Chapter 8: Eclabas Ingredients

Yesterday, d.u.c.h.ess Renalier put me through a trial. The content was to point out the mistakes of the dishes that were prepared by her chefs, then make dishes that surpa.s.sed them. I cleared the trial safely, and while Im staying in this place, Im wearing the t.i.tle of Honored Head Chef, facing the banquet with the four Grand Dukes attendance, and obtaining permission to use the enormous budget as well as all the facilities in this estate to my hearts content.

However, happy isnt the only thing that Im feeling. There are only six days left to fulfill my duty of creating the best menu.

Theres not much time.

The full course this time is created to showcase the ending, my pastry. Theres no room for any compromise.

Kurt-sama, youre thinking about the menu, arent you? Cant you use the menu that youve thought of before coming here?

Looking worried, Tina asks that question to me.

Frankly speaking, Ive approved of a menu before, Ive even prepared everything and let them rest.

In particular, Ive fermented a condiment to be used in the main dish; Ive put it in a sealed jar, and its still going through the fermentation process right now.

The day I have to cook the full course, it will be just the right time to be enjoyed.

And then, I also have the

s.h.i.+kabus.h.i.+

, venison flakes, that are several weeks old. Other ingredients that needed to be fermented for a while like chocolate has already been prepared too. Ive come here after arranging all sorts of ingredients from Eclaba, the town in Margrave Fernandes territory.

I wonder if thats beneficial at this point. I kind of changed my mind after seeing the tuna that we ate yesterday. That sort of ingredient couldnt be found in Eclaba, and that was actually really good.

I never dreamed that I would be this attracted after eating that top grade tuna. I planned to put a tuna dish as hors doeuvres. And then

Just from going out to the town for a bit, I might find other great ingredients. Thats why, today I intended to go tour the town. If I can think of better recipes from scratch there, Im going to gradually change them.

I must do that if I aim for the ultimate full course.

Kurt-sama, amazing as usual. But, maybe itll disturb the balance in the full course that youve thought about, so its dangerous.

Thats a difficult issue to tackle. I dont have time to test them out either. But, compromising is impossible for me, so I can only do my very best to prevent that from happening.

Thats my stubbornness as someone whos in the food business.

While I was having that kind of talk with Tina, someone knocked on the door. It should be the arrival of the guide to the town that I asked for from d.u.c.h.ess Renalier.

The door is opened.

You are

Hmp, n.o.body knows better about the marketplace in this town than I do. For an all-important banquet, Ill contribute my own power too.

The person in front of me is a man with a great physique in his prime age the head chef who belongs to d.u.c.h.ess Renalier, Venaritta.

Im really grateful for the knowledge and experience that youre sharing with us. But is it really all right?

I ended up crus.h.i.+ng this mans pride to dust in that trial. I made head chef Venaritta admit in front of his master that he wasnt as good a chef as I was.

You lad, dont fret about whats pa.s.sed. It makes you dull. I recognize your skills. So I gotta pay my respect. Besides, this full course will decide our masters fate. If I can do something good for it, I wont hold back from cooperating with you.

I was slightly surprised. Hes truly a big-hearted man. Only a few will admit their inferiority against someone else, let alone cooperate with that same person.

Well, I owe you lad a favor too, though.

A favor?

You kept under the rug my boys reckless moves that obstructed you from your task. Sorry about that. I heard about that afterwards. They were only thinking about me that they did such thing to a chef. If you told d.u.c.h.ess Renalier about it, boy, everyone wouldnt just get discharged. Usually, they are a sincere lot towards cooking. Itll be painful to see them fall just from one mistake.

So its about that case. I didnt tell the d.u.c.h.ess out of my self-interest. I just didnt want to let it blow out of proportion.

No, dont mind about it. I still could make a nice dish anyway. Besides, if that small hindrance caused me to get your help, I got it for cheap.

Again, thank you. I will give you my full cooperation, along with the boys too. And then, please let them learn a lot of things from you lad. I think that you will breathe some fresh air into the stagnant cooking of this town.

Likewise. Please let me learn a lot of things that I dont know here, as well.

Head chef Venaritta and I stiffly shake our hands. His help would be greatly appreciated, though. There should be countless secret spots and special purchasing routes that could only be known by a big wheel in this area. Every chef has their own connections. Thats something that I cant achieve as a newcomer. With that being settled, we head out to the marketplace by the coach that d.u.c.h.ess Renalier arranged before.

The coach was shaking on the way to the marketplace. There are head chef Venaritta, my cute silver haired fox kin girl a.s.sistant, Tina, a pretty elf with golden hair, Chloe, and then several men who posed as guards/helpers.

