310-Grilled bonito rice balls




 
 Bartolo and I are working in the kitchen to make lunch for myself as well as my sister Elinora's lunch.

Well, there is already a tataki, Bartolo, you can roughly chop it up with a knife.

Yeah, I'm on it.

 As I say this, Bartolo starts chopping up the tataki with his knife.

 He strikes the knife with a powerful yet delicate hand. The regular thumping sound of the knife is proof that he is familiar with it. It was very pleasant to listen to.

 While listening to Bartolo's melody, I fry the sesame seeds in the frying pan and soak the kombu which I got in Kagura for the dashi.

 Then I wash the green onion and cut it into small pieces.

 When the sesame flavor is moderately strong, I lift them from the pan to a small plate and go back to cutting the green onion.

 The sound of my knife and Bartolo's knife were very different. The sound of my knife is different from the sound of my real job.

I said, "Boy, I chopped up some bonito. Is this as rough as it should be?

 As I was chopping up the green onions, Bartolo seemed to be done and showed me the chopped bonito.

'Yeah, if you chop it too finely, the meat will be less satisfying to eat. Can you grate the ginger for me next time? 

Okay.

 When I asked for it, Bartolo immediately started grating the ginger.

 Then he chopped the green onions for lunch, and when he finished grating the ginger, he added the rice, chopped bonito, green onions, ginger, ginger, roasted sesame seeds, and a little salt to the bowl and asked Bartolo to mix it vigorously with his hands.

'Good, good! Mix well.

I'm telling you, if you mix it up, you're gonna grab the boy.

Oh, yeah?

 I was wondering if Bartolo would just grab the whole thing, but I guess I'd have to grab it too.

 While I was thinking about that, the bowl was filled with beautifully mixed katsuo rice. It's just the right amount of salt, just enough to make the rice grains crumble a little.

Okay, now all I need to do is shape it into an onigiri.

 After washing my hands properly, I put the katsuo rice on my palm and shaped it into a rice ball.

 I rolled the rice into a ball using all of my palm and applied force evenly. Then I put the triangular shape on a plate.

It's easy to tell which one of them made the onigiri.

Ha-ha, me and the kid have different palms.

 The size of the onigiri on the plate was obvious. The size of the onigiri I made was much smaller than the one I made.

 Well, it can't be helped, since I made it with the hands of a seven-year-old boy.

 While taking a little longer than Bartolo, I carefully grabbed and made the grilled bonito onigiri.

 After a while, there was enough onigiri to fill a large plate.

''Okay, that should be enough.''

Well no, I'm probably going to stay a little longer.

'What? Do you need that many onigiri in your lunchbox?

 Just the ones on this platter alone are more than twenty. If that's all that's left, it should be enough for Elinora's sister's lunch, or for the family's lunch.

The first thing you need to do is to make more lunches for your daughter. That's because we'll be exchanging food and serving it to others.

Oh, I see. Sometimes you share them with your sister Emma and Sheila.

 It's a delicious Bartolo dish, even if it's just for free. When you hear that it's made with fish from the sea, aside from sister Emma, Sheila can't help but want it.

''Huh? Even if you packed about fifteen of them, like there's quite a bit left over?

Look behind you.

 When Bartolo told me to turn around, I saw Mina peeking out of the entrance........

''I see. There's also a bribe for the maids, right?

Well, you can make it later.

 The moment Bartolo says that, Meena looks shocked.

 The maids always eat their lunch after we've finished eating. Inevitably, this means we'll have to leave it at that.

''Oh, no, not two.......no, just one! Would you mind letting me eat first?

 Meena whispers from the doorway, as if she wants to eat now.

'Or so you say, but what do you want?'

Well it's okay to have one, right? And we're going to taste it now.

 Bartolo says, scratching his forehead as I leave the decision to him.

 As usual, Bartolo seems to be a bit lenient with Meena, but we're going to taste it anyway, and it's just a side note when we get one more person.

 And it's Bartolo who will be producing more rice balls later.

