LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 131.1
Chicken Wings And Boiled Eggs Simmered In Ponzu Sauce
“Alright, let’s do this!”
“Ooh!”
With a carefree voice, Yuuri made his declaration, and four voices responded in unison. Yuuri and the four trainees had gathered in the dining hall. Although Urgus was supposed to be on cooking duty today, somehow all the trainees who had free time had gathered here as well.
Now, rolling around in the bowl were a large number of boiled eggs. The boiled eggs, still in their shells, had droplets of water on their surfaces. Moreover, each egg had cracks on them. These cracks were made beforehand when the eggs were soaked in water to cool them down after boiling. It was absolutely not the case that the eggs had cracked while boiling.
By the way, one possible reason eggs might crack while boiling is a sudden temperature change, so if you’re worried, you might want to let the eggs return to room temperature before boiling them. Also, adding a pinch of salt can help the egg whites solidify more easily if they do crack, minimizing the damage. It’s reassuring to take these precautions.
Now, why make cracks in the boiled eggs beforehand? It’s to make them easier to peel. Water enters through the cracks, cooling the eggs and also getting between the shell and the egg, making it easier to peel. This extra step makes the eggs peel off smoothly.
“There are a lot of them, so it’d be great if everyone could help out.”
Yuuri said with a smile, but the four trainees weren’t listening. They were too busy peeling the shells off the boiled eggs. They were all fired up, competing to see who could peel them the best. It wasn’t just about peeling them smoothly without damaging the surface, but also about not breaking the shells into tiny pieces.
The whole thing started when Urgus, who peeled the first egg, managed to keep the shell in larger pieces than usual. He had peeled it smoothly without cracking the shell or damaging the egg’s surface. …And in that moment, the “Boiled Egg Shell Peeling Championship” erupted among the boys, who turned everything into a competition. It was quite a predicament.
That said, whether they turned it into a game, competed, or treated it as an extension of play, as long as they got the job done, Yuuri didn’t see any problem with it. Preparing enough boiled eggs for everyone, with some extra, would be a huge task for one person. So, even if they were half-playing, he was grateful for their help.
By the way, the dish they were planning to make for dinner tonight was chicken wings and boiled eggs simmered in ponzu sauce. The recipe was very simple, and the seasoning was easy, but the only hassle was having to prepare the boiled eggs beforehand. However, since the temperature was rising, the refreshing taste of ponzu-based dishes was well-received by everyone. He figured that if they could enjoy a light meat dish, it would be a welcome choice.
“Ahhh, it cracked…”
“Ugh, it’s just breaking into tiny pieces…”
“If I try to keep it big, I might end up peeling off part of the egg’s surface…”
“…”
“Looks like you’re having fun.”
Camille was sulking because the shell he thought he could peel well ended up cracking. Whether it was due to how he made the initial crack or just bad luck with the egg, Yakk was also downcast as his egg kept breaking into small pieces. Urgus, on the other hand, was peeling fairly large pieces but was so strong that he almost damaged the egg’s surface. Meanwhile, Magg was silently producing decently large shell pieces. Watching the four of them having so much fun, Yuuri smiled.
By the way, the eggs Yuuri peeled were smooth and clean, with fairly large shell pieces. However, since he wasn’t participating in the size competition, the shells he peeled were given to Rooks, the slime at his feet. The hardworking slime was diligently processing the food scraps as usual. It was a grateful sight.
With all the trainees involved, the task of peeling the boiled eggs was completed much faster than if Yuuri and Urgus had done it alone. Yuuri returned the large number of peeled eggs to the bowl, while the trainees lined up their largest shell pieces to compare.
“Urgus, once you’re done, come to the kitchen. We need to simmer the meat.”
“Got it!”
Normally, Urgus, being on cooking duty, should have been brought back to the kitchen immediately. However, since the most time-consuming part of this dish was preparing the boiled eggs, Yuuri didn’t mind the slight delay. After all, thanks to everyone’s help, they had plenty of time.
Leaving the lively trainees behind, Yuuri returned to the kitchen to wash the peeled eggs in the bowl. Although they were mostly peeled clean, some shell fragments and thin membranes remained, so he washed them thoroughly to remove those. The thin membranes weren’t a big deal, but shell fragments would make the eggs gritty and unpleasant to eat.
After washing, the eggs were drained and returned to the bowl. They would be seasoned last because they were boiled to a medium firmness—somewhere between hard-boiled and soft-boiled. If they were simmered with the meat, they would become fully hard-boiled, and Yuuri wanted the yolks to remain slightly soft.
“Since simmered eggs are popular, I think they’ll like this too.”
With a carefree smile, Yuuri prepared a large pot. Since everyone had enjoyed the soy sauce-based simmered eggs he made before, he thought they would also like the ponzu-flavored ones today. While Yuuri generally cooked what he felt like, he also wanted the people eating his food to enjoy it.
Though it might seem like he was doing whatever he wanted, he did consider the people around him. At least a little.
“Sorry, Yuuri. I kept you waiting.”
“No, it’s fine. …That look on your face—did Magg win?”
“…How did you know?”
“Hmm, just a feeling. Magg’s pretty dexterous.”
“Yeah. …Well, I guess it’s progress that he’s starting to show obvious joy when he wins.”
Urgus muttered, but Yuuri chose not to respond. Magg, who was skilled in combat and movement, was still treated as a trainee largely because of his emotional immaturity. It wasn’t that his emotional development was bad, but everyone thought that if he were sent out with his current interpersonal skills, it would cause trouble. However, Magg was gradually becoming more like a typical boy his age. It was a good thing.
…Well, it was a good thing, but Urgus, who had been shown Magg’s large eggshell with a smug look, was a little annoyed. Muttering complaints under his breath, he was still very much a kid himself.
By the way, except for Magg’s largest shell, which he kept as a trophy, Camille and Yakk amused themselves by giving the other shells to Rooks. Magg didn’t seem to care about the other shells and just watched quietly. It was a heartwarming scene.
“So, we’re simmering these chicken wings, right?”
“Yep. Just add equal parts water and ponzu to the pot, then put in the chicken wings and simmer. Simmering in ponzu makes the meat tender and easier to separate from the bone.”
“Ah. Chicken wings and drumettes can be a pain to eat.”
“Yeah, it’s tough if they’re hard to separate.”