Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

Croquettes Again! Tuna Mayo Corn Version

“…Hey, Yakk, what you’re making right now… it’s croquettes, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

While boiling a large amount of potatoes, Yakk asked Yuuri with a suspicious look. Just as he said, tonight’s dinner was croquettes. Croquettes occasionally appeared on the menu. When made in large batches, they could be used as snacks, making them quite popular. With 80% of the filling being potatoes, it was no wonder they were so filling.

Incidentally, Yakk loved croquettes.

The impact of the first time he had them was probably a big factor. But more than that, being raised in a rural area, Yakk was familiar with potatoes, and he loved that those familiar potatoes could transform into a main dish like croquettes. So, when it was Yakk’s turn to cook, croquettes often made an appearance. The first time he made them, they were just potatoes and minced meat, but he’d since added finely chopped onions, changed the meat mix, and tried various other tweaks. For a more adult taste, he might add extra pepper or even herbs. Yakk had thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with croquettes.

Because of that, Yakk knew exactly how to make croquettes. He remembered the ingredients too. And yet, what was in front of him now were ingredients he didn’t usually use for croquettes. It was only natural that Yakk was puzzled.

“…Why do you need mayonnaise to make croquettes?”

“Hm? Because today’s croquettes need it.”

“…And why have I been scraping boiled corn this whole time?”

“Because it’s hard to use if it’s not separated?”

“…One more thing. Why do we have a ton of fish canned in oil instead of minced meat!?”

His third question was practically a scream.

Yes, the biggest question Yakk had was that there was no meat. There was no minced meat. To Yakk, croquettes were a dish made of potatoes, minced meat, and onions. Hence his outburst, but Yuuri tilted his head, puzzled.

“Because we’re going to use it?”

Yuuri didn’t have any other response. To him, it was perfectly normal. Yakk simply didn’t know that croquettes could come in various forms. He’d only ever made the most basic kind, the easiest to make. However, the gap in their understanding was quite significant.

Yakk looked at the can of tuna on the table, then at the corn he was scraping, and tilted his head. He couldn’t understand. He had no idea how these ingredients would turn into croquettes.

By the way, the fish canned in oil was tuna. Since it was a large fish and difficult to keep fresh, oil-packed tuna was the most common way it was preserved. Fresh tuna was something you could only eat near the coast. The tuna in front of them was regular tuna, but occasionally, magical creature-derived tuna also made its way into the market. Just like meat, magical creature fish were delicious.

However, when it came to fish, both magical creature fish and regular fish were distributed as food. Unlike meat, the magical creature versions of fish were treated as rare and thus more expensive. This was because, unlike on land, defeating magical creatures at sea was extremely challenging. After all, they were underwater, making it hard to land an attack.

“Hey, Yuuri, are you sure this is really going to be croquettes?”

“It’ll be croquettes.”

Yuuri threw the oil-drained tuna, commonly known as canned tuna, and the separated corn into the mashed, boiled potatoes. After mixing them well, he adjusted the flavor with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. As Yakk watched Yuuri’s skilled hands work, he couldn’t shake his skeptical expression. To him, it looked like they were just making a strange version of potato salad. …Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

When making potato salad, you’d usually use a little less mayonnaise. You had to be careful not to make it too greasy while still ensuring it had flavor. Tuna, corn, and potatoes. Plus, the seasoning was mayonnaise. Even someone other than Yakk would probably see this as potato salad.

“If you eat it like this, it’s potato salad, but if you shape it, coat it in breadcrumbs, and fry it, it’ll be croquettes.”

“…Yuuri, croquettes with a mayonnaise flavor?”

“They’re creamy and delicious! Oh, and Yakk.”

“Yeah?”

“There are all sorts of croquettes, you know?”

“What!?”

Yuuri began to explain the different types of croquettes, counting on his fingers, to a stunned Yakk.

“First, using potatoes is the most common type. But you can also make them with pumpkin or sweet potatoes. There are even cream croquettes. You can also vary the seasoning to create your own unique version.”

“…Huh? Huh? There are different kinds of croquettes!?”

“There are. They’re all croquettes. We just call them by different names, like this or that croquette.”

“So this will also be a croquette?”

“It will.”

“I don’t understand this croquette thing at all!!!”

For Yakk, who thought there was only one kind of croquette, it was like a bolt from the blue. The fact that his favorite dish had countless possibilities was, in a way, a great blessing. But it was so far beyond his understanding that he didn’t know how to react.

To the bewildered Yakk, Yuuri had one last thing to say.

“But you know, bread is still bread no matter what kind it is, right? It’s the same with croquettes.”

“That’s a clear explanation, but it’s hard to accept!”

“Even if you complain… Anyway, can you help me shape them?”

“…Alright.”

The two of them shaped the mixture, flavored just enough with mayonnaise not to be sticky, as they usually did. The key was to make sure the corn didn’t stick out. If corn ended up on the outside, it would burst when fried. Corn bursting with a loud pop was not a welcome event. Croquettes could crack easily if you weren’t careful, even without that.