'Because,'

'Haha! Thank you!

 When I turn around and say that, Meena warns the surroundings before coming in with a shining expression.

 You're quite used to checking your surroundings properly.

 The moment people are exposed to this kind of joy, they let their guard down.

"Boy, haven't you had enough dashi already?

'Yes. I'll simmer it lightly and season it.

 While Bartolo prepares a plate, I put the water in which the kombu was soaked in on the fire.

 Then, just before it boils, I take the kombu out and lightly season it with mirin and light soy sauce.

 When I taste it on a small plate, I can taste the gentle taste of the kombu dashi and the mild taste of the soy sauce.

Oh, I can drink this dashi all the time.

 A good soup stock goes down smoothly like a drink. Kombu is doing a good job.

 When the dashi is ready, I pour the soup stock into the bowl Bartolo prepared for me. After that, when I want to eat, I just put it in there and eat it.

 As I was completing the preparation of the dashi, the kitchen was already lined with simple chairs and drinks, and Bartolo and Mina were sitting in the kitchen, looking ready to go.

 I psychically lifted the teacup and sat down in the chair as it was prepared and placed the teacup on the table.

'Alright then, let's eat.'

Yes!

Oh!

 As I say this, Meena and Bartolo respond cheerfully and reach for the grilled bonito onigiri on the platter.

 I lift the still slightly warm onigiri with my hand and take a bite.

 The taste of the bonito and the slight flavor of ginger spread in your mouth. It goes without saying that the rice and the bonito go well together, but the perfect amount of salt and ginger gives it a refreshing boost.

 It's relatively easy to eat, even on a hot summer day.

After all, skipjack tuna and rice go well together.

Yeah, I'm taking it pretty easy.

 While the three of us were chewing on grilled katsuo rice balls, Meena suddenly came to herself and opened her mouth.

''Ah! Mr. Alfried! Doesn't it look good with sweet and spicy soy sauce like the grilled onigiri I made before!

Certainly, I think it would be delicious grilled with soy sauce on the surface.

Bonito goes well with soy sauce, too. I'll make some of that too.

 When Bartolo heard what Meena and I said, he immediately got up and started preparing the soy sauce sauce.

 Then he spread the sauce on the grilled bonito onigiri and began to grill the surface.

 I don't really think it's okay to finish this, but as a cook, I wonder if I'm going to be worried about the taste.

 Me and Mina smelled the fragrant smell of burning soy sauce and proceeded to eat the salty grilled bonito onigiri, hamming it up.

'Ah, the smell of roasting soy sauce is violent. Already, I can't get to work when that smell wafts around in the evening...''

It's tough to smell this stuff when you're hungry.

 When the good smells are in the air, I often can't resist and go down to the dining room, even if I'm in the mood to laze around in my room.

 I guess that means sleep and laziness are important, but food is also important.

 And just as we were finishing one, Bartolo brought out a grilled bonito onigiri with soy sauce on it.

'Okay, it's done!'

'Wow! It looks delicious!

 Meena smiles and reaches for my hand, and I move my plate of rice balls away from her.

'Huh? I thought you only needed one Meena?

Ah! Don't be so mean to me, Alfried-sama. I'm asking for a lifetime of help!

 Oh, come on, you can't use a lifetime of begging here.

Well, don't worry about it, kid. I'll make you some more later.

Mr. Bartolo...

 The reliable Bartolo's words make Meena's face sparkle.

 It's like watching a pet with its owner.

 Well, that's fine. As for me, I just want to tease Meena a little, I don't mean to be mean to her.
Shi.

 I honestly put the plate on the table and take the onigiri as quickly as if Meena were scratching it up.

'Ouch! It's hot!

Ha, that's because I just burned it!

 Bartolo laughs at a feverish Mina.

'That was close. I was about to reach for it, too, when the delicious aroma lured me in.

''It's not fair. For some reason, I feel like I'm the only one who always has to go through this...

 That's probably because Meena is always the first to act. It's not that I'm deliberately setting her up.

