Mag gave the fish a final rinse, and smiled as he said, “I’m also very good at killing fish.”
“Boss is super awesome, much better than I am.” Yabemiya nodded in agreement with Mag’s words. She had been working in various kitchens for many years, but she definitely couldn’t compare with Mag and his exceptional skills. Each and every motion looked as if it had been rehearsed countless times, and he looked so graceful and natural during the process.
Mag turned to the two of them, and said, “Alright, go and have a seat. The marinating process will require some time; I’ll call you two when it’s ready to eat.”
“Boss, can I watch you cook the fish? I swear I won’t try to steal your skills; I’m just curious,” Yabemiya implored.
“Of course you can.” Mag nodded.“Thank you, Boss.” Yabemiya was elated as she stood off to the side.
“Warning! You currently do not have the right to teach your cooking skills to others. Please do not casually agree to show others your cooking!” The system’s serious voice sounded.
Mag began to prepare the condiments for the marinate as he replied calmly, “Didn’t you hear her? She said she’s not trying to steal my skills, and she’s just curious. I trust Miya just as much as I distrust you.”
“…”
The system chose to remain silent in the end.
Sally hesitated momentarily at the entrance before deciding to sit outside in the end. She supported her intricate chin with her hands, and was slightly dazed as she looked at Mag working in the kitchen.
Grilling fish was actually a rather complex process. In particular, if one wanted to make a really delicious grilled fish, then they would have to expend a lot of time and effort.Mag had already prepared the old oil in advance. As four people were going to be sampling the fish, he chose a large one. After cooking the same dish countless times in the test field for the God of Cookery, he had already completely mastered the skill. He placed the marinated fish into the oven, pulled it out when it was half-cooked to apply a layer of old oil, and then placed it back into the oven.
“Boss, what’s that box? Why is that the fish gets cooked when you put it inside there?” Yabemiya was very curious about the oven.
“That’s an oven, and it’s designed to grill fish, as well as other things,” Mag explained with a smile. Things like ovens were still too advanced for this world.
“I get it. So it’s like a sealed grilling rack.” Yabemiya nodded with a thoughtful expression. She stared at the oven for a while longer before asking, “But this oven doesn’t have a furnace or anything, so how is it generating heat?”
“This oven doesn’t require burning coal to generate heat. Instead, it uses electricity. Electricity flows along this wire into the oven, heating up the heating elements within, which in turn provide heat for the oven. It’s a similar concept to the lights in the restaurant,” Mag explained. He had already educated Sally and Yabemiya about electricity in the past. After all, there were electrical appliances everywhere in the restaurant, and it would be bad if they were to accidentally electrocute themselves.
“I see. Boss, you really are so awesome. You’ve invented so many quick and convenient things.” Yabemiya stared Mag with stars of reverence shimmering in her eyes.
“Hmph, those were all invented by the system.” A tsundere voice sounded in Mag’s mind.
“We should try and make the most of life.” Mag ignored the system’s voice, and accepted Yabemiya’s adoration with a calm smile.
After applying two layers of old oil, the golden crispy rainbow fish was taken out of the oven. Its alluring scent wafted through the air, and one could tell that it would be delicious even before tasting it.
“It smells so good. So fish can be grilled in this manner. In the past, when I’ve seen chefs cook grilled fish, it always came out really black and hard.” Yabemiya couldn’t help but gulp at the sight of the grilled fish.
The delicious scent wafted out from within the kitchen, and the dazed Sally caught a whiff of it, upon which her eyes also lit up. That scent reminded her of her younger days, when she went out fishing with Princess Irina, and they grilled the fish that they had caught by the lake.
Even though the grilled fish from back then didn’t smell as good as Mag’s grilled fish, the scent in her memory was still unforgettable for her even to this day. She very rarely ate fish as its many small spiky bones would prick her every time she tried it; she also felt like eating fish was quite inhumane, so she was always burdened by guilt.
However, upon catching a whiff of that scent, she was suddenly struck by the urge to taste the fish. A strong sense of desire welled up in her heart, and she sat up involuntarily as if she wanted to see what the fish looked like.
Ugly Duckling was sleeping on a stool, and it also abruptly opened its eyes as it turned toward the kitchen. It inhaled with all its might, and excitement appeared on its face as it clawed at the stool as if it couldn’t wait even a second longer to sink its fangs into the fish.
“Father, I’m back!” Amy’s voice sounded along with a few knocks of the door.
Sally opened the door for her.
“Hello, Big Sister Aisha,” Amy greeted as she skipped through the door. She immediately caught a whiff of the delicious scent, and her eyes abruptly lit up.
“It smells so good; is that the smell of fish?” Amy rushed over to the kitchen, and picked up the frantic Ugly Duckling with her arms. She stood at the entrance to the kitchen, and looked on with an expectant gaze as she asked, “Father, is the rainbow fish done? Amy and Ugly Duckling both really want to eat it.”
“Meow~” Ugly Duckling stared at the grilled fish on the cooking bench, and reached for it with its paws as if it wanted to claim it for itself.
“Yes, almost done. Go wash your hands and sit outside. The fish will be cooked soon.” Mag stirred the chili and wild pepper in his wok. A spicy yet nonintrusive scent wafted through the air as the ingredients simmered.
“Yay!” Amy was very elated as she placed Ugly Duckling on the ground. She rolled up her sleeves, washed her hand, and quickly sat down at the table.
“Sizzle!”
The fried chili and wild pepper were poured onto the grilled fish, creating a sizzling sound. The spiciness quickly seeped into the grilled fish, and the familiar smell brought a smile to Mag’s face. He sprinkled some chopped green onions onto the dish, and the spicy grilled fish was complete!
“Boss, you really are a genius. I’ve never seen fish cooked like that, nor have I ever seen such a perfect fish dish.” Yabemiya stared at Mag with reverence in her eyes. She had been completely won over.
“Wash your hands, let’s eat. We’ll be having this grilled fish for lunch,” Mag said with a smile. It was quite a good feeling to be praised and worshipped.
An alcohol stove was brought out on top of a stainless steel plate to be placed under the fish. He also added some mung bean starch cellophane noodles to the dish. The quality of the ingredients was much more important than the number of ingredients. Besides, he really did love cellophane noodles.
