Chapter 13 - A Noble’s Feast

Bob informed Wei Wei that a noble's meal had to include a minimum of six dishes.

After reviewing the kitchen's inventory, Wei Wei decided on the following menu: bacon and egg sandwiches, creamy bacon pasta, creamy mushroom soup, roasted wild boar, garlic honey pan-seared chicken breast, vegetable salad, and fruit soup.

The selection was somewhat mismatched, but she only needed to meet the six-dish requirement.

If this had been the old Wei Wei, she would have been completely clueless in the kitchen, knowing only how to eat.

But now, just seeing the ingredients made countless recipes pop into her mind, and when she started cooking, she moved with the skill of a professional chef.

In this era, roasting, stewing, and boiling were the most common cooking methods in Western cuisine. Dishes were relatively simple, and Bob had never heard of most of the dishes Wei Wei mentioned. However, that didn't stop him from eagerly assisting her, hoping to learn.

After all, this was cooking from the faraway East—a land where people used handfuls of black pepper instead of counting each grain as if it were gold. Their food must be exceptionally delicious. If he could master even a fraction of their culinary skills, it would secure his position as the castle's head cook.

Bob wasn't the only one with this idea. The plump cook shot warning glances at the other kitchen helpers, who were pretending to focus on their tasks while sneaking peeks at Wei Wei's every move.

If she weren't present, he would have chased them all out.

Wei Wei, however, didn't mind them watching. She even delegated most of the prep work to them, only stepping in once the ingredients were ready.

The kitchen mainly used hanging cauldrons, but Wei Wei managed to find a flat-bottomed iron pot that could serve as a makeshift frying pan.

She started with bacon and egg sandwiches. The bacon was readily available—she simply cut some slices from the kitchen's cured pork. There was no toast, so she had someone fetch a large loaf of bread from the bakery, slicing it into thick pieces and pan-frying them to a golden crisp. She then layered them with fried eggs, bacon, and raw cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, tomatoes weren't available, so she had to forgo ketchup.

After cleaning the pan, she moved on to garlic honey pan-seared chicken breast. Soon, the rich aroma of garlic mingled with the sweetness of honey, filling the air. The sizzling sound of the oil added to the allure, capturing everyone's attention.

Penny, assisting Wei Wei, couldn't take her eyes off the pan. She swallowed hard—this honey-glazed chicken smelled incredible.

Meanwhile, Bob had been sent off to roast the wild boar. Since the boar meat had only been marinating since the previous night, it wasn't too salty yet. He washed it clean, cut it into small chunks, then seasoned it with herbs and wine to remove any gaminess before skewering the pieces and grilling them over an open flame. As the meat cooked, he basted it with cumin and black pepper, filling the kitchen with an intoxicating aroma. Before long, the entire castle was filled with the scent of roasting meat, making mouths water.

In two hanging cauldrons, creamy mushroom soup and fruit soup simmered away. The creamy soup bubbled gently, mushrooms rolling in its milky depths. The fruit soup contained only fresh fruits, honey, and a hint of seasoning—no strong spices were allowed. Qin carefully stirred it with a long ladle, occasionally glancing at Wei Wei.

The vegetable salad was prepared by the kitchen helpers. Carrots and onions, which had strong flavors, were excluded. Wei Wei also personally made the salad dressing.

During all this, she also had the helpers roll out the rested dough into thin sheets, fold them over, and slice them into strips with a knife. When unfolded, they became long, flat noodles.

The golden noodles weren't quite the same as real Italian pasta, but if regular noodles could be stir-fried in the style of spaghetti back in China, she could certainly make do here.

Truthfully, Wei Wei preferred pasta dishes with tomato sauce, but since she had no tomatoes, she had to settle for a different approach.

She added salt to a pot of boiling water before cooking the pasta. Once done, she drained it and tossed it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Meanwhile, in the flat-bottomed pan, she sautéed crushed garlic with chopped bacon and onions. When they were fragrant, she poured in cream and let it simmer before adding the pasta and tossing everything together. A sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper completed the creamy bacon pasta.

