Chapter 256

While Frieren was still thinking about how to improve her anti-demon magic, Haruto began processing the mimic in earnest.

The seal would only last for an hour, so he had no time to waste.

He drew the Melk Knife and carefully removed every edible piece of tissue from inside the mimic, cutting them away one by one.

Within only a few minutes, all the usable meat had been cleanly separated from the creature.

Haruto immediately brought out his cooking equipment, then looked over the neatly arranged mimic ingredients and considered what dishes would suit them best.

It did not take long for him to decide.

The mimic’s tongue was the most heavily used part of its body. The meat was dense and firm, with connective tissue distributed evenly throughout.

If he wanted to draw out all the gelatin and savoriness hidden within those membranes while making the tongue tender and juicy, braising was clearly the best approach.

Once he had settled on the method, Haruto immediately got to work.

He prepared a basin of warm water, added a small amount of salt, and submerged the entire mimic tongue.

The warm salt water gently loosened the slippery layer of mucus coating its surface while also drawing out the faint gamey smell hidden within the meat.

After letting it soak for a while, Haruto lifted the tongue out and repeatedly wiped it down with a clean cloth until the once-slick surface felt completely clean.

Only then did he pick up the Melk Knife.

The blade gleamed coldly as he laid it against the tough outer skin, which carried a thin layer of keratin.

With a slight turn of his wrist, Haruto cleanly shaved away the entire membrane that would otherwise ruin the texture.

Beneath it was beautiful pink flesh threaded with marbling-like patterns.

When Haruto pressed down with his fingertips, the dense muscle immediately sprang back.

He then cut against the grain, dividing the tongue into evenly sized pieces roughly two fingers wide.

Every piece was almost identical.

That way, once they entered the braising liquid, they would cook at exactly the same rate rather than leaving some pieces falling apart while others remained tough and underseasoned.

The freshly cut meat sat neatly on the plate, vivid and glossy enough to make the finished dish seem promising already.

With the main ingredient prepared, Haruto turned his attention to the soul of any braise—the cooking liquid.

They were deep inside a dungeon, without a reliable stove or open flame.

For a long braise, a stable heat source was essential.

Haruto had originally considered manifesting the Gourmet Restaurant.

But after remembering the monster lurking somewhere within the Ruins of the King’s Tomb, he thought better of it.

In the end, he chose to use heating magic circles instead.

Using magical heat would sacrifice a little of the rustic character that came from cooking over an actual flame, but under the circumstances, it was the most practical option.

Within a dozen seconds, several neat circular heating arrays appeared across the stone floor.

Frieren, standing nearby, immediately brightened when she saw them.

She had never seen magic circles like those before.

That alone was an unexpected surprise.

Haruto ignored her fascinated stare and placed a heavy, deep braising pot in the center of one of the arrays before activating it.

He added a small knob of butter.

Once it melted and began foaming lightly, he tipped in finely chopped yellow onion.

Haruto kept the heat low and stirred patiently.

The onion gradually softened, losing its harsh raw bite as a mellow sweetness emerged. Its pale color deepened little by little until it became a beautiful caramel brown.

Once the sweetness had been fully developed, Haruto added chopped tomatoes.

The moment they hit the pot, their bright sweet-and-sour fragrance burst into the air and mingled with the caramelized onion.

Haruto stirred constantly until the tomato juices and onion sweetness melded together into a thick, glossy red base.

Soon, the entire burial chamber was filled with an appetite-stirring aroma.

Haruto poured in prepared water, then added the remaining seasonings.

He covered the pot.

The liquid slowly came up to temperature until a gentle bubbling sound could be heard from inside, while increasingly rich layers of fragrance escaped through the narrow gap beneath the lid.

While the braising liquid simmered, Haruto brought out a frying pan.

He poured in clear olive oil and waited until the surface began rippling with heat and just barely smoked.

Then he laid the mimic tongue pieces into the pan one by one.

Sssshhh—!

The satisfying sound of meat hitting hot oil filled the chamber.

The instant the pieces touched the pan, a powerful meaty aroma erupted outward, briefly overwhelming even the sweet-and-sour fragrance of the braising liquid.

Haruto turned the pieces without rushing, making sure every surface developed a deep brown sear.

The edges curled slightly as the crust formed, and each turn sent another wave of aroma rolling through the room.

Frieren unconsciously stepped closer.

Her eyes remained fixed on the pan, her nose twitching lightly as she followed the scent. Even her breathing seemed to slow in rhythm with the sizzling meat.

Once all six sides had developed an ideal browned crust, Haruto removed the pieces.

By then, the braising liquid had reached a steady boil.

The red broth rolled gently beneath the lid, the spices now fully incorporated.

Haruto opened the pot and lowered the seared tongue pieces into the bubbling liquid one by one.

