Chapter 94

With the hot days continuing, I hope everyone doesn't lose their appetite.

I want to eat cold shabu-shabu salad for now.

The days have been quite hot. It might be the season transitioning into summer. Yūri thinks so. The seasons in this world are not as distinct as in Japan, but there are still climate changes throughout the year. The region where the capital Dralheim is located has a temperate climate. However, compared to Japan, the humidity is lower, making it relatively comfortable for Yūri to endure the heat.

Still, the heat seems to be troublesome for the others. Those who usually have a light appetite have seen a slight decrease in their food intake. Of course, as adventurers, they understand the foolishness of not eating. However, it's inevitable that their appetite diminishes. Yūri, too, would lose his appetite in a heatwave and prefer to eat cold noodles. He's not a big meat eater, to begin with.

Therefore, Yūri planned a light but nutritionally balanced lunch that includes both meat and vegetables. The menu is cold shabu-shabu salad. Boiled and cooled meat is served over a salad, and it's eaten with ponzu sauce. That's it.

What? Lazy? No, no, it's a wonderful menu that includes both meat and vegetables. Just let everyone adjust their bread intake as they see fit. Additionally, he prepared cold fruits for dessert. Cold fruits are especially refreshing on a hot day.

"Should we use orc meat for the meat?"

This is a matter of personal preference, but in Yūri's mind, cold shabu-shabu means pork. Shabu-shabu usually means beef, but for some reason, cold shabu-shabu means pork. He doesn't know why; he probably grew up eating it that way. It can't be helped. ...Well, he used to eat shabu-shabu with pork too.

Yūri took a block of orc meat from the refrigerator and began slicing it to the thickness needed for shabu-shabu. Today's lunch group includes Yack, who is on cooking duty, Tiphana, who is on guard duty, Camille, who is doing some training at the hideout, and Hermine and Aroll. They are all light eaters.

Yack and Camille do eat a fair amount, but they are still growing children. Their food intake is less compared to other boys their age. Ulgus, for example, eats a lot because his physique is similar to an adult's. Mag, despite his small frame, eats a lot. In comparison, Yack and Camille are normal for their age.

While Yack was out for morning studies, Yūri decided to slice the orc meat for everyone. He quickly sliced the meat, thanks to his skill bonus. In no time, a pile of meat slices, like those sold in stores, was ready.

"Yūri, sorry! I'm late!"

"Welcome back, Yack. Where's Camille?"

"Camille was talking to Aroll."

"Those two are pretty close, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty close."

Just as Yūri finished slicing the meat, Yack came running in. He washed his hands with soap and prepared for cooking. With the meat ready, the next step was to boil a large amount of water. To make cold shabu-shabu, the meat needs to be boiled.

"Yūri, what are you making today?"

"Cold shabu-shabu salad."

"What's that?"

"Boiled orc meat served over a salad, eaten with ponzu sauce."

"Ah, because it's hot?"

"Yeah."

Yack, who is quite perceptive, realized why Yūri had planned such a healthy menu. He thought it was typical of Yūri to consider the group's decreased appetite due to the heat. Yūri always tries his best to make delicious meals for everyone, though 80% of the time, it's because he wants to eat deliciously himself.

Once the water in the pot boiled, Yūri added sake and salt. He planned to use the boiling water to make soup later, so he added sake and salt to enhance the flavor. He thought it would be a waste to discard the broth, which would be rich with the meat's flavor. Since they were boiling a large amount of meat, the water wouldn't get too dirty.

What? Frugal? No, it's the wisdom of a housewife trying to avoid waste. Probably.

After adding the sake and salt, Yūri turned off the stove. Boiling the meat would make it hard, so he waited for the water to cool slightly.

"Are you not boiling it?"

"If you boil it while it's boiling, the lean meat gets hard. I heard it's better to wait for it to cool a bit."

"Ah, ...but didn't you say before that boiling the meat in boiling water prevents scum from forming?"

"Yeah, that's true. But the scum can be scooped out, and the most important thing is that the meat tastes good, right?"

Yack nodded in agreement with Yūri's smile. Deliciousness is the top priority. It's a principle that has become ingrained in him. After all, everyone wants to eat delicious food.

So, Yūri dropped the orc meat into the slightly cooled water, one piece at a time. He moved the meat skillfully with chopsticks, and the red meat gradually turned white. It's important to boil the meat until it's fully cooked, especially for pork-like meat, to ensure it's safe to eat.

Once the meat was boiled, Yūri dropped it into room temperature water. He used to use ice water to cool it quickly, but it made the fat hard and less tasty. So, he used room temperature water, making sure not to let the meat soak too long. He then arranged the meat on a sieve to drain the water.

While boiling the meat, he scooped out the scum carefully. The scum can affect the taste, so he repeated the process of scooping out the scum as he lifted the meat. This kind of meticulous work is important. Probably.

"So, the meat is done, what's next?"

