NOVEL NEXT Chapter 113.2
Let’s Have Edamame Butter Lemon Stir-Fry As A Snack
Yuuri, looking dejected, had his glasses completely fogged up, and Yakk, realizing his sight was blocked, hurriedly took the large pot from him. The pot was still piping hot, so if their movements weren’t in sync, they could get burned. So, Yuuri quietly waited for Yakk to take the pot.
After handing the pot over, Yuuri took off his glasses and lightly wiped them with his apron. He planned to clean them properly later with a glasses cloth, but for now, he just wanted to do something about the fact that his glasses were completely white and he couldn’t see properly. Glasses were a handy tool to clear his vision, but they were weak to temperature differences and fogged up quickly from steam, which was troublesome.
…That said, Yuuri wasn’t fond of contact lenses because they dried out his eyes, so he would likely continue living as a glasses enthusiast.
For now, the edamame was successfully boiled. If they stopped here, it would just be the usual salted edamame. However, today, the goal was to put in a little extra effort to create a completely different flavor.
“Alright, once the water is drained, let’s stir-fry the edamame.”
“Huh? We’re stir-frying them as is?”
“Yeah, just like this. If we season the skin with butter and lemon, it’ll have a nice, subtle flavor when you eat them.”
“Wow.”
Yuuri threw some butter into a large frying pan, letting it slowly melt with the heat. Once the butter melted and spread across the pan, he threw in the drained edamame. Since they were already boiled, there was no need to cook them thoroughly again. The goal was just to coat them in melted butter and give them a light browning.
The rich, appetizing aroma of butter spread through the air, and Yakk gulped. He wasn’t sure how well butter and edamame went together, but the smell of melted hot butter was definitely tempting. That smell was almost cheating.
“Once the butter coats the edamame and they have a slight char, we’re almost done. Just squeeze some lemon juice over them and give it a quick mix.”
“Got it.”
Yuuri squeezed lemon juice into the frying pan, then used chopsticks and shook the pan to make sure the lemon juice coated all the edamame. The combination of the lightly sweet aroma of butter and the tanginess of lemon somehow made it incredibly appetizing. Did butter and lemon really go well together? Yakk thought to himself, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from the frying pan in front of him.
Once everything was evenly mixed, Yuuri casually piled the edamame onto a large plate. The pile was a bit messy, but that actually made it more appetizing. Yuuri thought that edamame looked more delicious when piled up like this, rather than neatly arranged. Also, with so many, there was no point in worrying about perfect presentation—he just wanted to get them in the dish.
“Alright, done. Be careful, it’s hot!”
“Should I just eat them like this?”
“Yeah.”
“Got it!”
The two of them took one edamame each for a taste test. They pinched the ends of the pods with their mouths and pushed the beans out from both ends, letting them pop into their mouths. Normally, they only tasted salty, but this time, the butter and lemon flavors also came through, creating a perfect balance with the beans. The richness of the butter and the freshness of the lemon made the edamame taste even better.
After confirming the edamame was fully cooked and seasoned, Yuuri began cleaning up the frying pan, pot, and strainer. Meanwhile, Yakk quietly continued eating the edamame. He had gone past the tasting and was just snacking, but since he was the one who had brought the edamame, Yuuri didn’t mind. There were so many, a little snacking wouldn’t affect everyone else’s share.
By the time Yuuri finished cleaning up, Yakk was staring intently at his plate, deep in thought. When Yuuri asked, tilting his head, Yakk looked a bit troubled and made a suggestion.
“Yuuri, I want to take this as a thank-you gift.”
“A thank-you? Oh, for the person who gave you the edamame?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure. Maybe something with a lid would be good?”
“Is that alright?”
“I think so. I do it sometimes too.”
“…Oh, right, I guess you’re right.”
When Yuuri received a large bonus, he would often share the food he made. Remembering this, Yakk let out a relieved sigh. He wanted to show the person who gave him the delicious edamame how it turned out, even if they might already know this way of cooking. He was sure they’d be happy to receive the gift.
Yuuri quickly packed the butter-lemon stir-fried edamame into a container with a lid. He sealed it tightly and wrapped it in a cloth, then placed it in a small cloth bag. This way, it would be easy to carry, and even if it tilted, the lid wouldn’t come off. This was just one of Yuuri’s thoughtful touches. …Today, the sweet and quirky Otomen was joyfully playing the role of mom again.
“Alright, Yakk, be careful on your way.”
“Yeah, thanks! Oh, Yuuri, save some for me!”
“Of course, I’ll set some aside in a different dish.”
“Thanks!”
After waving energetically, Yakk left. Yuuri then prepared to call the others. After removing Yakk’s portion from the large plate, he carried it to the living room.
By the way, the butter-lemon stir-fried edamame was later recognized by the adult drinkers as “Not a snack, but a side dish!”