Although the preparation time was long, the cooking process itself was relatively quick. The castle's kitchen was built to accommodate banquet preparations, with multiple stoves available. With everyone's help, all six dishes were completed around the same time.

Steward Barton, worried about Wei Wei's safety in the kitchen, had sneaked in several times to check on her. However, each time, he was lured in by the ever-growing aroma, nearly forgetting to leave. Eventually, realizing that it was almost time, he hurried off to inform Felix that the meal was ready.

Felix, too, had been distracted all morning. He was extremely curious about what Wei Wei would cook and had wanted to visit the kitchen himself. However, he had several urgent documents to handle, so he had to rely on Barton for updates. Each report from the steward only made him more impatient.

When he finally heard that the meal was ready, Felix wasted no time leaving his study.

By the time he arrived, his younger sister, Dolores, was already there. Wei Wei had also cleaned up and was now chatting with the girl. The table was still empty, but the utensils had been neatly set.

Among them were wooden forks—ones that Wei Wei had specially ordered from the carpenter. She had requested four-pronged forks for herself, Felix, Dolores, and Father Matthew. Ideally, she would have prepared an entire set for a formal Western meal, but time had been too short.

Not that it mattered—Western dining etiquette hadn't fully developed yet. Most nobles still ate with their hands.

This meal was attended only by the Earl, his sister Dolores, Father Matthew, and Wei Wei. The knights who had been at last night's banquet dined separately, sparing Wei Wei from having to prepare even more food.

Once everyone was seated, the steaming hot dishes were brought in.

Not only had they never seen food like this before, but the presentation was also stunning. As soon as the dishes were placed on the table, everyone—including Father Matthew—swallowed in anticipation.

Felix's eyes lit up as he praised Wei Wei, "This is truly astonishing. I can already tell how delicious it will be, even before taking a bite."

"Thank you for the compliment." Wei Wei smiled and accepted his praise graciously.

Even she was a bit shocked by the final result. She could hardly believe she had made these dishes herself. The presentation, aroma, and colors were on par with a five-star restaurant in the modern world. The system's cooking skills were truly a remarkable gift.

As soon as Felix picked up his fork, the others eagerly followed. Father Matthew remained somewhat reserved, but Felix and Dolores dug in without restraint.

Wei Wei had portioned the dishes carefully, ensuring that there was just enough for everyone without any waste.

She had also set aside a portion for the kitchen staff. Bob distributed small samples among them as a reward for their help. Though each servant only got a small bite, it was enough to leave them in awe—this was undoubtedly the most delicious food they had ever tasted.

Qin and Penny, as personal maids, received even better treatment. In addition to sharing with the other servants, they each received a full sandwich. Right now, those sandwiches were tucked away in their pockets, waiting to be eaten once their duties were done.

Excitement was written all over their faces as they attended to Wei Wei even more attentively.

Wei Wei enjoyed the meal as well, though she wasn't particularly hungry after spending so much time in the kitchen. She ate less than Dolores, only sipping a bowl of fruit soup at the end.

By the time the meal was finished, the plates had been completely emptied—even the last bits of sauce had been mopped up with bread by Felix, who looked as if he still wanted more.

Seeing his unsatisfied expression, Wei Wei offered, "If you'd like, there are extra sandwiches in the kitchen."

Felix waved a hand. "No, this was more than enough." He was already full, but the food had been so delicious that he had struggled to stop eating.

Once again, he showered Wei Wei with praise, declaring that even the royal palace couldn't match her cooking. "Eastern cuisine is truly extraordinary."

Wei Wei smiled politely, unable to explain that none of these dishes were actually from the East.

After lunch, everyone went their separate ways. Steward Barton then approached Wei Wei, informing her that the tailor had arrived.