089: Fried Food

Basic tempura batter is eggs, then ice water, then flour added stirring with chopsticks. Recipe

Sata andagi (Okinawan doughnuts) look a bit like hushpuppies but are closer to a donut hole (sort of). They’re in the same family, but the outside is crispy while the inside is cakey. Recipe

At the request of his cute little brother, Silvio agreed to pick some edible plants and mushroom. He headed out to the mountains so we wouldn’t run out, this should make an beautiful dinner menu. Food looks better when it can have ingredients of different colors like green or orange.

While I was working on lunch, Bartolo killed the fire on the magic stove, then went over to check on the bowl with the bread dough. Another advantage of the magic stove is that it can turn off immediately like that.

“Oh, isn’t the first rise of the dough done?” Bartolo

Sounds like the first rise of the dough is done, that’s good. I put down the knife I was using to cut vegetables and walked over as Bartolo removed the Muona leaves that were surrounding the dough. The dough has swelled to twice the original size.

“Wow, it’s about double the size.” Al

As I was admiring the dough, Bartolo put flour and lightly pushed his finger into the dough for a finger test. He pulls his finger away and the depression took a while before filling itself in. If the hold closed quickly, the rise would have be insufficient.

“It’s risen correctly.” Bartolo

“I wish Eleanora’s bust would rise like that” Al

“Don’t say things like that, you’ll get murdered one day!” Bartolo shouts when he hears my comment.

“Eleanora is having a nice chat with Elna, so she won’t hear us.” Al

When I was asking Silvio to pick some plants and mushrooms, I heard Eleanora and Elna chatting. It seems Elna was telling stories from the royal capital trip, so they’ll be chatting for a while. I would have asked Eleanora to forage with Silvio, but Eleanora sounded happy with the conversation. I can read the air sometimes.

“Oh, is that so? You seem strangely confident on a dangerous habit.” Bartolo

“No, I can’t say those things normally, so I reserve them for safe times.” Al

I’m probably going to be killed if I say something like that normally.

“I don’t know if you’re a big shot or a tadpole.” Bartolo

“But that’s true, right? My mother is so gifted in that way, I’m sorry for Eleanora” Al

My dearest sister, Eleanora, turns thirteen years old this year. It’s time for a woman to bloom, Sheila has bloomed well and even Emma has some blooms. But Eleanora seems to still be in winter. Where did Elna’s genes go, the person who has seemingly had plenty of blooming happen. Did Eleanora throw it all away in order to get her sword talents?

I’ve seen her checking her chest that resembles a cutting board when she leaves the bath. I’ve also seen her drinking milk after hearing the myth that ‘Milk helps all good children to grow up’. Every time I see it, I feel sad for her…

“Hey, kid. Don’t attract attention by laughing. I feel sorry too, but do it quietly…” Bartolo

“She’s still waiting for a rise” Al

“Ok, that’s the end of it, hopefully not for her” Bartolo

“Hahaha” Al & Bartolo

While we were laughing happily, I felt a presence from behind.

“Hey, I came since mom to check out the kitchen since a sweet scent is coming out of it. So are there any sweets?” Eleanora

Eleanora suddenly entered the kitchen, seemingly based on a hint from Elna. I want to find a monster to distract my mother, these are my sweet bread sticks. Why is my mother sending someone in to retrieve sweets from her son?

More importantly, I hope Eleanora didn’t hear to much about the bread rise jokes I was making. When I looked at her, she was looking at me quizzically.

“What’s wrong? Both of you have strained faces?” Eleanora

“No- nothing! Don’t worry. You see, there’s these sweet bread sticks we just made, try them!” Al

“Sweet bread stick? Are they tasty?” Eleanora

I handed the plate to Eleanora to try and Eleanora picked up a stick and bit it. I heard a crisp crack sound and Eleanora laughed happily.

“This it good, tasty, and sweet! I could eat these anytime!” Eleanora

“Aren’t they?” Al

She isn’t overly excited, but they seem to have gone over welll. Eleanora ate it like a squirrel crunching through a nut, then licked her fingertips. She then grabbed another and put it in her mouth, it reminded me of the horror of potato chips. Yeah, I should make some potato chips today.

“Are you going to share them with mom?” Al

You’re worrying me, so please take the sweets and leave. As I engraved that message on my heard, I opened my eyes to see Eleanora gnawing down another stick. She’s like a cute small animal.

“That’s right. I’m… I’ll share these!” Eleanora

Bartolo and I smiled and waved to Eleanora, and once she had left earshot, we exhaled.

“I thought my heart was going to stop…” Bartolo

“I was so surprised. I had a vision of a wooden sword coming to reap my life.” Al

If Eleanora had arrived a few seconds earlier, that might have happened. I feel like it was so realistic, I might have been hallucinating.

“If you’re going to say those things, check the surroundings before saying anything next time.” Bartolo

“That sounds like a good idea” Al

We went back to cooking with elevated heart rates.

Lunch was made and served with no notable issues. After that, we started on preparing the items Silvio had brought back from the mountains for dinner.

