Chapter 8

Using the leftover ingredients, let's make dinner!

Yuri continued peeling potatoes silently. Since she was used to it, the peels curled up and danced as they came off. Yack, who watched this with a look of surprise, was carefully scraping the meat off the bones with a spoon. Even though the bones seemed to have no meat left, he was told to scrape all of it into the bowl, so he diligently did so. ...And as he did, he realized that the amount of meat he had scraped into the bowl was surprisingly large. Of course, it wasn't enough for the main dish, but it was still a decent amount.

Yuri threw the peeled potatoes into a large pot and started boiling them. She added a pinch of salt and let them boil gently. While waiting for them to become soft, she carefully peeled the vegetables that were now just skin and flesh. Once the peeling was done, she cut the vegetables into thin strips.

Her technique was so skilled that Yack couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, which made Yuri smile awkwardly. ...However, she herself also realized that her cooking skills had improved. Each movement was incredibly smooth.

(...Ah, maybe this is the effect of my skill...?)

Yuri's cooking skill was at level 50. While the standard was unknown, she knew the maximum level was 100, so she thought level 50 was decent. ...However, without realizing it, a cooking skill level of 50 was equivalent to a fairly good restaurant chef. Ignorance is truly terrifying.

Anyway, Yuri cooked without worrying about the details, humming a little tune. She was in a very good mood. As a boy who loved home economics, she especially enjoyed cooking. The reason was simple: cooking was the best way to make someone happy.

Of course, sewing and cleaning could also make people happy, but cooking and having it eaten was the most satisfying. She loved it so much that she couldn't help but put extra effort into it. ...However, when she brought homemade bentos (sometimes even cute character bentos) and homemade sweets to school, she often received the comment "Creepy" from her classmates.

Still, there were times when hungry boys would eat her sweets and say, "They were delicious." Even girls who usually avoided her as "creepy" would ask for her help when Valentine's Day or their boyfriend's birthday approached. In such cases, she was kind enough to help without hesitation.

"Yuri, I've scraped all the meat off the bones. What should I do with these bones?"

"Ah, the bones? We'll use them to make soup stock, so please put them in that big pot and boil them with water."

"Got it."

Yack seemed to be absolutely obedient to Yuri. After all, he was witnessing her incredible cooking skills right in front of him. Since he wasn't very good at cooking and didn't know what to do, it felt like divine intervention to him. Following instructions was easy for him.

The pot with the animal bones was simmering gently over a low flame. It seemed to be a mix of pork, beef, and chicken. The meat was also mixed, but Yuri, who planned to make it into minced meat, didn't mind. After all, the meat was more of a bonus.

"Can you take the meat in the bowl and chop it into minced meat with a knife?"

"Sure, leave it to me!"

Although Yack wasn't good at delicate tasks, making minced meat was simple. He happily started chopping the meat. ...For some reason, his face looked a bit scary as he enthusiastically made the minced meat. His smile was frightening. Probably, he had a lot of pent-up frustration. Being a subordinate is tough.

While Yack was making the minced meat, Yuri mashed the boiled potatoes. She couldn't find a masher, so she washed the end of a pasta spoon and used it to mash the potatoes. The potatoes, which were almost falling apart, crumbled and mashed easily. While wrestling with a large amount of potatoes, Yuri was still humming a little tune.

Now, can you guess what Yuri is trying to make? The answer is croquettes. Since she didn't have breadcrumbs, she grated old bread to make them. She had flour and eggs. With plenty of potatoes, she could easily make croquettes. Even the small amount of meat left on the bones, when minced and seasoned with salt and pepper, would make a good accent for the croquettes.

So, with the minced meat ready, Yuri had Yack take over the mashing of the potatoes while she started frying the minced meat in a pan. Ideally, she would have liked to add finely chopped onions, but unfortunately, she didn't have any. Using onions here would have made the dish more flavorful, but she had to save them for another dish. She seasoned the minced meat with salt, pepper, and some rarely used herbs from the back of the cupboard.

By the way, the key to seasoning the minced meat for croquettes is to season it a bit more strongly, considering that it will be mixed with potatoes. If the seasoning is strong enough, the flavor won't be diluted when mixed with the potatoes. Additionally, the flavor will be enhanced when fried in oil. This way, you won't need to add unnecessary sauces or soy sauce, making it a low-sodium dish. (By Yuri's mother)

"Yack, mix this minced meat into the potatoes."

"Got it!"

After showing Yack the seasoned minced meat, Yuri turned to the bowl of finely chopped vegetables. She had a bag of flour and a cup of water. First, she sprinkled flour over the vegetables and mixed them with chopsticks. Once the flour was evenly distributed, she gradually added water and continued mixing. She adjusted the consistency by feel, balancing the flour and water.

Yuri was making tempura flakes. For regular tempura, the shape is important, but for tempura flakes, it's different. They are made by frying small pieces of vegetables together. In a home setting, even if the shape is a bit irregular, it's acceptable. Restaurants use molds, but in a home kitchen, you just toss them in with chopsticks. At least, that's how it was done in the Nagahara household.

