Feasting Lord in Another World

#The Devil's Hand Appears in the Sea (3)

Having been a rugged mercenary traveling across the continent, and having great confidence in Dominic's culinary skills after savoring his meal, Calron asked, "Is it really delicious?" However, Ian, a knight by profession, frowned and subtly expressed his disapproval.

Nonetheless, persuading Dominic, who had already switched into "Tonight's dinner is piping hot seaweed soup!" mode, seemed quite challenging. Nevertheless, Ian decided to make one final attempt.

"Must we truly dine on that dreadful seaweed? There's no need to go to such lengths."

"Aiyo."

As if he had been waiting for this, Dominic sighed in response to Ian's words.

"Well, how could a noble knight like yourself consume mere seaweed that commoners eat? I didn't think that far ahead. Typically, we would have to capture a lamb or calf, grill a steak, and season it heavily for you. Alas! Our Evergreen village is so impoverished that we have nothing else to offer but this humble seaweed."

"No, why go to such lengths...!"

Ian started to appear visibly flustered at Dominic's words.

'I should put an end to this now while I have the chance. If he keeps criticizing the ingredients, it'll become bothersome later.'

This was why Dominic escalated the situation.

It remained uncertain how long Lord Theodore's secluded training would last. Until then, they had to coexist, as per Lord Theodore's orders, whether they liked it or not. It would be quite bothersome if the topic of ingredients kept arising.

'This knight, at the very least, seems to respect commoners.'

Many knights looked down upon commoners as if they were insects.

However, Ian, though stubborn and inflexible, didn't seem to harbor prejudice against commoners.

This became evident in how he respected the position of the head cook in the Count's Castle and how he showed respect to Calron.

"I misspoke. My apologies."

Just as Dominic had expected, Ian quickly admitted his mistake and lowered his gaze.

"Very well. Since you've promptly apologized, I'll share some food with you as a special gesture this time."

"No, there's no need to go to such lengths..."

Ian gestured that it was unnecessary, but Dominic disregarded him and headed to his kitchen.

Situated at the village's edge, Dominic's kitchen was actually constructed by the fishing community. Feeding around ten or so sailors required more than a typical household kitchen. Everyone in the village pitched in to build it at Dominic's request.

Though lacking fancy interior decor, it boasted good lighting, ventilation, and, above all, a spacious yard and a well-provisioned warehouse, making it a quite satisfactory space for Dominic.

"This kitchen is remarkably well-organized for a small village."

"Of course, I'm the one who uses it."

Ian, while inspecting the kitchen, also genuinely admired it.

"It's placed right here... ah, here it is!"

Calron went to the backyard and soon returned with a sheepish expression, scratching the back of his head.

"Dominic, what should we do with this?"

"Is there a problem?"

"I stored it improperly, and this happened. Haha!"

Calron chuckled awkwardly and extended a bag. Inside, the seaweed was haphazardly broken into pieces, dried by the sea breeze.

"Let's see, hmm! It's well-dried. It would have been better with a bit more salt, but it's not a big deal. We'll adjust the seasoning anyway."

"Really? Is it okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"It dried up and shattered."

"I intentionally use it both fresh and dried."

"Is that so?"

"That's how it is. It's actually better this way."

When dried, some things actually become more flavorful.

That's the case with mushrooms, fish, and seaweed.

"Um~ Um~"

After becoming aware of reincarnation, Dominic had often cooked dishes from his previous life, but this was the first time he was making seaweed soup.

'No beef, let's see.'

Due to budget constraints, he couldn't afford to buy beef, so he had to find an alternative.

'If I add ground perilla seeds, that would also be a delicacy, but I don't have that either. Ah! That's right! I have this, yes!'

Searching through his pantry, Dominic took out a bundle of dried mussels with a big smile.

"Is this mussel flesh?"

"Yes. These are mussels that were carefully dried. Drying them like this allows for long-term storage. I chose the ones that were fleshy last fall, so they should be delicious."

Dominic rolled up his sleeves, already imagining the taste, and salivated.

Sizzle.

He generously coated a preheated cast-iron pot with perilla oil and added the dried mussels, pre-soaked seaweed, and minced garlic. As he stir-fried them, a sound resembling both the sea and rain filled the entire kitchen.

