Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 195

After finishing the collection of the pork roses, I decided to return to the meeting point.

I actually wanted to continue collecting more, but since the main purpose was to gather ingredients for lunch, wasting time here would interfere with the request.

When I returned to the spicy tree, Franryule was already there and had laid out a sheet for lunch.

“Sorry for being late.”

“It’s alright. I just got back myself.”

It seemed she had just returned as well.

I was relieved that I didn’t get so absorbed that I was called back.

“Come, Shuu-san, please have a seat.”

“Excuse me.”

I took off my shoes and sat down on the sheet Franryule had laid out.

On the sheet were what appeared to be the ingredients Franryule had collected.

“You’ve gathered a lot.”

“Yes! From the right, we have concentrated fruit juice, branch mushrooms, edamame, and water pears.”

【Concentrated Fruit Juice Berries】　

Just a single drop can turn a barrel of water into dense fruit juice with intense sweetness.

【Branch Mushrooms】

A mushroom with a distinctive crunchy texture.

The branch tips extend over time, allowing for repeated harvesting.

【Edamame】

Beans stuck inside the dead branch of a branch mushroom cap.

They can be eaten as is, but are tastier when boiled with salt.

【Water Pears】

A pear with a juicy texture. The flesh is very soft and rich in juice.

They grow by the waterside and their freshness deteriorates significantly once they lose moisture.

Franryule explained the ingredients in the basket one by one.

Oh, as expected from a woman, her choice of ingredients is stylish.

The ingredients she collected are completely different from the spicy ones I went for first.

“What kind of ingredients did you collect, Shuu-san?”

“I got these.”

Prompted by Franryule, I also laid out the ingredients I collected on the sheet.

Spicy bark, spicy berries, grass shrimp, vegetable dried flowers, and pork roses.

“Many of them are not suitable to eat as they are…”

“It’s fine. I have cooking utensils in my magic bag.”

“I see! I never thought of cooking what I collected myself!”

Hearing my words, Franryule looked astonished, as if a light bulb had just gone off.

A count’s daughter usually wouldn’t cook for herself, nor would she even think of it.

Seeing her reaction, I realized she is a genuine young lady.

“Cooking and eating the ingredients you collected on the spot is quite enjoyable.”

It’s especially gratifying when the ingredients are ones you collected yourself.

“When we return to the mansion, I’ll ask the cook to teach me how to cook!”

Imagining such a scene, Franryule revealed her determination with a resolute look on her face.

If she were just an ordinary nobles daughter, I wouldn’t suggest it, but she wishes to continue working in the reserve in the future. In that case, learning how to live robustly isn’t a bad idea.

“So, I’ll do a bit of cooking now.”

“May I help?”

“Please do.”

I took out a magic stove, knife, cutting board, and various cooking utensils from the magic bag.

I had Franryule cut the spicy bark into bite-sized pieces and plate the vegetable dried flowers.

In the meantime, I put water in a pot and started to boil it.

Next to me, I placed the spicy berries on the cutting board and crushed them with a mortar.

When I lightly tasted it, a sharp aroma spread and it was very spicy.

It felt like my tongue was burning.

If not crushed finely, the strong stimulation would overwhelm the flavor of the ingredients.

When the pepper was crushed until it made no sound, it was proof that it was finely ground.

In this state, when I lightly tasted it, the aroma and stimulation were just right.

After preparing the pepper, I tore the petals of the pork roses.

When I collected it, I didn’t pay much attention, but it’s thicker than I thought.

This should give a satisfying texture.

I tore the pork rose meat and coated both sides with the crushed spicy berries and salt.

I prepared another magic stove, placed a frying pan on it, and drizzled a little olive oil.

I put the seasoned pork rose meat into the fragrant oil.

A sizzling sound was heard.

The smell of the frying pork rose meat combined with the aroma of the spicy berries was truly overwhelming.

“Franryule, could I borrow the branch mushrooms?”

“…”

“Franryule?”

“Oh, yes! Please go ahead!”

When I asked again, Franryule hurriedly handed me the branch mushrooms.

I pretended not to notice the drool that was about to drip from the corner of her mouth.

Taking the branch mushrooms, I snapped them into suitable sizes and tossed them into the frying pan.

Simply sautéing them like this should make a delicious side dish.

While I was frying the pork rose meat, the pot on the first stove began to bubble and make noise.

It was a sign that the water was boiling.

“Can you put the edamame into the boiling water and lightly boil them?”

“Understood!”

Upon receiving instructions, Franryule shelled the beans from the branches and put them into the boiling water.

Although she is a beginner at cooking, it was reassuring to see that she could handle such simple tasks without any trouble.

There are some beginners who try to add secret ingredients or adjust the seasonings on their own to improve the color. It was good that she wasn’t like that.

Once the pork rose meat had a nice sear, I flipped it over to cook the other side.

After both sides had a good sear, I took the meat out of the frying pan and placed it on the cutting board to rest.

Finally, I brushed off the spicy berries from the surface with a knife…

“Pork rose spicy roast is ready!”

“It looks absolutely delicious!”

I arranged it in the shape of a flower, making it look more appealing.

“How are the edamame?”

“Perfect!”

On the flat plate Franryule had prepared, plump green beans were laid out.

They were steaming, looking quite delicious as well.

“All that’s left is to fry the grass shrimp.”

I set aside the frying pan and placed a small pot with oil onto the magic stove.

“Aren’t you using olive oil for this frying?”

“Olive oil is a bit too high-quality for frying, so I used regular oil.”

Olive oil is like the extra virgin olive oil from my previous life.

It’s a high-purity, premium product.

Because of its strong flavor and aroma, as well as its lower heating temperature, olive oil is not suitable for frying like this.

“I need to pay attention to such details when handling ingredients.”

Franryule remarked, watching with admiration.

While she looked on, I filled a basket with water and washed the grass shrimp thoroughly.

Once I confirmed that the oil had reached the right temperature by dipping chopsticks into it, I quickly drained the water from the grass shrimp and plunged them into the oil.

Immediately, I closed the lid.

I could hear the oil sizzling and bubbling vigorously.

There were also bangs as something hit the lid.

If I had some sake, I could make them docile, but since I didn’t, I had to be forceful.

Even if they were jumping around energetically, putting the lid on tightly ensured they couldn’t escape.

After a short while, the banging on the lid stopped, so I cautiously opened it.

Inside the pot, the grass shrimp had turned a bright red.

“They have a great color!”

“I’m glad they turned red.”

I’ve eaten grasshoppers and locusts before, so they are edible, but since these are shrimp, they need to turn red.

Once the bubbling subsided, I plated the grass shrimp.

Repeating this process a few times, the deep-fried grass shrimp were ready.

“And with that, it’s done!”

“Then, let’s eat.”