The twice-baked bread sticks I had handed over were well-received by the females of the house, and another plate was requested immediately. Elna is a person who can make quick decisions. All of the bread leftover from breakfast was turned into twice-baked bread. It’s obvious that all of them will be eaten once served, so I reserve a serving for me and store it using Spatial magic. That way I can enjoy them later on.

The second rise for the dough had been completed, so I was about ready to make fried bread (agepan).

“So, you’re going to fry them all in oil?” Bartolo asked as he looked at the oval shapes I had made with the dough.

“That’s right” Al

I had already set the oil to warm up, so I put the chopsticks in to check the temperature.

“So, there’s bubbles, so it should be a correct temperature.” Al

“As usual, you’re super dextrous with those sticks.” Bartolo

“It’s pretty easy once you get used to them.” Al

“Really? So you practiced in your spare time? They seem convenient. So how are you checking the heat using them?” Bartolo

“That’s right. So if fine bubbles show up quietly, it’s not hot enough. If bubbles pop up from the whole chopstick, it’s hot enough. You can also use bread crumbs for that purpose.” Al

“I see” Bartolo

I put in the first two pieces of bread into the pan as Bartolo rests his hand on his chin to admire the trick. The oval shaped bread soaks in the hot oil and gently crackles. I wait until one side turns golden brown, then flip it over. You do one side at a time, letting it bake slowly. Don’t turn it over too quickly. I repeat the steps for the rest of the bread we’ve made up.

The fluffy fox-colored bread spreads a fragrant scent in the kitchen. I love the scent of roasted wheat because it makes me feel warm inside. I sprinkle sugar to complete the fried bread while it’s still hot.

“Ah ah ah ah!” Bartolo

“What’s wrong, Bartolo?” Al

Bartolo screamed as I sprinkled sugar from the jar.

“Haven’t you used too much sugar?” Bartolo

“That’s how much you’re supposed to use?” Al

Well, I’ll keep dropping the sugar on top, I’m hearing a weird voice to my side, but I’ll just ignore that.

“Complete!” Al

“Hey, I’ve got a lot less sugar.” Bartolo

“That’s why I said this was fattening.” Al

“It sounds nice to make, but the sugar consumption is high.” Bartolo

If you looked at the plate, you’d see the fried breads with sugar on top like they’d been snowed on. When you bite them, the outside will be crispy and sugary from the sugar that was piled on it. The aroma of fresh baked bread will enter your nose and then the sugar and fat will combine into an overwhelming sweetness. It feels a bit sickening.

“Then, let’s deliver them quickly!” Al

“Yes, so everyone is already here.” Bartolo

When I look to the kitchen door, I see a total of five faces. We’ve got the three maids, Mina, Sarah, and Mel, and Elna and Eleanora all looking into the kitchen. Apparently they were led here by the smell, it seems it started from when I was frying the bread.

When I was sprinkling the sugar, they were screaming with Bartolo. The reason he didn’t ask if I wanted to eat now was because he realized they were watching. If that happens, hyenas will rush in to the kitchen.

“Are you ready for tea?” Elna

“We’re finished with preparations” Maids

The maids like up like soldiers in front of Elna.

“Then please call Nord and Silvio” Elna

“We’re already seated!” Nord & Silvio

“Then let’s go to the dining hall, it’s time for something tasty.” Elna

“Yes!” Maids

Elna and Eleanora gracefully turn to leave, but not before giving a sharp look at Bartolo and I. The maids follow after them, giving the same look and leaving to the dining room. What’s with this performance?

Bartolo and I looked at each other, but didn’t say anything. We then followed with the fried bread.

Fried bread was very popular with the women. It’s seems like Silvio and Nord felt it was a bit heavy, so they split one piece and enjoyed it. Obviously, the women ate the rest, using the bread to grab every last bit of fallen sugar. Although it wasn’t a fancy sweet, the fried bread was highly regarded. I had thought about making sata andagi, but I’ll leave it for another time. I’m looking forward to making it. Next time we can look at having honey or jam on the twice-baked bread as well.

Bartolo and I needed to make dinner, so the magic stove was pressed back into service. We’re going to make several fried foods for dinner.

I can think of several things I could make, like tempura, deep-fried skewers, or potato chips. If I overdo it, the meal will be overly heavy, so I need to be careful. Well, let’s start with tempura, so I’ll need to make some tempura batter. There aren’t any pre-made tempura mixes in this world, but they don’t know what tempura is. A basic tempura batter is just flour, ice water, and eggs, so I’ll just make it up. Remember that it should be a little lumpy when mixed, don’t overmix the batter.

“Are you going to fry this in that?” Bartolo asks while holding a mushroom.

“That’s right, let’s be careful since it will be loud and the oil can splash.” Al

I expected this, so I have already changed from short sleeves to long sleeves. I didn’t think to tell Bartolo, so he’s still in his normal clothes. Even in this new world, hot oil is still something to worry about. I’ll leave hot oil protection to individuals, they can be proud or careful.

