NOVEL NEXT Chapter 115.1
Let’s Eat Stir-Fried Pork, Cucumber, And Tomato With Ponzu Sauce
“…Yuuri.”
“Hm? What is it, Magg? Something wrong?”
“Why ponzu?”
“Huh?”
While Yuuri hummed to himself, preparing dinner, Magg, working on the prep as well, quietly posed the question. Yuuri tilted his head, not understanding what Magg was asking. Magg, wearing his usual expressionless look, repeated himself.
“Why ponzu?”
“Well, because… I’m using it?”
“…Stir-fried?”
“Yeah. Stir-fried with ponzu.”
“…?”
Magg tilted his head. Yuuri tilted his head too. Their conversation wasn’t quite connecting. If Urgus had been there, he probably would have interpreted Magg’s typically brief words, but he was out for the night. With no other choice, Yuuri stared back at Magg, trying to figure out his meaning before answering.
…Though, to be fair, Yuuri wasn’t great at expressing himself either, which was why the conversation derailed in the first place.
“Today, I thought something light like ponzu stir-fry would be nice. You know how we stir-fry meat and veggies and season them with soy sauce? It’s like that, but with ponzu instead.”
“…Stir-fried, with ponzu?”
“That’s right.”
“…Delicious?”
“Magg, don’t look so skeptical! It’s actually really good!”
“…”
Magg silently observed Yuuri’s hands. At the moment, he was chopping freshly washed cucumbers into irregular chunks. These cucumbers were part of the stir-fry. Magg’s question about ponzu stemmed from this: they were preparing cucumber and tomato, which, to him, didn’t seem like vegetables for stir-frying. To Magg, they were raw vegetables.
Still, Yuuri kept slicing cucumbers without a care. With no other choice, Magg returned to his task—preparing the tomatoes. He halved them, removed the stems, and cut them into wedges. He made sure not to make them too small, as he’d been told smaller pieces were harder to eat. However, there were a lot of tomatoes to prep, so the work was tiring. Magg didn’t seem to mind, though, cutting the tomatoes quietly and diligently.
Beside Magg, who was meticulously cutting tomatoes, Yuuri moved on to his next task after finishing with the cucumbers. He picked up the pork. Today, they were using a slightly fatty cut. Knowing the meat would shrink when cooked, Yuuri sliced it into relatively large, bite-sized pieces, about the same size as the cucumbers and tomatoes. The size was, of course, just a matter of personal preference.
The main dish Yuuri was prepared was pork, cucumber, and tomato stir-fried with ponzu. On warm days, appetite tends to wane. However, Yuuri wanted everyone to eat their meat and veggies, so he chose this refreshing dish. Incidentally, it was his first time making ponzu stir-fry, so even if the others were around, they might’ve also questioned, “Why ponzu?”
For the record, the ponzu was homemade. It was an original blend made by the apprentices, who diligently juiced citrus fruits. The current batch had a slightly stronger yuzu flavor, lending it a lovely aroma. Ponzu made with lemon, kabosu, or sudachi is also delicious, but Yuuri had a particular fondness for the gentle scent of yuzu.
“Magg, are the tomatoes done?”
“Complete.”
“Wow, as expected of Magg. …It’s amazing how evenly sized they are.”
“I matched them.”
“Yeah, you’re like a professional at this, Magg.”
Yuuri couldn’t hide his surprise as he thanked Magg. Magg seemed just a little proud, almost as if saying, “Look, I did a great job.” Usually expressionless, Magg’s faint emotion was oddly charming.
The tomatoes Magg cut were remarkably uniform in size. While the tomatoes varied slightly due to natural size differences, pieces from the same fruit were nearly identical. Magg had a knack for this kind of meticulous work. If asked to cut green onions to a specific size, he’d likely produce uniformly sliced scallions without fail.
“Alright, put the tomatoes into the bowl too.”
“Understood.”
“The meat’s ready, so let’s start stir-frying!”
“Got it.”
With a shared “Here we go!” they began their work. …There was no one to offer commentary.
Yuuri pulled out a deep frying pan and placed it on the stove to heat. Once warmed, he added sesame oil, being careful not to use too much, and spread it evenly across the pan. Skipping this step could lead to meat sticking awkwardly to the pan, which would be a hassle. Proper oiling makes for better cooking.
Once the oil was heated and spread, he added the pork. But dumping it all in at once could cause it to clump together, so he added small portions at a time, separating them with chopsticks. If you’re not confident in this, placing slices individually and cooking them carefully works too. Just remove the cooked pieces onto a plate to prevent overcooking. Yuuri, however, was used to it and deftly separated the pieces as he stir-fried.
Magg watched Yuuri’s skilled hands intently. Yuuri carried out his tasks effortlessly, but his technique was superb. He had always been good at household chores and enjoyed cooking, but since coming to this world, he’d acquired a cooking skill that boosted his abilities. Though Yuuri himself didn’t think much of it, the apprentices admired his skills and worked hard daily to catch up—mostly for the sake of eating good food themselves.
“Once the meat is cooked, add the cucumber and tomato.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t worry if it sizzles from the moisture—just throw it all in!”