落とし穴５１堀：シチュー (Part2)

"Right, that’ll be the total."

Nana said this as she opened a nearby register, waiting for us to approach. She was nervous the first time she did this, but she’s really gotten the hang of it now.

I placed the basket on the counter, and with a quick magical scan, the items were tallied and the payment processed smoothly.

"Thank you very much! Aslin, Firia, let's play again sometime, okay?"

"Yeah!"

With that promise made, we left Super Ratz Branch No. 3.

"Well, we’ve had quite a day, but the real work starts now."

"Yes, it does."

"Mm-hmm. I'll do my best!"

"Leave it to me."

"Yes. The ingredients I prepared are all ready to go."

"I’ve made sure everything is prepped."

That’s right—just because we have the ingredients doesn't mean the meal is finished. Though, since Kirue and Shera stayed behind to handle the prep work, it shouldn't take too long.

Some might argue, "Isn't it just a matter of throwing the ingredients into a pot and boiling them?" Well, if you’re just looking to fill your stomach, then sure. But a little extra effort changes everything.

For instance, whether it's cream stew or beef stew, the common wisdom is to start by simmering the meat that takes the longest to cook. But I prefer to start with the carrots and onions.

Actually, carrots take a long time to soften. Unless they’re sliced thin, they take longer to cook through than meat, especially when cut into the chunks used for stew.

Next, onions. You could call them the essential vegetable for any dish. They’re unique—sharp and pungent when raw, but sweet when heated. Furthermore, they have the property of melting down when simmered, which adds incredible depth to a dish.

Freshly harvested onions, or "new onions," are especially prone to melting. If you put them in at the very beginning, they’ll dissolve into nothing. So, you anticipate that by staggering when you add them—some to melt into the base, and some to keep as solid pieces.

This "melting" property applies to meat, too. High-quality, marbled meat will practically dissolve into a light stew. It’s delicious because the flavor infuses the broth, but a stew without any meat to chew on is a bit disappointing. Especially with cream or beef stew. So, I stagger the timing for the meat as well.

As for the meat intended to be eaten as chunks, it’s best to sear the surface first to lock in the juices. When you eat it, the flavor of the stew and the savory juices of the meat combine—it’s heavenly.

Finally, the potatoes. These are the tricky ones. Depending on the variety, some melt and some don't. If you misjudge the type, you might end up with potatoes that have vanished or ones that stay hard forever.

And the biggest trait of a potato: they are only soft at the very beginning. When heated, they start off fluffy and tender, but as time passes, they become firm. They’re still perfectly edible, but anyone who knows the joy of a fluffy potato might feel let down. That’s why I add the potatoes last, ensuring they stay fluffy until the very end. That’s my method.

Next, the individual preparation for cream stew versus beef stew. Simply put, it comes down to the meat. I’ve already explained the prep, but each stew has its classic pairing: chicken for cream stew, and beef for beef stew.

The reason is primarily the scent. Cream stew doesn't have ingredients to mask strong odors, so chicken, which has a mild scent, is considered the best fit. Beef stew, on the other hand, uses red wine to neutralize the strong smell of certain cuts of beef and to tenderize the meat. In the old days, this was a necessary step to make tough, pungent, non-culinary-grade beef edible, which is likely how the dish got its name.

In modern Japan, beef isn't usually that pungent, so you don't *have* to go to such lengths, but doing so makes it taste better, so I do it anyway. If you have wine to spare, it’s best to rub it into both the chicken and the beef before searing them.

Finally, the most important part: the simmering. This is crucial. Some people like the texture of fresh vegetables, so they prefer a shorter cook time, but then the flavors don't soak in. That’s why you need to set aside a proper amount of time to make a good stew. At the very least, start simmering in the morning to serve for dinner.

Authentic restaurants often simmer their stews for a week. You can take advantage of that by making a large batch; the longer it sits, the better it tastes, and it can even be used as a sauce for other dishes.

All that’s left is to prepare salad, bread, or rice to go with the main course. Some people think putting stew over rice is weird, but I’m all for it. It’s like omurice or curry. It’s all about adding an accent.

"Whoa, it looks so delicious!!"

"Now, Riel. Sit down and wait properly."

"…I understand what Tori says. But this is intense. It rivals even fried tofu."

"It really does look delicious… I’ve been moving my body all day, so I’m starving."

"Indeed. Seraria, Jessica, and I have been training quite vigorously, after all."

"…I’m hungry."

"Jessica, your eyes look strange!? You have the eyes of a predator hunting its prey!?"

"It can't be helped, Ria. Jessica was training with those two, and—wait, Milly, is that alcohol…?"

"Eris, what’s wrong with that? I can’t believe you’d want to eat something this delicious without a drink. Right, Ratz?"

"That’s true. This beef stew would certainly go well with some wine."

"Come to think of it, we have both bread and rice? Which one should I eat? Do you know, Rurua?"

"I imagine it’s a matter of preference?"

"Hmm, then I’ll have both. I’ll eat it all."

Listening to my family chatter like that, we smiled and sat down to enjoy our dinner.

" " "Itadakimasu!!" " "

And then…

" " "It’s delicious!!" " "

The stew was wiped clean. In the end, a card game tournament began to decide who would get the leftovers. I’ll have to make a bigger batch next time.

Just a little slice of winter life.

Yeah. It’s this time of day, so this isn't "food terrorism," right?

Well, it’s not like there are many Western-style restaurants that serve truly delicious stew anyway! You only find it in convenience stores or supermarkets. If you want to eat good stew, you have no choice but to make it yourself!!

Fuhahaha…

*Sigh.* Even I don't make stew that often. The prep work is seriously a pain.