Bartolo puts the mushroom into the oil, they make a loud noise as they fry.

“Oh, that is a pretty loud noise” Bartolo gasps as he quickly steps back.

“Huh? Did any oil splash onto you?” Al

“Did you say something?” Bartolo

“Nothing, here’s the next mushroom” Al

Hah… If Bartolo keeps putting them in like that, oil is going to splash. Short sleeves aren’t going to prevent it hitting him either. I silently batter the mushrooms and vegetables, then Bartolo drops them in the oil before jumping back. At first, he was worried about the loud noise, just like me. But I’ll dare to say something about his antics.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re sitting down? Are you afraid of a little hot oil?” Al

“Oh, kid. I’m just putting them in carefully so the oil doesn’t hit you.” Bartolo

Psssh!

“Wow! What?” Bartolo

“It got on my clothes.” Al

“Well, fine. The frying time is important for this dish. I’ll leave it you, kid, at first. It’ll be fine.” Bartolo comes toward me as he says this.

Bartolo is completely frightened, but this may be the first time he’s fried something. If you start frying with meat and shrimp, the oil will turn dirty and smell, so you start with vegetables.

“When the big bubbles disappear and small uniform bubbles appear, that’s when the item is cooked.” Al

“I see, I wouldn’t have expected that.” Bartolo

I give Bartolo pointers as we cook the carrots, onions, mushrooms, and edible wild plants. I slip in some thinly sliced potatoes for potato chips. Yep, they were fried without any issues.

“We’re near the end of the vegetables, next we’ve got the chicken.” Bartolo says as he brings the bowl of chicken over.

The timing is perfect thanks to Bartolo. We add eggs and flour to cover the chicken, then add them to the oil. The sound of frying food echoes throughout the kitchen.

“I’m getting used to the sound, it’s not a bad sound to listen to.” Bartolo

Certainly, the frying sound could be interesting and nice. When I hear this sound, I think of fried food. Once the batter has hardened on the chicken, I flip it over to get the other side, then put it on a plate. I think bump up the temperature and put the chicken back in. It’s double-fried.

“Weren’t they already fried?” Bartolo asks with a suspicious look.

Bartolo was getting the shrimp battered and ready to fry.

“If you raise the temperature like this, the surface will turn out crispy. I call it deep frying. Well, depending on what is being fried, it may not work.” Al

“Ah, that’s it? Tell me more about it later.” Bartolo

When I finished the second frying of the chicken, two people came into view, Eleanora and Mina. It seems they heard the frying sound and investigated. They’re reaching to pick up the chicken.

This is going to go poorly, that’s dangerous. I bet they don’t understand fried food. As soon as I realized what they were doing I hit Mina’s forehead at the same time as some oil bounced out and hit her.

“Ah! Hot? Hot! Something hit my forehead?” Mina

I’ll let Mina be confused for a second, but Eleanora hits my shoulder in a ‘what’s the problem?’ type of question.

“Hey, those pieces just came out of the boiling oil, they’re really hot!” Al

Eleanora grabbed a piece and is currently rolling a bite around in her mouth while trying to cool it off by blowing. That’s fresh fried chicken, it’s going to be hot. I have to make a comment here.

“How about it? The fried chicken is delicious, right?” Al

When I asked that with a big smile, Eleanora opens her eyes pleadingly while pointing at her mouth. I better not press my luck anymore.

“Ah, yes. You need water. Here.” Al

I grab an empty cup and magically pour some water into it before Eleanora snatches the cup away and downs it in one go.

“Puh! I thought I was going to die” Eleanora

“That was right out of the boiling oil” Al

“I didn’t think it was that hot. Can I get some ice this time?” Eleanora

Eleanora sticks out the cup with a resolute attitude. I put some ice in the cup this time before handing it back to Eleanora. Eleanora grabs one and throws it into her mouth.

“Al is convenient.” Eleanora

“Magic is convenient.” Al

“If you’re hungry grab something and head out. We’re in the middle of cooking.” Bartolo

Bartolo appears to encourage our interlopers to head out.

“That hurts! It’s like I hit my head on a chest of drawers.” Mina

Mina is still acting hurt, oh, the bad maid. Eleanora looks at Mina, then back at me.

“Can I have this?” Eleanora

“It’s still hot, but that’s all you get before dinner.” Al

After eating the fried chicken I pointed at, Eleanora dragged Mina out of the kitchen.

“Ah! Ms. Eleanora! What about me?” Mina

“No. Here’s some ice.” Eleanora

“You’re so wily!” Mina

“Mina is being too noisy” Eleanora

“Ok” Mina

Bartolo and fried the river shrimp to complete the fried foods for dinner. Everyone was very happy with the fried food from the magic stove. They loved the fried food that was crispy on the outside and enjoyed the variety of things that could be fried. The magic stove was recognized as a game-changing kitchen item.

After all that, I was exhausted from cooking all day long. I want to take a break from cooking for a while. Let’s let Bartolo take over for a while.

Translation

Good Job!

Do Better!

Chapter

Love It!

What?

FFS!

Really?