 After giving it enough of a breather to cool off, I take a bite of grilled bonito onigiri with soy sauce on it.

 The surface is crispy from being grilled, and the inside crumbles into a hollow. The aromatic taste of the soy sauce and the bonito could not be a better match, and the sesame and green onions secretly support it.

The flavor of soy sauce is matched with the flavor of the bonito, and the sesame seeds and green onions secretly support it. It's crispy on the outside.

'Yeah, Meena was right, it was a great match.

 Salt and bonito go well together, but soy sauce is also king.

 We proceeded to eat a lot of grilled bonito onigiri.

We have to try the dashi, too.

'Oh! As I recall, you said it was delicious with broth!

 It was so good that I almost finished it without trying the dashi.

''Then I'll make it a little cold with ice magic!

Please.

 Ice magic is used on the bowl of dashi collected in the center of the bowl, which is filled with dashi. Instead of freezing it, he slowly applies cold air to it to lower the temperature of the broth.

 Then I taste the broth with a spoon for a bit.

'Yes, it's nice and cold,'

'Thank you! It feels so nice to have a chilly cup of tea!

''As usual, Monk's ice magic is useful. With ice magic tools, it takes a long time to cool down, and it's hard to fine-tune.

 Hmmm, that's called the privilege of those who can use ice magic.

 It would be best if everyone can use it in the future.

 Anyway, it's time for some grilled bonito onigiri.

 I drop the half-eaten onigiri into the cold dashi (Japanese soup stock) and break it up a little with a spoon.

 After absorbing the cold dashi, the onigiri crumbled, leaving a crispy surface.

 I scoop it up with the spoon and bring it to my mouth.

 The taste of the cold kelp broth spreads in my mouth. The grilled bonito onigiri crumbled in the midst of it. I felt the rice and the ingredients falling apart, but the taste of the kelp dashi gently enveloped everything. Even the savory taste of soy sauce blends in perfectly.

"............

 The only sounds in the kitchen are the sounds of slurping dashi and moving spoons, and no one raises their voice. When people eat good food, they are speechless. That's what I'm saying now.

 I don't spit out the obvious words like "delicious" either, I'm just busy eating.

 I enjoy the taste of the soy sauce and the bonito, and scrape it down with the cold dashi.

 It's the happiest meal I've ever had in this hot season.

 Bartolo and Mina finish eating at the same time, and I put my bowl on the table late.

 Then I let out a sigh and say a few words.

"...Fuu, that was delicious (it is).

 There are no more words to pile on. It was the most emotionally charged voice I've heard all day.

'I guess that's what we're going to have for lunch and lunch today.

 It's not a glamorous or girly bento at all, but let's disguise it with a brand of fish from the sea, a brand that doesn't exist in Coriat Village. I'm not going to complain about it because it's so delicious.

I'll have to pack it in the young lady's lunchbox as soon as possible. I'm sorry, kid, but can you chill the broth in this pot and put it in my canteen?

No problem. I don't have time for all that cooking and tasting.

 We would have had more time to cook it, but because we grilled it in soy sauce and tasted it while the three of us talked and tasted it, it took us quite a while.

 If we didn't prepare and deliver the bento quickly, we wouldn't be able to make it in time.

Oh, I'll help you pack the bento, too.

 Bartolo and Meena fill a large bento box one after another with grilled katsuo rice balls, katsuo steaks, and vegetables for color, while I cool the broth and put it in a water bottle.

''Then I'll take them to Elinora-sama!

Oh, hey, throw that in there for me, will you?

What's this?

'Dashi, frozen fruit juice, chilled towels. I don't want my lunch to get damaged.

 In the summer, the contents of my lunchboxes get damaged. We have to make sure that they stay fresh.

'I see! Then I'm off!

Yes, sir.

 Meena walks out of the kitchen with the basket as me and Bartolo look away.

''Well boy what a great way to take care of your daughter. It's usually the other way around though.

'No, it's not like that, my hungry sister Elinora will be more violent than usual, so you have to treat her delicately.