Chapter 373

Haruto carried the selected Leek Duck into the kitchen area of the Gourmet Restaurant.

He studied the plump bird for a moment before making up his mind.

“I’ll turn this one into roast duck.”

Naturally, Kagura and Kanna had no objections.

Haruto held the Leek Duck’s head firmly in place, drew Myriad Worlds, and gave his wrist a slight turn, cleanly severing the carotid artery.

Warm duck blood flowed steadily into the porcelain bowl he had prepared beforehand.

Naturally, Haruto had no intention of wasting it. He planned to use the blood later for duck-blood vermicelli soup.

While Haruto was bleeding the duck, Kagura had already prepared a large pot of hot water.

Once the blood had been completely drained, Haruto lifted the bird and submerged it in the hot water. The heat opened the pores in the skin, making it easier to remove the feathers without damaging the surface.

After scalding it thoroughly, he placed the Leek Duck on the cutting board and cast the Precision Separation spell he had learned previously.

Under the effects of the magic, both the coarse outer feathers and fine down separated cleanly from the skin.

Within moments, the Leek Duck was completely plucked, leaving behind smooth, flawless skin without so much as a single strand of down.

Haruto then picked up Myriad Worlds and made an incision beneath one wing.

Sliding his fingers into the body cavity, he removed all the internal organs.

The dark green gallbladder was carefully discarded, along with the crop still containing remnants of food. The liver, heart, gizzard, and intestines, however, were all separated out and repeatedly washed in clean water.

Once thoroughly cleaned, the organs went directly into a pot of master stock Haruto had prepared earlier.

The braising liquid had been made from dozens of spices. Its deep brown surface bubbled gently, releasing a rich, mellow fragrance that immediately stirred the appetite.

“Kanna, keep an eye on the heat for me.”

Kanna nodded at Haruto’s request and moved over to the braising pot.

With that taken care of, Haruto returned his attention to the Leek Duck on the cutting board.

A few quick strokes of Myriad Worlds removed the feet and wing tips.

He then repeatedly rinsed the cavity, neck, and beak, carefully washing away every trace of residual blood and impurity until the water running out of the carcass was perfectly clear.

Only then did Haruto stop.

The next step was one of the essential techniques in preparing roast duck: inflating the carcass.

Haruto sliced a portion of the cleaned duck intestine into thin cords, then used them to sew shut the rear opening and the incision beneath the wing.

Once everything was sealed, he began slowly blowing air into the cut at the neck.

At the same time, he gently massaged the bird with his hands, ensuring the air spread evenly throughout the body.

As air filled the carcass, the previously slack body gradually expanded. The skin separated from the meat beneath it and became taut.

Once the duck had been properly inflated, Haruto immediately scooped up a ladleful of boiling water and poured it repeatedly over the bird, starting from the head and working downward.

The scalding water hissed as it struck the tightened skin.

The pores rapidly contracted and sealed, while the skin itself grew firmer. This would prevent too much subcutaneous fat from leaking out during roasting and help preserve that crucial crisp texture.

After blanching the entire surface, Haruto circulated his Nen.

A soft layer of aura enveloped the whole Leek Duck, rapidly drawing moisture from both the exterior and interior.

Within seconds, the damp carcass had become perfectly dry.

Next, Haruto lifted the bowl of glaze he had prepared.

It was a golden, translucent mixture of maltose, naturally aged vinegar, and water purified by Aqua, blended in precise proportions.

Using a ladle, he slowly poured the glaze from the Leek Duck’s head all the way to its tail, turning his wrist constantly so every inch of skin received an even, thin coating.

Once the first layer was applied, he quickly dried the surface again before repeating the entire process a second time.

When that was finished, Haruto handed the bird to Kagura.

“Kagura, use your wind to dry it quickly.”

“Leave it to me.”

Kagura immediately raised her wind fan.

A powerful but controlled breeze began circling rapidly around the Leek Duck.

Before long, its once-soft skin gradually became dry and firm.

Kagura continued until the skin felt almost like a shell of completely dried parchment. When tapped lightly with a finger, it produced a crisp, hollow knocking sound.

Only then was it properly dried.

While Kagura handled that, Haruto kept himself busy.

He chopped the previously removed wing tips and feet into smaller pieces and placed them in an earthenware pot.

Then he added a small amount of Tranquility Princess pollen and a section of the leek that had originally grown with the Leek Duck.

As the stock simmered, it gradually turned a creamy white.

A rich aroma spread through the kitchen, combining the faint sweetness of the pollen with the fresh fragrance of leek until the scent alone was enough to make anyone hungry.

By the time Kagura finished drying the Leek Duck, the stock had also reached exactly the right stage.

Haruto took the dried bird back and inserted a funnel into the opening at its neck.

Then he slowly poured the hot stock into the body cavity.

Kagura and Kanna watched with obvious curiosity.

Noticing their interest, Haruto explained as he worked.

“Once the stock is sealed inside, it’ll keep boiling while the duck roasts. That means the outside is being roasted while the meat is effectively being simmered from within.”

“The result is much more tender and flavorful meat.”

After filling the cavity, Haruto tightly tied off the opening at the neck with another strip of duck intestine.

Then he placed the Leek Duck inside the fruitwood roasting oven that had already been preheated.