They split the work, paying attention to the corn not sticking out as they shaped the mixture. Since both the look and taste resembled potato salad, Yakk worried about whether these would actually become croquettes. But there was no need for concern. After coating them in flour, dipping them in beaten eggs, and covering them in breadcrumbs before frying, they would become proper croquettes. Since they used potatoes, they were croquettes, no problem.

“Alright, let’s try frying one. The taste will change after it’s fried.”

“Got it.”

Yakk had already tasted it, and to him, even after eating it, the mixture still seemed like potato salad. In fact, to anyone, it would appear to be potato salad. Tuna mayo corn and potatoes—it’s hard to think of it as anything but potato salad. But turning it into croquettes is just what Yuuri does.

Adding a base flavor with mayonnaise doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make it into potato salad. The reason for using mayonnaise is that it eliminates the need to add any extra sauce when eating. Though it’s common to add soy sauce or a sauce of your choice to croquettes, the problem is that these flavors get absorbed into the coating, diminishing the crispy texture. Also, too much sauce means too much sodium, which isn’t good for your health.

Because of that, Yuuri’s approach is to season the mixture beforehand. Using tuna and corn came from trying to make croquettes without meat. While the calories may not be lower, the lack of meatiness makes them easier to eat. Thanks to the mayonnaise, they’re smooth and creamy, and since kids love tuna and corn, this dish became a big hit with them.

“Here you go.”

Yuuri split the golden-brown croquette in half on a small plate and handed one piece to Yakk. As Yakk picked up the still-hot croquette and took a bite, his eyes widened in surprise.

It was nothing like the croquettes he knew. There was no minced meat’s juiciness, no onion sweetness, no potato savoriness. But it was smoother than the usual croquette. The tuna, which he had always found bland, blended in, adding depth. The corn gave a different texture and a touch of sweetness. And most of all, the subtle taste of mayonnaise was irresistible to Yakk.

“Yuuri, this is delicious!”

“I figured it would be fine since the potato salad was a hit. And yeah, fresh out of the fryer is always the best.”

Eating the hot croquettes with a few huffs and puffs is part of their charm. Yuuri smiled as he enjoyed the tuna mayo corn croquettes for the first time in a while. While the classic croquettes are delicious, sometimes you crave something different. Since the potato salad was well-received, he figured this would be fine too, and judging by Yakk’s reaction, there didn’t seem to be any problems.

The sudden reason for making these croquettes was that Yuuri had found canned tuna in oil at the market. He hadn’t expected to find tuna in this world, so he ended up buying a large quantity. Tuna is versatile, after all. Tomorrow morning, he planned to make tuna mayo sandwiches using the leftover mayonnaise. While egg sandwiches are also good, tuna mayo sandwiches are equally delicious.

“Hey, aren’t these potatoes softer than usual?”

“I think it’s because of the mayonnaise, making it smoother.”

“And the tuna in oil—you can use it like this, huh?”

“Yeah, tuna and mayonnaise are an unbeatable combo. Look forward to tomorrow’s sandwiches.”

“I want to eat them now!”

“They’re for tomorrow’s breakfast.”

Yakk, who was ready to pounce on the new menu item, was cut off with a smile from Yuuri. Yuuri, in times like these, wouldn’t budge, even with a smile. Yakk grumbled about wanting to try it now, but with a firm “Wait until tomorrow’s breakfast,” he had no choice but to quietly start frying more croquettes.

As they were frying, a few people showed up, perhaps drawn by the smell, even though it wasn’t dinner time yet. The usual crowd reacted with an “Oh, croquettes again?” which made Yakk smirk quietly. You can’t tell just by looking at them with the coating on that these aren’t the usual croquettes. Yakk figured it would be fun to see their surprise when they bit into them—a little mischievousness on his part.

“Yuuri, can I have a taste?”

“Nope.”

“No deformed ones?”

“Those are for Yakk and me, so no.”

“Come on, just bend the rule a little.”

“Nope. Dinner’s almost ready, so wait patiently.”

Peeking in from the counter, chatting lightly were Kurresh and beside him, Lerei, eagerly awaiting dinner with sparkling eyes. Yakk smiled wryly at their familiar antics. The two always messed with Yuuri like this when they were at the hideout. They were close in age, so they were also close in distance. Usually, Yuuri calls older people by their last names, but he calls Kurresh and Lerei by their first names, which shows how close they are.

“So, croquettes for dinner tonight?”

“Yep, croquettes.”

He’s not explaining further, Yakk thought. While Yakk’s intent was a bit mischievous, he wondered about Yuuri’s. As Yakk continued frying croquettes, he realized something. Ah, Yuuri’s not thinking anything. Just like when he lined up different ingredients and said they were making croquettes without explaining anything to Yakk, to Yuuri, croquettes are croquettes, so there was no need to mention the ingredients being different.

Yakk figured everyone would freak out when they ate them, and sure enough, people all around exclaimed, “There are different kinds of croquettes?!”