The sauce surged around them and completely covered the meat.

He closed the heavy lid again, then placed his right hand on top.

Nen flowed from his palm.

It spread across the lid, through the entire pot, and finally penetrated the simmering liquid and the meat itself.

Haruto began carefully guiding the muscle fibers and connective tissue with Nen, allowing heat and flavor to penetrate every strand of meat as quickly and evenly as possible.

A braise that would ordinarily require three or four hours to reach perfect tenderness was compressed into little more than ten minutes.

The aroma from the pot deepened at an astonishing rate.

First came the pure richness of the meat.

Then the sweet acidity of tomato joined it, followed by the layered fragrance of spices.

The scents built upon one another until they filled every corner of the burial chamber and even drifted out into the dungeon corridor.

Fern and Sense both swallowed quietly.

Most of their earlier hesitation and resistance toward the idea of "monster cuisine" had already begun to crumble beneath that irresistible aroma.

Once Haruto judged that the braise had reached its ideal point, he withdrew his hand.

The vigorous bubbling inside the pot gradually settled.

He did not open it yet.

Instead, he turned toward the remaining mimic meat.

These cuts had finer muscle fibers, a tender texture, and evenly distributed fat.

They were far better suited to fast, high-heat stir-frying, which would preserve their juices while highlighting the meat’s natural flavor.

Haruto placed the pieces on a flat cutting board, picked up a rolling pin, and began pounding them at a steady rhythm.

He worked along the direction of the muscle fibers, gradually loosening the meat without destroying its structure.

The goal was to tenderize it enough to absorb seasoning while preserving just the right amount of chew.

Only when every piece had become uniformly soft with no hard center remaining did Haruto stop.

A nearby pot of water was already boiling.

He added a few slices of ginger and a splash of Shaoxing wine, then placed the tenderized meat into the water whole and blanched it for three minutes.

The boiling water pulled out the scum and removed the final trace of unwanted odor.

Haruto lifted the meat out and immediately rinsed it with prepared cold water.

The sudden temperature change tightened the flesh, giving it a firmer, springier bite.

Then he sliced against the grain, cutting the meat into long, evenly sized strips.

Every piece had the same length and thickness, ensuring perfectly even cooking once it hit the wok.

After draining away all surface moisture, Haruto switched to an iron wok.

Fast stir-frying depended on fierce heat and speed.

Only by using intense temperature to seal in the juices immediately could he preserve the meat’s tenderness.

He heated the wok until the metal itself began to glow faintly, then added cool oil.

Once the oil reached high heat, Haruto tossed in sliced ginger, garlic, scallion segments, and several dried chilies for fragrance.

Sssshhh—!

The sharp fragrance of chili, aromatics, and hot oil erupted at once.

At the exact moment the aroma reached its peak, Haruto threw in the drained strips of mimic meat.

Another violent hiss filled the room.

The meat released a burst of rich fragrance the instant it struck the scorching wok.

Haruto gripped the handle and snapped his wrist.

The strips flew through the air, each one evenly coated in hot oil and exposed to precisely the same heat.

After only a couple of tosses, the meat had already changed color, its surface tightening slightly and taking on an attractive sheen.

Haruto immediately seasoned it.

Light soy sauce for savoriness.

A small amount of dark soy sauce for a glossy reddish-brown color.

Oyster sauce for depth.

A touch of sugar to round out the saltiness and enhance the natural flavor.

Freshly ground black pepper for another layer of aroma.

His hands never stopped moving.

Within seconds, the sauce had coated every strip evenly, leaving the meat glossy, richly colored, and intensely fragrant.

Haruto transferred everything to a serving plate.

The Stir-Fried Mimic Meat was complete.

Bright green scallion segments and deep red dried chilies stood out against the glossy meat, making the dish look every bit as appetizing as it smelled.

Only then did Haruto turn back toward the braising pot.

He lifted the lid.

An overwhelming wave of rich meat aroma mixed with the sweet-and-sour fragrance of tomato surged outward like a tide, instantly filling the entire stone chamber.

The braising liquid had reduced into a thick, glossy red sauce that bubbled gently around the mimic tongue.

The meat had absorbed the essence of the broth and become plump and lustrous.

When Haruto gently pressed one piece with a chopstick, the tip sank in easily.

Yet the meat still held together perfectly.

It had reached exactly the state he wanted—tender and deeply flavored, soft enough to yield effortlessly without becoming mushy.

Haruto transferred the braised mimic tongue onto a plate, spooned the thick sauce evenly over the pieces, then finished it with a light scattering of freshly chopped thyme.

The glossy red sauce clung to the plump pieces of meat.

The aroma was irresistible.

And the presentation was nearly flawless.

---------

Read 40 Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.

patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator