"Welcome!" *2
"Hello."
Looking at Kanroji Mitsuri in front of them, Aka-ri and Rika shouted in unison. The moment she brushed past them, they exchanged glances, seeing vigilance in each other's eyes.
"Manager, I'm here."
Her voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear. Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was busy in the kitchen, Kanroji Mitsuri's eyes revealed a hint of something unusual, and a touch of complexity.
"You're here. Have a seat outside for a bit. Today, I'll serve you a portion of fried chicken first."
Hearing the familiar voice, a hint of excitement also appeared on Hoshino Sora's face. An old friend's visit naturally called for full effort. The fried chicken had already been fried once, and only the sauce was left.
The sauce is the soul of Korean fried chicken, emphasizing a complex flavor. Under Hoshino Sora's improvements, it became more suitable for Southeast Asian palates.
First, sauté the onions until fragrant, then add a spoonful of Korean gochujang, a spoonful of tonkatsu sauce, stir evenly with a ladle, then add maltose and an appropriate amount of water, then a little chicken juice, pepper powder, curry powder, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, and finally a few drops of lemon.
Simmer it until it thickens.
Next, put the fried chicken, which had been fried once before, back into the heated oil and re-fry it. This re-frying only needs about five seconds. After that, pour it into the sauce pot next to it.
Of course, half original and half dipped in sauce, two styles for you to choose from. This is Hoshino Sora's operating policy.
"Hehehe, here comes the fried chicken!"
Knowing that only one person from the Demon Slayer World would come at a time, Hoshino Sora brought the fried chicken to the dining table, then pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Kanroji Mitsuri.
"What happened? You seem distracted, and your clothes are covered in dust, looking a bit disheveled."
Looking at Kanroji Mitsuri, who was covered in dust and appeared somewhat disheveled, Hoshino Sora patted the dust off her clothes while patiently asking her questions.
"I encountered a demon. Its ability was a bit strange, and I ended up like this by accident. I apologize for making you laugh, Hoshino-sama."
Hearing the question, Kanroji Mitsuri answered truthfully, a slightly embarrassed smile appearing on her face.
Running over in such a disheveled state was, to be honest, a bit disrespectful to Hoshino Sora, and it also got dust on the clean and tidy restaurant.
"I'm not blaming you, so you don't need to feel any pressure. Are you hurt?"
"No, it was just a low-level demon. Besides its somewhat bizarre ability, it had no lethality against me."
Her words carried confidence, but her eyes revealed an unshakeable melancholy. Clearly, the matter was not as simple as she made it sound.
However, since the other party didn't want to talk, Hoshino Sora didn't intend to force her. He could only wait until dinner to see if she would open up on her own. If she really didn't want to say anything, then so be it.
"You've worked hard. Try the fried chicken I made for you. I wonder if you've ever had it before."
"I've had it when slaying demons in big, prosperous cities, but usually they just sprinkle some pepper powder as seasoning. I've never seen it served with sauce like yours."
Looking at the novel dish in front of her, Kanroji Mitsuri's eyes were full of curiosity. This was quite different from the fried chicken on the streets of big cities. In terms of appearance, Hoshino Sora had undoubtedly done a better job.
The improved Korean dipping sauce paired with sesame seeds created an explosive visual effect! It made people' feel a sudden surge of appetite, a desire to devour it in one bite.
"Gurgle~ Gurgle—"
At the same time, Kanroji Mitsuri's stomach also let out a cute rumble, startling her into quickly covering her stomach with her hand, then looking at Hoshino Sora with a flushed face.
"Let's eat, or do you need me to feed you?"
Picking up a piece of pure chicken meat, Hoshino Sora thoughtfully brought it to Kanroji Mitsuri's mouth. Seeing that she didn't move, he said playfully.
"Thank you."
Kanroji Mitsuri didn't answer directly. After a quiet thank you, she bit into it directly, even sucking on Hoshino Sora's fingers twice.
"You're welcome. Do you drink alcohol? We can have a little."
