SWNOVELXO Chapter 393
Haaap
It’s my first precious meal after getting out of prison.
Daria desperately suppressed her urge to gulp down Kurt’s ‘special’ Hamburg without properly chewing it and savored the taste instead.
‘Hmm…? It doesn’t seem as moist as it looks on the outside…’
The first impression of the Hamburg on her tongue was one of disappointment, as it tasted different from what she had anticipated.
If her memory served her right, Kurt was the best at making Hamburg among all the people she knew. Of course, he excelled at most dishes too.
In reality, the cooking of Hamburg is trickier than the simple description of just mixing ground meat and grilling it. The difficulty lies in the mixture of the patties.
Adjusting the ratio of ingredients in the mix determines the outcome; if the mixture is too wet, the patties won’t hold their shape and would turn soggy, and if there’s not enough stickiness, they’ll crumble and become minced meat instead of Hamburg. But if you increase the amount of egg to add stickiness, the egg’s scent can overwhelm the meat flavor and turn it into meat jeon.
Even if you get somewhat used to making Hamburg and create a decent patty, the cooking skills of the chef matter too—cooking the thick patties evenly throughout, trapping the juices inside while not burning the outside.
Hamburg is a dish often associated with children’s tastes, yet its flavor can change significantly depending on the chef’s skills.
And Kurt’s Hamburg was undoubtedly among the best; golden brown and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, retaining the rich aroma of meat—truly the pinnacle of the crispy-outside, juicy-inside phenomenon.
However, the piece of Hamburg Daria put in her mouth…
Somehow lacked a bit of the meat aroma and juices compared to the Hamburg she remembered.
‘Well, it’s only lacking compared to the “Hamburg in my memory.” This one isn’t dry at all… Have I perhaps romanticized my memories during my time in prison…?’
Still, Daria kept moving her fork and knife.
Complaining that it wasn’t as good as the Hamburg in her memory wouldn’t be polite to Kurt, who made this meal for her.
Or maybe it was because even Kurt, in an unfamiliar kitchen, might have found it difficult to cook, and she wanted to be considerate?
No. It was simply because despite everything, it was incredibly delicious.
Even if it wasn’t perfect, it was still Kurt’s Hamburg.
When she bit into it, the juices didn’t explode out, but it wasn’t particularly dry or overpowered by the egg or other ingredients, allowing the natural meat flavor to shine through.
While it might not be top-tier, it was so refined that it could surpass most high-end restaurants.
Chomp chomp
With each bite, the rich scent of meat and pepper deepened.
The flavor of ordinary steak couldn’t compare; the spices and meat united so seamlessly that it was hard to tell where the meat’s aroma ended and the spices began, feeling like they’d always been one.
And nestled between the patties were finely chopped carrots, onions, and peppers, diced into tiny grains, retaining a subtle crunch that felt fresh every time she chewed.
Was that all? Although it didn’t feel overflowing with juices, the perfectly balanced amount of liquid melded with the vegetable flavors, creating a natural soup rich in deep meat aromas and fragrant vegetable scents.
‘Ugh… This Hamburg… Though the meat aroma and juices are lacking, the harmony with the finely chopped vegetables really stands out.’
The deeper she savored the taste of the Hamburg, the more Daria subconsciously shivered with pleasure.
If the Hamburg that preserved the essence of the meat was like a thunderstorm, this Hamburg, though lacking in meat aroma, was akin to an unending rainy season, soaking deep into the dry land.
While a thunderstorm might be intense, it wouldn’t penetrate the depths like a summer monsoon.
With each chew, the initial disappointment Daria felt melted away like cotton candy in water.
“Hah…”
And finally swallowing a piece of Hamburg, Daria let out a sigh of satisfaction.
If that sigh had color, it would surely be a pale pink.
As she closed her eyes, savoring the aftertaste, something caught her eye.
It was a small saucer filled with sauce.
Seeing the Hamburg sauce, Daria felt a sudden wave of embarrassment.
She thought she had kept her composure, only to realize she had forgotten to enjoy it with the sauce.
‘At this rate, I’m just completely lost in the Hamburg.’
Which was true, but Daria convinced herself she was still eating calmly as she tried to dip the Hamburg into the sauce.
“Huh…?”
But as she lifted the Hamburg to dip it, her expression turned to one of confusion.
Because there were not one but three saucers of sauce.
Usually, Hamburg is served already drenched in sauce when it’s cooked.
Unlike fried dishes that need minimized contact with sauce to avoid sogginess, dishes like steak or Hamburg actually benefit from having the sauce slathered on beforehand, often to enhance the flavor more.
So her forgetting to pour sauce over the Hamburg before digging in was entirely understandable.
But now there are three separate sauces not just for her?
Fearing some kind of mistake where she was only given the same sauce thrice, she looked around, but everyone else had the same three types of sauce at their tables.
Moreover, all three looked like they were meant exclusively for the Hamburg.
Feeling confused but curious, she cautiously examined the three sauces.
Each sauce was dark in color, so much so that they nearly appeared identical at a glance, but upon closer inspection, Daria noticed their differences.
The first sauce had a black hue mixed with a light brown tint, showing a medium viscosity that looked just like the demi-glace sauce she was familiar with.
In contrast, the second sauce was almost purely black with little brown, possessing a much thicker texture than demi-glace.
The final sauce, however, had almost no viscosity compared to the other two, and its color had a brownish and slightly bright yellow feel to it.
“Hmm…”
‘Which sauce should I try?’
Based on her experience, she could tell the first one was demi-glace sauce.
But she had no clue about the other two sauces.
Thinking it was a happier concern compared to just days ago, pondering what to say in court, Daria decided to taste all three sauces in order, starting with the first demi-glace.
She dipped a generously cut piece of Hamburg into the sauce before immediately bringing it to her mouth.
Haaap
Chomp chomp
‘As expected…’
The taste of the first sauce was indeed the familiar demi-glace sauce.
But what good is a familiar taste?
There’s a saying that the more you know it, the scarier it can be, and she trembled slightly at the profound taste exploding from her tongue, just as she had anticipated.
The blend of sweetness and saltiness struck her directly on the tip of her tongue.
However, the essence of demi-glace sauce is not just simply sweet and salty, but rather the deep, rich flavor derived from gelatin made from traditionally roasted beef bones. That umami establishes a solid flavor base, softening the sweet and salty notes, making it harmonious and elegant.
“Ooh~!”
‘This is definitely the taste!’
While the natural aroma of the Hamburg with vegetable hints was nice, Hamburg steak was at its best enjoyed with an exciting sauce.
Daria let out an involuntary exclamation as her legs trembled under the table.
‘This is real life.’
She felt immensely relieved to have gotten out of prison and devoured her second piece.
Then came the third piece.
Following up with the second sauce.
Though feeling uneasy about the unidentified sauce, having already tasted the combo of demi-glace and Hamburg was enough for her to confidently plunge the Hamburg into the second mysterious sauce.
If she had to compare it, it felt like a student who just received acceptance news from their second choice university.
If she had to liken it to Mahjong, it was the mindset of choosing between the full flush and the thirteen-orphans.
Regardless, if she didn’t like the second sauce, she could just switch to the demi-glace for the following pieces.
Haaap
With that mindset, Daria took a bite of the Hamburg dipped in the second sauce.