Jujube wood burned inside, one of the best woods for roasting duck.

The orange-red coals released a steady, even heat, filling the air with a delicate fruity fragrance.

But simply placing the duck in the oven wasn’t enough.

Haruto still needed to carefully regulate the vents and control the heat throughout the roasting process.

For the first stage, he used a high flame for roughly twenty minutes.

The intense heat quickly set the skin and began developing its color. Excess fat beneath the surface slowly rendered out, dripping onto the hot coals below with sharp hisses and sending up wisps of smoke heavy with roasted meat aroma.

For the middle stage, Haruto reduced the heat to medium and roasted the bird more gently.

Every so often, he rotated the iron rack supporting the Leek Duck so that every side received even exposure.

Hot air circulated continuously inside the oven, while the stock sealed within the bird’s body cavity remained at a rolling boil.

Even through the oven walls, faint bubbling could occasionally be heard.

For the final stage, Haruto lowered the heat again and finished the duck slowly over a gentle flame.

This was the part that demanded the most patience.

Haruto remained beside the oven, watching the color of the skin with complete concentration.

As more fat rendered away, the sugars in the glaze gradually caramelized under the heat.

The skin deepened into a beautiful dark amber, while its surface developed a glossy, translucent finish that almost resembled glass.

The Roast Leek Duck was finally ready.

Haruto removed it from the oven.

Fresh from the heat, the entire bird gleamed with an amber luster reminiscent of polished glaze. Its glossy skin shimmered beneath the kitchen lights.

The fruity fragrance of the wood smoke mingled with the roasted aroma of duck, the delicate floral scent of Tranquility Princess pollen, and the faint freshness of leek.

The combined fragrance immediately filled the kitchen and forced everyone’s stomachs to growl.

Haruto placed the roast duck on the cutting board.

He cut away the duck-intestine cord sealing the neck and carefully poured the piping-hot stock from the body cavity into a bowl.

The broth had absorbed the essence of the duck meat, the savory richness of the stock, the floral fragrance of the pollen, and the gentle sweetness of the leek.

It was golden in color and intensely aromatic.

Haruto intended to use it later for duck-blood vermicelli soup.

That could wait.

For now, he set the broth aside and picked up Myriad Worlds.

Then he began slicing the duck.

The blade flashed like snow in his hand, moving so quickly that the individual motions were almost impossible to follow.

Soft, rapid slicing sounds filled the kitchen as piece after piece of roast duck was carved away.

Each slice was nearly identical in size, carrying a layer of amber skin over a thin portion of tender meat.

In barely any time at all, the entire roast Leek Duck had been reduced to a perfectly clean carcass.

Haruto arranged the slices carefully across a porcelain plate, beginning in the center and overlapping them outward layer by layer until the finished presentation resembled a blooming rose.

The amber “petals” shone beautifully, with translucent beads of rendered fat glistening across their surfaces.

He then took the Leek Duck’s own leek, sliced it into fine shreds, and arranged them neatly on a small dish.

Alongside them went a stack of warm, white lotus-leaf pancakes with a soft but pleasantly chewy texture, as well as a small bowl of thick, sweet-savory fermented wheat sauce.

With that, the complete set of accompaniments for the roast duck was ready.

Haruto finally put down Myriad Worlds and looked toward Kagura and Kanna, who had been waiting impatiently for quite some time.

“All right. Let’s taste it.”

Neither sister needed to be told twice.

The instant he finished speaking, Kagura and Kanna picked up their chopsticks.

Haruto selected a slice as well and placed it directly into his mouth.

The first sensation was the extraordinary crispness of the duck skin.

Thin enough to seem almost delicate, it shattered between his teeth with a distinct crack, releasing rich rendered fat across his tongue.

Yet despite its richness, there was no greasy heaviness at all. Only a deep, mellow fragrance remained.

The caramelized sweetness of maltose blended with fruitwood smoke, the floral freshness of Tranquility Princess pollen, and a barely perceptible hint of leek.

Each flavor emerged in sequence, lingering beautifully after the bite was gone.

The thin strip of duck meat beneath the skin had been gently cooked from within by the simmering stock, leaving it exceptionally tender and juicy.

With barely any pressure, the meat yielded and released savory juices throughout his mouth.

The natural sweetness of the duck had been drawn out perfectly by the seasoned stock, leaving behind no unpleasant gaminess whatsoever.

All that remained was pure roasted meat flavor, with a tenderness so extreme that chewing was almost unnecessary.

After swallowing, Haruto picked up one of the warm lotus-leaf pancakes.

He spread a thin layer of sweet wheat sauce across it, added two slices of roast duck, placed a small bundle of shredded leek on top, then rolled everything together and took a bite.

The deep sweet-savory flavor of the sauce and the fresh, lightly pungent leek perfectly balanced the richness of the duck.

Meanwhile, the soft chewiness of the pancake contrasted beautifully with the crisp skin and tender meat.

Salty, sweet, savory, sharp, and fragrant flavors intertwined in perfect balance.

The more Haruto chewed, the more delicious it became, making it almost impossible to stop.

And with the subtle effect of the Tranquility Princess pollen spreading through their bodies, Haruto, Kagura, and Kanna found themselves becoming increasingly relaxed as they ate.