They say truth comes out after a few drinks. Because he wanted to know what Kanroji Mitsuri was hiding from him, Hoshino Sora decided to raise the stakes, so he took out a bottle of wine that had been newly brewed a month ago.
It was made from Water Shadow grapes, using the Immortal Wine Brewing technique, a talent he had acquired a long time ago. But because he didn't have suitable ingredients, he had never used it until the Gourmet Manor mutated with wine-making plants, and he remembered he had this skill.
So he brewed several large barrels, planning to bring them out for esteemed guests to taste.
"I'm not much of a drinker, but if Hoshino-sama wishes, I can have a drink with you."
"Perfect. Try this wine of mine. Its quality is many times higher than the legendary 1982 Lafite."
"What is 1982 Lafite?"
"It's an idiom, used to describe extremely high-quality wine."
The two exchanged questions and answers. Hoshino Sora reached his hand towards the sky, and the next moment, a bottle of wine appeared in his hand. As he pulled out the cork, a rich aroma instantly spread.
"It looks delicious. The aroma is very mellow."
Smelling the aroma in the air, Kanroji Mitsuri said with a look of intoxication. This was the first time she had smelled such a strong wine aroma; just smelling it made her feel a little tipsy.
"After all, it used very high-quality grapes. Good wine is worth waiting for.
Newly brewed wine will produce some bubbles during the fermentation process, which will affect the taste of the wine. Let's decant the wine slightly."
"What is decanting?"
Looking at Hoshino Sora, who was pouring the wine into a decanter, Kanroji Mitsuri tilted her head and asked curiously. It was the first time she had heard the term "decanting."
"What is decanting? I was quite curious about it too, so I looked it up specifically. Decanting can remove impurities from wine, thereby maintaining its purity.
However, if the wine is too old, it's not suitable for decanting, as an overly old wine can lead to insufficient aroma and a worsened taste. Therefore, the decanting time should not be too long, generally controlled at around 15 minutes.
But ours is a new wine, so it will need a bit longer, about half an hour to an hour. While we wait, we can eat first."
Hearing Kanroji Mitsuri's question, Hoshino Sora rested his face in his hand and answered her question, his gaze always focused on the girl's face, his eyes revealing a faint tenderness.
"Okay, Hoshino-sama is so knowledgeable!"
"I've only learned a little bit of the basics."
With admiration sparkling in her eyes, Kanroji Mitsuri picked up a piece of fried chicken and began to eat. In less than ten minutes, she had cleaned the entire plate, even licking her fingers at the end.
"This is definitely the most delicious fried chicken I've ever eaten, far more delicious than those semi-finished products on the streets of big cities!"
Perhaps noticing Hoshino Sora secretly watching her, Kanroji Mitsuri, halfway through licking her fingers, suddenly grabbed a tissue and then pretended to wipe her hands nonchalantly.
"Wait outside for a moment. I'll bring you an even more delicious dish than fried chicken. Though, strictly speaking, it's also a type of fried chicken, as it's been deep-fried."
Shrugging his shoulders, Hoshino Sora looked at the pile of bones left on the plate, then got up and returned to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Yumeko Jabami's chicken wings were all prepared. Looking at the large basin full of chicken wings, Hoshino Sora poured them directly into the seven-tenths hot oil without a second thought.
Soon, the simply fried deboned chicken wings were scooped out by Hoshino Sora. Yumeko Jabami also came to his side, looking on curiously as he began to cook.
"Add base oil to the pot and stir-fry the sugar color. This method makes the sugar color more translucent. Once the rock sugar melts, directly add green onions and ginger and continue to stir-fry. This prevents sticking to the pot and simultaneously brings out the aroma of the green onions and ginger."
"Mhm!"
Looking at Yumeko Jabami, who was full of curiosity, Hoshino Sora decided to teach her on the spot. While speaking, he added the corresponding ingredients to the pot, then added his secret spicy sauce and Pixian bean paste.
He quickly stirred with a spoon in the pot, adding a spoonful of peanut oil, a clove of star anise, and finally, pouring in all the chicken wings that had been fried once. After stirring twice, he added chicken broth and soy sauce.
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