Chapter 746 Beijing Roast Duck (×) Chicken Sandwich (√)
Since Older Brother Jayad is working so hard and is so eager for my evaluation, I’ll give it a try. I can tell from the smell that the taste probably won’t be bad.
Potato stewed meat is a typical European dish. Its advanced way of eating is to scoop the meat and soup together onto a slice of bread, letting the broth soak into the bread thoroughly, and then eat the meat wrapped in the bread.
Older Brother Jayad personally got to work, scooped a spoonful of rich broth, and poured it onto the bread. The Wild Boar King meat, cut into small pieces, was already completely tender. I felt this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; it must have started stewing not long after I left.
I didn’t say anything and rolled up the bread, stuffing it into my mouth. It was as delicious as I imagined. The rich broth permeated the crispy bread. Even when stewed, the Wild Boar King’s meat retained its excellent aroma and texture. Coupled with the potatoes, carrots, and peas that soothed the richness, the key was the broth stewed with wine and spices, slightly spicy and savory.
Hmm, it was actually a bit heavily seasoned, but considering Older Brother Jayad’s level after cooking again after such a long time, it’s already very good. It’s probably about seventy percent of my level, I’m so pleased!
As for why it was heavily seasoned? It must be because some priest lady beside him gave bad advice, urging Older Brother Jayad to add more seasonings. Yes, it must be so.
“How does Parul think of it?” Jayad instinctively noticed that my mood had improved.
“It’s delicious. Everything Older Brother Jayad makes is delicious.” I smiled and nodded. Potato stewed meat, as one of the most common commoner dishes in Europe, is indeed easy to make delicious, let alone with such good ingredients. To be honest, our potato stewed meat is no longer common at all.
“With the raw materials your family has and this method of cooking, even a cooking amateur couldn’t make it taste bad, right? This meal of yours would cost a wealthy family a month’s income, and it would be very presentable to entertain a bishop,” Lorna couldn’t help but complain.
From when Jayad proposed to have her stay for dinner to when he started cooking, Lorna was shocked by the spices he brought out. There were more than ten types, including some particularly precious ones, such as saffron, which were more expensive than gold of the same weight.
The main ingredients were also all expensive. Not to mention the wild boar meat, the bread was all white bread. Since our family hasn’t been short of money, I haven’t bought any more black bread mixed with sand and lime. I only buy pure wheat bread and white bread, and I buy the high-quality white bread.
This setup, which shocked the habitually ascetic Lorna, was comparable to a noble’s meal. Even a minor noble might not be willing to eat it. It was hard to imagine that such a dinner could be eaten in this dilapidated rented apartment.
“Miss Leo Man, the cooking process is also very important. The amount used, the time of addition, and the heat control all need to be considered to make good dishes.” I glanced sideways at Lorna. No wonder the taste was a bit strong. She, a devout ascetic, was really not particular.
It is precisely because of the mentality that good ingredients can make anything taste good that one cannot make fine cuisine. It only wastes precious spices.
In ancient times, the common people were very poor. Even salt was a precious commodity that ordinary people couldn’t afford or even buy. Not to mention other spices, which were more expensive than the main dish. Lower-class commoners could only live on bread, peas, and wheat porridge.
Conversely, expensive spices became a luxury exclusive to nobles and even a symbol of status. As a result, there was a phenomenon of overdoing it. Nobles would misuse spices.
Especially when entertaining guests, great nobles would add spices indiscriminately, without regard for pairings, flavors, or compatibility. They would just dump them in. What they were eating was not flavor, but face and status, with the purpose of showcasing their strength and ability to their guests.
Then what kind of cooking is that? Why not just have spice soup and skip the main ingredients? Later, they felt this method was too nouveau riche, and more advanced nobles went for dishes that were more refined than the ingredients or that boasted cultural depth or background.
My opinion has always been that taste is the most important thing. Nothing is more important than being delicious. Therefore, no matter how it’s prepared, being delicious is the primary consideration.
Of course, as the Gluttony Witch, I now have an additional practical need: quantity. It needs to be plentiful and filling. Older Brother Jayad understands me very well; he cooked a whole large pot. That’s the advantage of hunting magical beasts; they weigh hundreds of pounds each, so there’s plenty of meat.
“I feel like after eating this, I won’t be able to endure my ascetic practices anymore,” Lorna said with a wry smile. Even so, her mouth never stopped.
“By the way, Parul, I’ve thought of another way to eat it, perhaps you’ll like it.” Jayad said, standing up and using a knife to shave the golden-brown roasted skin onto the bread, then pouring another spoonful of broth.
“Before, Parul mentioned a way of eating called roast duck. Uh, I don’t quite understand it, but maybe this is similar?” Jayad handed me the bread wrapped with roasted chicken.
Beijing roast duck? I just mentioned it in passing. I didn’t expect him to remember it. I looked at the item in front of me with a helpless smile. This thing should be called a chicken sandwich, right? The filling and the skin are completely different.
However, it still tasted very good. Older Brother Jayad did his best to recreate the crispy, golden-brown duck skin I described, soaked in oil. Although it’s only chicken skin now, it’s already very crispy. Paired with the broth, it has a unique flavor.
“It’s good, really delicious. I feel like I can cook a meal like this for the Grand Tutor in the future.” Lorna paused here. She looked at the spices she had used earlier and said with a wry smile, “Forget it, I can’t gather the ingredients either.”
“How about I give you a set? A small box of each. You can use a little each time, and it will last a long time.” I asked Lorna. My family’s spices are stored in a small cabinet with separate drawers, which is actually a small tool cabinet used by alchemists to store parts.
In fact, those wandering knights also liked to use such cabinets for their luggage, but their drawers were larger, and they carried them on the backs of their horses. I had seen several such wandering knights outside the city before. I suppose Miss Leo Man would also do the same when she practices asceticism or travels.
“Let’s continue our training tomorrow. I’ll come find you tomorrow morning then.” Lorna said. She also needed to go back and contemplate the scriptures before coming to communicate with Jayad again tomorrow.
So, we saw Lorna off. Afterward, I took the remaining food next door to divide among the three girls. Sherris isn’t used to cooked meat, so I tried sprinkling spices and pouring broth on raw meat for her, and found that she could actually accept it.
“Oh, Parul (Sister), I feel like someone is spying on our room,” Via suddenly said.