So, what do you want, lad? The marketplace here is huge. We cant make a full round, you know.

We definitely wont have enough time.

The only thing that I wont budge on is the dessert, the chocolate cake. It is my specialty. Theres no way I will bend this one over.

The main meat dish is the same; Ive prepared the condiment for that dish for more than a week. I prepared the duck meat that would be just right to be eaten at the banquets timing. So I cant change out this one either.

In that case

Herbs and spices. I want to try and obtain everything that I can only buy in this place. It should be able to make the flavors deeper or more complex than now. And then, fish. My current fish dish still doesnt have impact. I want a simple and fleshy fish. Itll be better if its the white-fleshed kind with strong umami flavor.

When head chef Venaritta heard me, he kept nodding his head. And then, he speaks.

If youre looking for herbs and spices, I know a good wholesale dealer. There are ordinary varieties there, but the owner also showcased all their prized ones to me. Lets head over there.

Wholesale, huh? I see, in that place, theres no need to take a look around many shops then, in that case.

And next, the fish. Theres a goods distributor who always delivered his best fishes to me, hes some kind of connoisseur too. I always get the fish that hes handpicked. If we go to his place, there shouldnt be any problem.

How very Renaliers employee-like, these selections. Terrifyingly efficient.

The day pa.s.ses as we visit one small shop after another. We decided to go to the wholesale dealer and goods distributor that head chef Venaritta recommended. In that kind of moment.

Wait! Stop the coach, please.

I issue the order in panic and immediately leap out of the coach. We just crossed paths with hunters. They are robust-looking men. They were carrying some deer over their shoulders, that had been blood-let and cleaned. I call out to them.

You, wait up! Are you selling that deer?

The h.e.l.l, man? You just jumped out of a fancy-looking coach.

Dont mind that. Im asking if youre selling that deer.

Yea, you got it right. Were hunters from a nearby village. We came here to sell the things that were not eating there.

As I thought. In that case, I have something to request of them.

I see. Todays meat looks great, but if you catch a deer early in the morning six days from now, can you deliver the deer to the place Im staying at? I want something freshly caught in the morning only. Ill pay five times the market price.

In the full course this time, I have a startling budget. Thats why I can do things recklessly like this.

Five times, how can we trust you?

As the chef in the ducal house of Renalier, Im making something special six days from now. The deer is necessary for that. I wont lie with d.u.c.h.ess Renaliers reputation as my responsibility. Take a look at the coach behind me.

When I say so, the hunters take a good look at the coach behind me. They found the Renalier Houses crest and their eyes widened in an instant. After all, shes this towns governor. The hunters will definitely recognize her crest.

You, so youre that kind of important person. Got it. If I get the help of my fellow hunters, Ill deliver a freshly caught deer for you. Because youre gonna pay up five times the normal price properly, am I right?

Yeah, gladly.

I grin. Originally, without fermenting the meat after the hunt first, its hard to get that umami flavor. However, the dish that Im going to make is an exception; it really needs a freshly caught deer.

Thats why I intended to strike it off of my list. But if I can procure the fresh ingredient, I can make the best hors doeuvres. These hunters caught the deer while barely wounding it, they also seem to do the follow up work with expertise.

After that, we chatted for a while before splitting up after I gave them the deposit. Since theres a possibility of them failing to hunt a deer or to run away after getting the deposit, lets procure a back up plan.

After that, Ive bought plenty of great herbs and spices that Im satisfied with. With these, I can give depth to the dishes. And then, I found a fish that I finally saw in this world.. Its eel. An eel dish is unexpected, but they are highlighted in the French cuisine too. After deciding the fish dish this time to be eel-based, I buy them. With that, the shopping is done. With this, the quality of the fish dish just jumps up with a rise. I finally decided the details of the full courses dishes from the ingredients that I procured today. But first things first

I have to make some white sugar. I wonder if itll turn out good, though.

My chocolate cake wont be good to be paired with honey. Its important to use sugar, but the only thing existing here is only some unrefined brown sugar. Brown sugar retains the impurity in the flavor. Though I can make a pastry that will highlight that rustic beauty of the flavor, its difficult to make a delicate, high cla.s.s pastry with it. Thats why, I have to refine some white sugar from the brown sugar with my own hands.

Truth to be told, I only knew how to do it, but I never did it before. Whether I can obtain it successfully or not will change the desserts quality by one rank. I feel a little anxious, but lets try it first anyway.

This is the turning point. I put in my fighting spirit.

Credits:

Raws

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