"Can you cut the vegetables for the salad? I'll make the soup."

"Got it."

They took turns boiling the meat to help Yack learn the right boiling time. Once that was done, they divided the tasks. Yūri tasted the broth, which he had scooped the scum from, and added finely chopped onions and carrots. He seasoned it with salt, pepper, a bit of granulated dashi, and soy sauce. The broth, rich with the flavor of the orc meat, tasted quite good even with a simple seasoning.

Yack's salad included shredded lettuce, finely sliced cabbage, radish, and carrots, as well as a bit of fennel and other herbs suitable for salads. He also added diced tomatoes for color. The salad was served on large plates, one for each person. Since there were no other side dishes, he hoped they would eat it all.

Once the salad was plated, Yūri added the cooled orc meat. After plating, he drizzled homemade ponzu sauce over it. The ponzu sauce for today was made with lemon and yuzu, which Yūri wanted to use after discovering yuzu.

"Is that done?"

"Perfect. How about you, Yūri?"

"Perfect too."

"Then I'll go call everyone."

"Thanks!"

"Sure!"

Watching Yack run off energetically, Yūri began setting the table. Today's bread was rolls. He set a goal of two rolls per person. The rolls weren't that big, so two seemed reasonable. Not eating enough can also be bad for health.

The lunch consisted of soup, cold shabu-shabu salad, and rolls. It was a simple lunch, but with no big meat eaters around, it should be fine. The group, who entered the dining room with Yack, only commented on how delicious it looked, with no complaints. If there were front-line fighters who eat a lot, they might have found it a bit lacking.

"There's extra meat and salad, so if you can eat more, please help yourself."

"Yūri, I can't eat that much."

"That's fine. But since it's light, you might be able to eat a bit."

"Yeah, the ponzu sauce, with lemon and yuzu, makes the meat easier to eat."

Hermine smiled at Yūri's cheerful expression. She is a petite girl who is a light eater and doesn't like fatty meat. However, she enjoyed the meat with the ponzu sauce Yūri made. The ponzu sauce made the meat light and easy to eat, which seemed to suit her taste.

Everyone gathered, and they said "Itadakimasu" together before starting their meal. Even those who initially looked hesitant about the meat started eating the cold shabu-shabu salad, perhaps reassured by Yūri and Hermine's conversation. The orc meat, which was boiled and then cooled, was soft. Yūri knew it was softer than when it was rapidly cooled in ice water. The ponzu sauce made it light and easy to eat, and the combination with the salad was delicious. The flavors of the meat, vegetables, and ponzu sauce melded together, making it hard to stop eating.

"Yūri, did you use the broth from boiling the meat for the soup?"

"Ah, Camille noticed?"

"Yeah, it had a flavor like orc meat."

"Ahaha, impressive. You're like Mag."

"Stop it. If I become like him, I feel like I'll lose something important as a person."

"Indeed."

Camille, who honestly reported the flavor of the orc meat in the soup, didn't want to be treated like Mag, a dashi enthusiast. He immediately denied it. However, no one could blame him. Mag's ability to detect dashi is too extreme. He can even detect it as a hidden flavor, especially with kelp dashi.

"Oh, Aroll, you're eating it in an interesting way."

"Huh?"

"You're putting it in the roll."

"...Last time."

"Last time?"

Aroll had cut a slit in the middle of the roll and was eating the cold shabu-shabu salad inside. After chewing the food in his mouth, he continued speaking to Tiphana, who was sitting across from him.

"Yūri put a sausage in the roll last time."

"Hot dogs are delicious, right?"

"I thought this would be good too."

"Oh, that sounds fun."

Tiphana smiled and followed Aroll's example. Eating the salad and meat in the roll made the flavors of the meat, ponzu sauce, and vegetables blend together, making it very delicious. She murmured, "Delicious," and the rest of the group immediately started putting the cold shabu-shabu salad in their rolls. Deliciousness is the top priority. If it looks delicious, it's worth trying.

Yūri, however, ate the salad and meat separately. He usually doesn't eat much, but the light and ponzu-flavored cold shabu-shabu salad was quite easy to eat. Before he knew it, he had finished his plate. Knowing there was more, and feeling a bit hungry, he stood up with his plate.

"...Yūri, are you getting seconds?"

"Yeah, I can eat a bit more."

"Me too! I'll get seconds too!"

"Me too!"

"It's okay, I'm not eating that much."

Yūri chuckled at Yack and Camille, who were eagerly eating their plates. They weren't big eaters, so there was no way they would finish everything. As he was about to say that, Hermine, with a casual expression, stood up with her plate to get seconds.

The second helpings were prepared for everyone, but the lunch turned into a lively affair, as expected.

Regarding the method of making cold shabu-shabu, it's just like any home-cooked meal, and the method can vary from household to household.

There are probably other ways to make it delicious, but this is how I do it.

I'm a lazy housewife who likes to use the broth to make soup or stews.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.