I’m going to stop eating snacks today since I have already eaten two bread sticks and fried bread.
Of course, it’s not because I’m already full and can’t eat anymore, but it’s because I wanted to look forward to it at the next snack time.
Next time, I’m definitely going to make sata andagi.
But I’m afraid I don’t know when that ‘next time’ will be. I thought that I would be able to use the bread sticks for awhile, by adding honey or jam on it. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Now then, it’s time to prepare the dinner, it would be deep-fried food.
I can think of various things like tempura, kushiage, potato chips and karaage.
But if I overdid it, I wouldn’t be able to eat it all so I have to be careful.
To begin with, in order to make tempura I have to make something that will be the tempura flour.
Of course there’s no convenient item like tempura flour being sold in this world. Or rather, there’s no one in this world who knows tempura, so it’s understandable.
Be that as it may, making a substitute that can be used for the tempura flour is easy.
Just mix egg and cold water together, and then just add wheat flour in it.
It seems like it will be better to just leave something like a lump of flour on it as a coating.
「We’re going to add this and fried them?」
Bartolo asked while coating the mushrooms with the flour.
「That’s right. Be careful cause it will make a loud sound and the oil will splatter.」
In preparation for that, I changed my clothes from a short-sleeved one to the long-sleeved clothes. I also told Bartolo about it, but he didn’t change his clothes.
Looks like he doesn’t care about a little bit of hot oil.
I’ll leave it to others to decide, whether it’s because of his pride or him being reckless.
He put the mushroom into the oil.
The mushrooms made a loud noise as they were thrown into the boiling hot oil.
「Uooh! It makes quite a loud noise, huh.」
It looks like the sound is louder than he expected, that Bartolo hurriedly took a step back.
「Che……he didn’t get burned by the oil, huh」
「……did you say something, boy?」
「Nothing. Look, the next one is the vegetables.」
It’s alright. If Bartolo keeps on putting the ingredients like this, then sooner or later, the oil should splatter on him .
Short-sleeves won’t be enough to protect him from the oil.
When I silently handed him the batter, he threw the ingredients into the oil while moving back.
At first he was afraid when the oil made a loud noise, I wonder if I was also like that.
However, I’m brave enough to admit it.
「What’s the matter Bartolo? You’re backing away you know? Youér not afraid of a little bit of hot oil right?」
「O, of course boy. I just don’t want the oil to splatter on you boy, so I’m just tossing it carefully.」
Pan!
「Owaaah! What is it!?」
「The batter just fall off, see.」
「Tha, that’s right. That’s because the timing of frying is important when cooking this kind of food. I’ll leave it to you now, boy. I’m going to change.」
Bartolo came to me while saying that.
He’s really scared isn’t he… www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
But, oh well, it’s his first time frying anyway, so I’ll fry it this time.
If you fry the meat and shrimp first, then the oil will get dirty and it will smell, so you have to fry from the vegetables first in that order.
「If the big bubbles became small bubbles, constant, and quiet, that means it has been cooked all the way to the inside.」
「I see. Certainly, it does feel like that.」
While occasionally teaching Bartolo about some know-hows, I put carrots, onion, mushrooms, and edible wild plants on a plate in succession.
And I also thinly sliced some potatoes, and fried them secretly to make potato chips.
Un, it seems that there’s no problem frying them.
「We’re mostly done frying the vegetables. Next up is the chicken meat.」
After saying that, Bartolo came and brought the bowl with chicken meat inside.
The seasoning has already been done by Bartolo, and is perfect.
Add eggs and wheat flour, and put them into the oil. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
The boiling sounds peculiar to deep-frying resounded inside the kitchen.
「I’ve become used to this sound. It’s a good sound if you listen to it carefully.」
Indeed, if you listen to the sound of oil carefully, it might sound interesting and nice to hear. When you listen to this sound, you will think ‘Ah, someone is frying something, huh’.
Then after the coating hardens, turn it over properly and when it feels like they’re fried enough, put in on a plate.
After that, raise the temperature and fry the karaage for the second time.
It’s the double frying method.
「Isn’t it already fried enough?」
I was about to fry the shrimps, but then Bartolo looked doubtful.
「When you raise the temperature immediately like this, the outside will become crispy. It’s called the double-frying method. Well, it may fail sometimes, due to the meat part and ingredients used.」
「Is that so? Tell me about it again later in detail, okay.」
When I replied to Bartolo lightly and was putting the fried food to the plate, two people suddenly appeared.
It was Eleonora-neesan and Mina.
Apparently, they hear the sounds of oil when the tempura and karaage are being fried.
It seems that they can’t endure it this time, and they tried to reach out for the fried food and eat it.
Uh, it’s okay to take one and eat it, but I’m still frying so it’s dangerous you know?
Just when I thought like that. The oil popped as Mina quietly reached out with her hand and landed a direct hit on her forehead.
「Aaaaaa!? Hott!? It’s hot!? Something hit me on my forehead!?」
Thereー see, told you so.
I leave Mina who was rolling around on the floor writhing in pain alone,
「―――――――mmph!? mmh!」
Eleonora-neesan raised her muffled voice, and she came and violently tapped on my shoulder *bashibashi*.
「Wait a sec, I’m frying right now so it’s dangerous!?」
「――――――mmph!」
Eleonora-neesan has a karaage inside her mouth while she’s huffing *hafuhafu*.5
That’s a freshly fried karaage. Of course it’s hot. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
However, I deliberately tried to keep her in suspense.
「How is it? The karaage is delicious, isn’t it?」
She widened her eyes and silently hit my head when I said that while smiling.
I don’t know what she’ll do if I keep on teasing her more than this.
「Okay okay, I know already, you want water right. Un, here.」
Saying that, I poured water using magic to a nearby cup.
Eleonora-neesan snatched the cup from me, and drank it immediately.
「Fuhaa! Thought I’m going to die.」
You’re acting as if you’re drinking beer or something.
「That’s because you took a freshly fried food.」
「I didn’t think it would be that hot. I can still feel a tingly sensation in my mouth, give me some ice. 」
Eleonora-neesan directly pushed her cup resolutely toward me.
When I put a little ice inside her cup using magic, Eleonora-neesan threw it into her mouth. After her mouth has cooled down, Eleonora-neesan stares at me unblinkingly.
「Al is so convenient.」
「The convenient one is magic. Also, your wording makes me feels like I’m an appliance or something, stop it.」
「Go bring them and get out if you’re done with your secret eating. We’re still in the middle of cooking, y’see.」
Bartolo appears without delay, and points the way out with his chin.
「Ow, it hurts!? I hit my head on the cabinet.」
After she writhe in pain on the floor, Mina got additional injuries. This poor maid, really………
Eleonora-neesan looked at Mina, and then she looked back at us.
「This is?」
「It’s hot. If you want to take something, take this here.」
After eating the karaage I showed her, Eleonora-neesan dragged Mina along with her and left the kitchen.
「Aaaaaa! Eleonora-sama! What about my share!?」
「There’s none. You can lick ice or something.」
「That’s so unfair!」
「………Mina is as noisy as ever, huh.」
「……yeah」 www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
After that, we fried the river shrimps, and completed the preparation for dinner.
Everyone’s eyes widened at the extravagant fried food made using the magic stove.
Everyone was completely satisfied with the fried food that was crispy on the outside and were able to enjoy all sorts of ingredients used, and the usefulness of the magic stove was acknowledged by everyone in the family.
All things considered, I was tired from cooking throughout the day. I don’t want to cook for a while. I’ll leave the rest to Bartolo.