At the same time, the rich aroma of the perilla oil powerfully stimulated people's senses.

'What is this?'

Ian, smelling the aroma of perilla oil for the first time in his life, instinctively stretched his neck to get a better whiff, then quickly composed himself.

Dominic saw Ian from the corner of his eye and proudly adjusted the seasoning by adding some soy sauce.

'I've gone through so much trouble making soy sauce and perilla oil, but using them like this makes it all worthwhile.'

Producing essential Korean spices like gochujang, red pepper flakes, doenjang, soy sauce, perilla oil, and sesame oil had been a tough endeavor.

It had been a challenging struggle, but things got easier last year thanks to the villagers who pitched in.

'Not much rice left...'

Wheat was the staple food here. While rice could be acquired, it was three times more expensive, so Dominic usually saved it.

'But if I'm going to use some goodwill, I might as well go all out. Look at Ian, sneaking peeks at the stove while pretending not to care.'

He washed the rice thoroughly and placed it in a pot on one side of the stove, then poured the rice water into the large pot where he had been cooking the seaweed and mussels.

"Ah!"

Ian's face turned white.

"What on Earth are you doing?"

Then, in a flash, it turned red. He seemed angry. His face kept changing colors.

"What do you mean what am I doing?"

"Why are you pouring wastewater where you washed food into a dish you're cooking? It looks like you're preparing food for the villagers, and if you've been cooking like this all along..."

"It's not wastewater! It's a standard practice to use rice water in soup!"

"What? Are you trying to escape this predicament with some nonsensical excuse? That's ridiculous!"

"Didn't you see me throw away the first and second wash water?"

"Tha, that's...!"

This was where Ian was flustered.

Why would someone discard the water the first few times and then save the milky water on the third and fourth washes, only to add it to a stew? What kind of madness is this?

"Rice water contains starch, lipids, vitamin B1, B2, and more. It harmonizes the flavors of the ingredients, you know. It also removes the fishy smell from seafood and balances out bitterness. Stop interfering when you know nothing."

"...Really?"

"You've been deceived all your life."

Dominic was using words he couldn't understand. However, seeing how confident he was, Ian was certain he wasn't making things up.

Indeed, after some time passed and the clear stew began to boil, a savory aroma started to fill the room.

He couldn't even imagine what it would taste like, but his nose seemed to scream, "This is definitely going to be delicious!"

From then on, Dominic started to give him cues, and he was pushed into a corner of the kitchen, relegated to just restoring his appetite.

Meanwhile, dish upon dish started to be neatly arranged on the makeshift dining table.

"It's fortunate that we have a few kinds of vegetables left. Don't take out the kimchi; I don't even have enough for myself. And half-cooked sunny-side-up eggs are the best!"

"Hey, Dominic! I've fried a fish, hahaha!"

Calron, perfectly timed, came in with three appetizingly red fried fish.

"Where have you been? Thank you!"

"What for? You deserve this at least. How could I just stand there and let you feed me?"

"You really know what you're talking about. Some people just complain even when they're eating for free."

"...I apologize."

"Dinner is ready. Please come quickly."

The table wasn't lavish, but it was abundant.

"Please try it. I promise it's delicious."

Ian hesitated for a moment at the sight of the black, slippery seaweed in the soup bowl. However, his sense of smell won. The salty, yet deep and savory aroma seemed to beckon the blond knight to take a bite.

Slurp-.

"…!"

Cautiously, Ian took a spoonful, and his eyes widened.

The black seaweed, despite its ominous appearance, went down his throat even before he could chew. The deep flavor of the broth instantly alleviated his fatigue, making him feel relaxed.

The dried mussels provided a chewy texture, and the garlic balanced out the strong aftertaste, making it a perfect soup.

Clink.

As if by instinct, Ian wrapped some steaming rice in the stew.

Though it was a grain he was seeing for the first time, the glossy, elastic appearance naturally stimulated his appetite.

As he wrapped the rice in the stew, each grain started to soak up the broth.

Now, Ian was literally drinking the stew from the bowl.

"See, why can't you trust people when they say it's good?"

"...I admit, my experience was limited. There's no choice but to acknowledge it."

Finally, a K.O. sign dropped.