While Yack was mixing the potatoes and minced meat evenly, Yuri dropped the tempura flakes into the hot oil. The sizzling sound and the popping of water droplets filled the air. Yack looked surprised, probably not knowing what she was making. However, Yuri, without a care, placed the golden-brown tempura flakes on a tray with a wire rack. It was perfect for draining the oil. ...Unfortunately, she couldn't find any kitchen paper.

Yuri sprinkled salt on the freshly fried tempura flakes. While tempura flakes can be delicious with tempura sauce, Yuri personally preferred a light salt flavor. It brought out the sweetness of the vegetables and the crunch of the batter. She tasted a small piece, and the texture was just right.

"...Want to try a taste?"

Yuri asked Yack, who had stopped mixing the contents of the bowl, with a wry smile. Yack nodded vigorously, and she laughed as she handed him one. He took it, careful of the heat, and his eyes widened at the unfamiliar taste.

"Yuri, what is this!? It's crispy and super delicious! What is it!?"

"It's called tempura flakes. Since we only had vegetable scraps, I mixed them with flour and water to make a batter and fried them. Does it taste good?"

"It's incredibly delicious! I can't believe such a delicious dish can be made from vegetable scraps!"

"Ahaha, Yack, you're exaggerating."

While Yack was enthusiastically praising the dish, Yuri turned off the stove. Fried foods are best when freshly made, so once the taste was confirmed, she needed to move on to the next step. Without plastic wrap, she covered the bowl with a towel and carefully put it in the refrigerator. If it spilled, it would be a disaster.

"Okay, Yack, let's shape them together."

"Shape?"

"Right, we need to shape the mixture of potatoes and minced meat into oval shapes. If they're too big, the next step will be difficult and they might break, so let's make them about the size of your palm."

"Got it."

They washed their hands and faced the mixture of potatoes and minced meat. Using a spoon, they took turns scooping out the mixture and shaping it. Yack, who was not used to it, made some irregular shapes, but with Yuri's advice, he gradually improved. ...Yack seemed to think that this was already edible.

He wasn't wrong. The minced meat was already seasoned and fried, and the potatoes were boiled. Since they weren't raw, they could be eaten as is. However, they would just be mashed potatoes with meat. Yuri wanted to make croquettes. The reason was simple: mashed potatoes wouldn't be a main dish, but croquettes could be a proper side dish.

Eventually, a mountain of croquettes was formed on a large tray. They had worked silently, and the quantity was quite substantial. ...After all, most of the ingredients were potatoes, and they had plenty.

Yuri was making three times the amount she usually made at home. The reason was simple: everyone here was young and healthy. Their appetites were probably substantial. Yuri, who had a small appetite for a high school boy, knew the black hole-like appetites of growing boys. Considering this, she made three times the amount she usually made at home. ...She hoped it would be enough.

"Next, we need to coat them. I'll handle the flour and eggs, and Yack, you can do the breadcrumbs."

"Coat...?"

"Yes. We'll coat them in flour, dip them in egg, and then cover them in breadcrumbs before frying them. They're called croquettes."

"Wow, are they delicious?"

"...Well, personally, I think they'll be more satisfying than the tempura flakes."

"Got it! I'll do my best!"

Yack was very straightforward. However, he wasn't at fault. He was still growing. A growing boy, after eating something that didn't seem to be made from vegetable scraps, and then being told it would be even more delicious, couldn't help but be excited.

Thus, bowls of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs were prepared, and they silently continued the coating process. Yuri, with her level 50 cooking skill, easily handled the flour and eggs with one hand each. Yack, though a bit clumsy, coated the croquettes with breadcrumbs, shook off the excess, and placed them on the tray. Eventually, a mountain of coated croquettes was left on the tray.

"Let's fry one for a taste test."

Yuri, with a smile, started frying a croquette. Yack, who had never fried anything himself, watched the process intently. The white breadcrumbs gradually turned golden brown, looking even better than the tempura flakes. Once it was done, Yuri placed it on the wire rack and cut it in half.

"It's hot, but here's half for you."

"Sure!"

Like a child given a treat, Yack took the freshly fried croquette. Yuri also took a bite, blowing on it to cool it down. The taste was quite good. The quality of the ingredients might have been excellent. The seasoning was simple, just salt, pepper, and a light touch of herbs. Yet, the sweetness of the potatoes, the richness of the meat, and the added aroma from frying made the simple croquette a gourmet dish.

After all, fried foods are best when freshly made.

"Super delicious!"

"I'm glad. This should make a good side dish, right?"

"It will, it will! Yuri, you're amazing!"

Yack, while eating the hot croquette, looked at Yuri and smiled happily. He truly believed she was a savior.

Yuri finds cooking to be a lot of fun.

She mostly ignores Yack's surprised reactions.

Being laid-back can be scary, huh? wwww

Looking forward to your comments and feedback.