Chapter 311: Ryohei-kun Will Only Disturb My Workout!
When the autumn wind blows, crab legs itch—this saying also applies to chestnuts!
When the autumn wind blows, chestnuts smell fragrant!
Every autumn and winter, the soft, sticky, and sweet chestnut kernels always arouse people's appetite.
As a seasonal and nutritious ingredient, chestnut kernels can not only be eaten directly as snacks but also be incorporated into desserts, dishes, rice, and even drinks!
Each way of eating brings a different surprise!
When picking chestnuts, Ryohei Tanaka had already planned what to do next. As soon as he returned to Stardew Valley Ranch, he got everyone busy.
He first allocated 30 catties of chestnuts with shells to Kyon-Kyon and Ran-Ran, asking them to wash them clean and then use a knife to make a horizontal cut on the top of the chestnuts, penetrating the shell to the surface of the kernel.
Then soak them separately in salt water and clear water.
Those soaked in salt water would be used to make honey roasted chestnuts in the oven, while those soaked in clear water would be made into sugar-fried chestnuts. Both are delicious snacks.
The former has moderate sweetness, is easy to peel, and has a soft and sticky texture, while the latter has a more obvious sweetness. Ryohei Tanaka likes to eat both.
He believed others would too!
He also distributed 30 catties of chestnuts to Pino—intending to make chestnut oat milk, chestnut pastry, and chestnut swiss roll, letting Pino lead Poporon and Pecola in the preparatory work.
The rest were thrown to Elma, Minos, and Quetzalcoatl to be peeled into chestnut kernels.
After arranging all the chestnuts, Ryohei Tanaka turned to assign tasks to Lucoa, asking her to go to the market to buy free-range chicken, pig trotters, pork collar butt, kelp, and other ingredients.
Today at noon, he planned to make two main dishes—
Chestnut Braised Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms and Braised Pig Trotters with Chestnuts!
Then add a mushroom soup and a wild vegetable and mushroom tempura!
Regarding the staple food—
Ryohei Tanaka checked online earlier. Japanese chestnut rice involves cutting chestnut kernels into small pieces and cooking them with rice, seasoning with soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Some regions add kelp stock to enhance the flavor.
Ryohei Tanaka thought for a moment and decided to cook another pot of braised chestnut rice, which he had cooked before.
Stir-fry the marinated lean meat with the oil rendered from fatty meat until it changes color, then pour in chestnut kernels, edamame, diced carrots, and diced shiitake mushrooms. Stir well, then add rice and the water used to wash the rice, as well as the water used to soak the shiitake mushrooms.
Season with salt, dark soy sauce, and light soy sauce, then pour everything including the soup into the rice cooker, select the cooking mode, and let it simmer for four or five minutes after cooking before opening the lid—
The taste is absolutely amazing; Ryohei Tanaka could devour two bowls!
So he wanted to share it with everyone to taste, after all, opportunities are rare...
"..."
"Ryohei-kun, are these shepherd's purse going to be used to make dumplings?"
Yurine rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of snow-white and slender forearm, carefully washing wild vegetables in front of the sink.
Noticing Ryohei Tanaka taking a dough mixing basin from the cupboard and instructing Yusa to move flour from the storage room, she scooped up a handful of shepherd's purse and asked curiously.
"Yes."
Ryohei Tanaka turned to look at Yurine and said with a smile: "When Lucoa comes back, we'll chop the filling and wrap dumplings to eat as a late-night snack."
They picked quite a lot of shepherd's purse. Mixed with pork, they could wrap quite a few dumplings, but given their large number of people, it definitely wouldn't be enough for a main meal, so a late-night snack was just right.
Speaking of which—
Since coming here, Ryohei Tanaka hadn't eaten a proper meal of boiled dumplings, and for a moment, he missed it quite a bit.
"Eh? We have to wait until night to eat?"
Elma, who was waiting for the chestnuts to be boiled for easier peeling, looked over in surprise.
"Mmh, you want to eat them at noon?"
Ryohei Tanaka turned back and asked with a smile.
"Yes!"
(´ ∀ ` *)
Elma answered honestly, a bright smile overflowing on her face:
"But night is also fine."
Although she really wanted to eat, she wasn't a greedy dragon; enduring appropriately was doable.
"I suddenly realized that the biggest enemy on the road to weight loss is actually Ryohei-kun!"
Yurine dropped a sentence lightly, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"Actually, it can also be one of our own."
Ryohei Tanaka looked at Yurine, puffed out his chest slightly, revealing a look of unwavering loyalty: "After eating the late-night snack tonight, I'll accompany you to work out, how about that? Generous enough, right!"
"Come on! Ryohei-kun will only disturb my workout." Yurine joked.
"Look at you talking..."
Ryohei Tanaka leaned back, expressing dissatisfaction.
He hadn't really interfered with her workout—too unjust! Who could he complain to about this?
"..."
Chatting while working, not long after, Lucoa returned to Stardew Valley Ranch with all the ingredients Ryohei Tanaka needed.
Ryohei Tanaka glanced over them roughly, confirmed everything was correct, and arranged for Lucoa to go help Elma peel chestnut kernels.
He himself picked up a whole piece of pork collar butt, cut off a piece to use for braised chestnut rice, and handed the rest to Yurine, asking her to chop it into grain-sized meat filling—to be used later for mixing dumpling filling.
As for the wrappers, Yusa was kneading dough vigorously on the side!
The kitchen is like a battlefield!
Ryohei Tanaka was the general strategizing on the battlefield, and everyone was a soldier under his command!
The four little ones too, were soon assigned the task of wrapping dumplings!
As time passed, the dessert kitchen was the first to burst with the rich aroma of honey roasted chestnuts!
Just smelling it made one's index finger move!
A moment later—
A similar aroma filled the small square in front of the complex building.
Ryohei Tanaka fried a pot of sugar-fried chestnuts himself, demonstrated it to Kyon-Kyon and Ran-Ran, and handed the 'small shovel' to Kyon-Kyon with a bun hairstyle:
"I'll leave it to you here!"
He couldn't stay here frying chestnuts forever.
"No problem!"
Kyon-Kyon held the 'small shovel' with both hands, puffed out her full chest, and responded energetically.
Ran-Ran beside her also gave a soft "Mmh".
Ryohei Tanaka smiled, then packed some chestnuts he fried himself, and turned back to the kitchen on the second floor...
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