Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

Ignoring Hisoka, Haruto retrieved the strange bird he had captured earlier from Gourmet Restaurant.

More than sixty hours remained—over two and a half days.

Rather than sit around doing nothing, he might as well use the time to experiment with a few new dishes and test the ingredient he had just acquired.

After looking around, however, Haruto encountered an immediate problem.

There was no convenient way to start a fire.

He considered the matter briefly before simply voicing his request.

A stone door opened a moment later, and Lippo’s voice came through the speakers.

”There’s a kitchen behind that door. It has all the equipment and seasonings you’ll need, so feel free to use it.”

Haruto’s eyes brightened.

After thanking him, he picked up the bird and hurried into the kitchen.

The room contained a full range of cookware, stoves, and seasonings.

Fresh scallions, ginger, garlic, and other ingredients had even been piled in one corner.

Haruto immediately rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

First, he set a pot of water to boil.

Then he placed the strange bird on the floor and cleanly severed its ugly, vicious-looking head with a single stroke.

He opened the abdomen next and removed the foul-smelling organs, dumping them directly into the trash.

Those parts carried far too much gaminess to be useful in a dish.

Once the carcass had been cleaned, Haruto removed its two wings and six thick legs, leaving the torso aside for later.

He placed the wings on the cutting board and carefully sliced through the skin and connective tissue around their middle sections.

Keeping the outer skin intact, he removed every bone from inside.

Haruto mixed honey, light soy sauce, rosemary, and several other seasonings into a marinade, then rubbed it thoroughly over the deboned wings.

After finishing with the wings, he cut the feet from two of the bird’s legs and marinated them with chili powder, cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, and other strongly flavored spices.

...

While the meat absorbed the marinade, Haruto carved several large chunks from the torso and cut them into fist-sized pieces.

The water on the stove had already begun boiling.

He added several slices of ginger and lengths of scallion to remove the unpleasant smell, then placed the meat into the pot and lowered the heat to a gentle simmer.

It would need at least half an hour to become tender.

Haruto measured out an appropriate amount of glutinous rice, added a little water, and set it inside a steamer.

He finely minced some onion and garlic, then cut several scallions into short lengths.

Finally, he removed a few Spider Eagle eggs from Gourmet Restaurant, cracked them into a bowl, and beat them thoroughly.

He poured the mixture into a hot pan and stir-fried it quickly.

The egg set almost instantly, releasing an unusually rich fragrance several times stronger than that of ordinary chicken eggs.

Once cooked, Haruto transferred it to a plate and set it aside.

When the glutinous rice was ready, he heated some oil in a wok and fried the minced onion and garlic until fragrant.

He then added the steamed rice and scrambled Spider Eagle eggs, seasoning everything with a little salt, pepper, oyster sauce, and several other ingredients.

He rapidly tossed the mixture until it was evenly combined, then turned off the heat.

Haruto retrieved the marinated wings and packed them full of the fried-rice filling.

Once each one was stuffed to bursting, he sealed the openings tightly with toothpicks to prevent anything from spilling out during roasting.

With the wings prepared, he turned to the marinated legs.

Haruto found a thin tube and inserted it into the joint of one leg. He took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks slightly, and blew forcefully into the other end.

The skin rapidly inflated and separated from the meat beneath it.

He then ladled boiling water over the swollen skin.

A few sharp hisses sounded as it instantly contracted, becoming smooth, taut, and glossy.

Haruto mixed maltose, white vinegar, and cooking wine into a glazing liquid, then brushed an even layer over the leg.

He placed it inside a drying machine afterward.

Allowing it to air-dry naturally would have produced better results, but there was little ventilation inside Trick Tower, and waiting that long would have been impractical.

Once the surface had dried, Haruto brushed on another layer of glaze.

He repeated the process four times.

Finally, he placed both the stuffed wings and prepared legs into the oven, then set the temperature and cooking time.

As the heat gradually rose, a rich roasted aroma began spreading through the kitchen, instantly stirring the appetite.

By then, the meat simmering on the stove was also ready.

...

Haruto turned off the flame and removed the softened bird meat from the broth.

After draining away the moisture, he placed the pieces on a cutting board.

He picked up a rolling pin and began gently pounding the meat.

The force increased gradually, though he remained careful not to strike too hard. He needed to loosen the fibers without turning the meat into paste.

With every rise and fall of the rolling pin, the originally firm pieces became softer and more separated, their individual fibers growing increasingly distinct.

Haruto tore the tenderized meat into fine shreds and arranged them neatly on a plate.

He poured a spicy sauce over the top, followed by crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and several bright-green sprigs of cilantro.

His modified version of Bang Bang Chicken—Bang Bang Monster Bird—was complete!

The glossy red sauce clung to every strand of meat, and its tempting fragrance made the dish look immediately appetizing.

At that moment, the oven chimed.

Haruto opened the door, releasing a wave of heat carrying a rich roasted aroma.

The Rice-Stuffed Bird Wings were ready.

The golden, crisp skin gleamed with oil, curling slightly around the edges. Through the openings, the glutinous-rice filling could just barely be seen.

Haruto removed the wings and arranged them on a plate, then checked the legs still roasting inside.

They needed another ten minutes to reach their ideal condition.

He waited patiently.

At last, the Crispy Roast Bird Legs emerged from the oven.

Haruto placed them on the table, eagerly picked up his chopsticks, and began sampling the results of his work.

He started with a sliced piece of Rice-Stuffed Bird Wing.

His teeth broke through the crisp skin, and the glutinous rice inside immediately released a rich fragrance.

The rice was soft, sticky, and pleasantly chewy, blended with the smooth tenderness of the egg, the mild sweetness of onion, and the firm texture of the wing meat.

Unfortunately, the Spider Eagle egg’s flavor was simply too powerful.

It overwhelmed both the meat and the rice, stealing the spotlight and throwing the dish out of balance.

It still tasted reasonably good, but as a complete dish, Haruto considered it a failure.

He finished the stuffed wing in a few bites before trying the Bang Bang Monster Bird.

The shredded meat was tender and springy.

The spicy sauce burst across his tongue with a savory heat, while the peanuts and sesame added another layer of fragrance.

Yet upon tasting it more carefully, Haruto could still detect the faintest trace of gaminess.

After thinking for a moment, he decided that adding cooking wine and lemon juice to the spicy sauce should improve its ability to neutralize the smell.

Finally, Haruto turned toward the Crispy Roast Bird Leg.

He took a gentle bite.

The paper-thin skin shattered between his teeth with a delicate crunch, breaking into tiny crisp fragments without the slightest hint of greasiness.

Then the tender meat beneath it melted across his tongue.

Rich juices burst free and slid warmly down his throat, filling his mouth with a deep roasted flavor.

Different parts of the leg offered entirely different textures.

The meat on the inner side was so tender that it almost dissolved in his mouth, while the flesh closer to the bone was firm and springy, carrying a subtle richness from the bone that grew more satisfying with every chew.

Its only minor flaw was that the seasoning tasted slightly weak.

The meat had not been marinated long enough for the flavors to penetrate completely.

Even after finishing all three dishes, Haruto remained unsatisfied.

He turned toward the remaining torso and four unused legs on the cutting board and began considering what else he could make.

Before long, rich aromas once again filled the kitchen.