SWNOVELXO Chapter 78.1
Orc And Bean Sprout Steam For A Meal
The royal city of Drahurn has two squares.
One is near the royal castle, mainly used for ceremonial events. Normally, it’s a place where people relax. The other one is located near the slums, where the Scarlet Lynx hideout is. That square is also a place for residents to relax, but there’s one key difference from the one near the royal castle: it has several cooking stations scattered around. Simple kitchens are set up there.
In fact, regular meal distributions take place in Drahurn. They’re offered to the people of the slums, day laborers who have drifted in from other places, and adventurers who still earn little. The necessary expenses are covered by the state. However, the people performing the work on the day are local volunteers on a rotating basis. At these meal distributions, regardless of the district they live in, women from all over gather to help. Yuuri found himself heading to one such square, bustling with preparations for the monthly meal distribution. This time, the person in charge was the proprietress of the inn next to the hideout. Yuuri, looking for the familiar face of the proprietress, spotted a woman working at one of the cooking stations and headed over.
“How’s everything coming along, ma’am?”
“Oh, Yuuri! No problems at all. Thanks for helping this time.”
“Not at all! Let me give you a hand.”
Yuuri pulled out his favorite apron from his school bag and smiled brightly. At his feet, Rooks bounced up and down, eager to help. Whenever Yuuri goes out, Rooks acts as his bodyguard, and by now, this was such a familiar sight that no one paid it any mind. People really get used to things quickly. Today’s meal distribution menu was steamed orc meat with bean sprouts. Yuuri had heard that there was an excess of orc meat, so he suggested a dish he’d made before to the proprietress, and she agreed. After all, they were using orc meat, which was cheap because of the surplus, and bean sprouts, which were always low-cost. It was delicious and inexpensive, so naturally, it was a hit.
The method was simple. After rinsing the bean sprouts and shaking off the water, spread them evenly across the bottom of the pot. For those who care about the roots of the bean sprouts, you can remove them, but since they were making this in bulk, they skipped that step. Once the bottom was covered with bean sprouts, lay the orc meat on top, making sure it doesn’t overlap. After covering the meat with another layer of bean sprouts, repeat the process until the pot is about 80% full. They made sure to choose cuts of meat with a bit of fat, since lean meat can become tough when overcooked. Tough meat is sad, so it’s better to opt for cuts with some fat.
“Now, where’s that granulated broth, granulated broth~?”
Yuuri, having filled one of the many pots with bean sprouts and orc meat, rummaged through a box of seasonings and found the granulated broth. This broth was a product that Yuuri had registered with the production guild, which Halros had then had the alchemists manufacture and sell. Today, they were using chicken-based granulated broth.
Wait… chicken broth in a world where monster meat dominates? Actually, chickens are raised for their eggs, and using the bones of chicken-like monsters yields an even richer flavor. But for today, they were using the common chicken bone broth favored by the masses. Sprinkling the granulated broth over the orc meat and bean sprouts, Yuuri then added a swirl of cooking sake. The sake chosen was something similar to Japanese cooking sake. There are various kinds of alcohol, but for this dish, rice-based sake was the best option. Just don’t use wine, shochu, or beer by mistake. Once the sake and broth were added, he placed the lid on the pot and steamed everything. That’s it.
“It’s simple, but surprisingly tasty, you know.”
“It’s more suited to rice, though.”
“We’ve got rice ready, so no problem there.”
The proprietress, who had already taste-tested it, remarked with satisfaction. It was true that not having to chop ingredients saved a lot of effort. Just adding seasonings and steaming everything made for a quick and easy dish, which was perfect for today’s large-scale meal distribution. Being able to make a large quantity at once and with minimal effort was essential conditions when cooking for a crowd. As they waited for the food to steam, Rooks busily munched on leftover bean sprouts. To be precise, he was eating the short bits left in the bowl after washing them. Since they would have been discarded anyway, Rooks was happily taking on the role of garbage disposal for the day. Its cuteness made it a hit with the female volunteers who were helping cook. Rooks was, somehow, doing a great job today.
“Kyuu, kyui!”
“Rooks, you’ll get tired of just bean sprouts, so here, have some bits of meat too.”
“Kyu-kyuu!”
“Alright, recharge your energy and keep it up, okay?”
“Kyuu!”
With a piece of orc meat in his mouth, Rooks enthusiastically trotted off to another cooking station. It was motivated by the fact that Yuuri always praised it when it worked hard, and today, it was doing its best, knowing it would be praised again. …Well, whatever works, rare mutant species.
“Oh, it’s done steaming. Now, let’s add sesame oil and soy sauce.”
“I’ll leave that to you.”
“Got it.”
Yuuri removed the lid from the pot in front of him and stirred the contents with his chopsticks. The bean sprouts and orc meat were nicely cooked, and the sake and granulated broth had flavored everything. He then drizzled sesame oil over the mixture and stirred it again. Finally, he added soy sauce and mixed everything well. At the bottom of the pot was a broth made from the bean sprout juice and the fat from the orc meat. The addition of sesame oil and soy sauce gave off a mouthwatering aroma.
Yuuri scooped a small portion into a dish for a taste, and it was perfectly seasoned. The bean sprouts were still a bit crunchy, and the orc meat was tender but fully cooked. The umami from the monster meat was even stronger than the pork Yuuri had eaten in the past. While they used it like pork, it had a richness comparable to premium or branded pork. Monster meat in this world is impressive.
“…Makes you crave some rice, doesn’t it?”