Chapter 13: Culinary Delights in the Kitchen: Part 2

Meanwhile, Carlos and Javier headed to the pantry, where the necessary ingredients for making bread were stored.

With determination, Carlos took charge of the main task, while Javier offered his assistance and followed his instructions attentively.

Carlos: "Alright, Javier, we're going to need high-quality flour for our bread. Can you find it on that shelf?"

Javier: "Of course, Carlos! Here it is. How much do we need?"

Carlos: "Let's start with 4 Roman pounds. I want to make sure we have enough to make several loaves."

Javier nodded and began measuring the flour carefully, following Carlos's instructions step by step. Meanwhile, Carlos meticulously selected the other necessary ingredients.

Carlos: "Now we need our sourdough starter. Can you bring the one we prepared yesterday?"

Javier nodded and fetched the sourdough starter they had prepared the previous night. He placed it on the worktable carefully, ready to be used in the bread-making process.

Carlos: "Perfect, that's all we need for now. Let's get started."

Javier watched attentively as Carlos mixed the flour with the sourdough starter and other ingredients, forming a smooth, elastic dough. With expert hands, Carlos worked the dough carefully, ensuring that each ingredient integrated perfectly.

Javier: "How will we know when it's ready, Carlos?"

Carlos: "The dough needs to rest and ferment for a few hours, until it doubles in size and is ready to be shaped into loaves. It's a process that requires patience, but the final result is worth it."

Javier nodded, understanding the importance of following the fermentation process properly. Together, they let the dough rest in a warm, protected place, ready to proceed to the next stage once it was ready.

After 15 minutes, while Carlos and Javier continued with the dough preparation, a sudden commotion interrupted the kitchen's tranquility. Martín, accompanied by several guards, hurriedly entered through the door, pushing a cart loaded with the wild boar.

Martín: "Quick, guys! We've got the wild boar for dinner!"

Carlos and Javier stopped their work, surprised by the unexpected arrival of the main ingredient for dinner.

Carlos: "Good Lord! It's a huge wild boar!"

Javier: "It's impressive! What do we do now?"

After this exchange, Diego entered the kitchen with determination, ready to supervise the preparation of the wild boar.

Diego: "Excellent work, Martín! Place it on the table so I can start preparing it."

Martín nodded and, along with the guards, moved the cart to a spacious table in the center of the kitchen. Carefully, they unloaded the wild boar onto the table, where Diego awaited with sharp knives and ready cooking utensils.

Martín: "Thank you, Diego. Is there anything else you need help with?"

Diego: "Yes, could you please take the cart to the butcher so he can prepare the rest of the meat?"

The guards nodded diligently and headed towards the exit with the cart in tow, ready to fulfill Diego's request.

Diego: "First, we need to skin it and remove the entrails. Carlos, bring the sharp knives. Martín, can you make sure we have enough cold water to clean the meat afterward?"

Carlos and Martín nodded and hurried to fulfill Diego's instructions. Meanwhile, Diego began working on the boar's skin, cutting it with precision and care to avoid damaging the meat.

After skinning and gutting the boar, Diego proceeded to cut the meat into more manageable pieces, ensuring to separate the different parts of the animal skillfully. The other team members watched with admiration, impressed by Diego's skill and experience in the kitchen.

Once the meat was ready, Diego examined it carefully, making sure it was clean and ready to be cooked. Then, with determination, he began planning the next steps of the culinary process, ready to create a culinary masterpiece with the wild boar as the star.

Diego looked at the table where the freshly prepared boar lay and turned to Pablo, Martín, and Miguel, who were waiting for instructions.

Diego: "Pablo, Martín, Miguel, I need you to take care of the ribs. Prepare the grill and season the meat properly. I want them to be perfect by the time they're served."

Pablo, Martín, and Miguel nodded determinedly and got to work, preparing the ribs skillfully and precisely under Diego's instructions.

Martín took charge of selecting the wild boar ribs, making sure they were clean and ready to be cooked.

Martín: "These ribs look perfect for our dinner. Let's make a feast that everyone will remember!"

With skill, Martín removed excess fat and possible remnants of skin, preparing the ribs for the next stage.

Meanwhile, Pablo worked on seasoning the ribs.

Pablo: "Nothing like some fresh herbs to flavor these ribs. Let's make them melt in your mouth!"

With meticulousness, Pablo rubbed the spice mixture onto the ribs, ensuring eachone was infused with delicious flavors.

With the ribs seasoned, Miguel took the initiative to start cooking.

Miguel: "I'm going to sear these ribs until they're perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."

Miguel heated a large skillet over medium-high heat and added some olive oil. Once the skillet was hot enough, he placed the ribs and seared them on both sides until they were well-sealed and golden.

While Miguel handled the cooking, Martín and Pablo were attentive to add a final touch of flavor to the ribs.

Martín: "It's time to give them a bit of sweetness with this honey and red wine vinegar mixture."

During the last few minutes of cooking, Martín and Pablo opted to brush the ribs with the honey and red wine vinegar mixture, further enhancing their flavor with a sweet and tangy touch.

Once the ribs were cooked to perfection, Martín and Pablo removed them from the heat and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.

Pablo: "Ready to serve! These ribs look amazing. I hope everyone enjoys them as much as we enjoyed preparing them!"

Meanwhile, Diego, Carlos, and Javier focused on making the wild boar stew.

Diego approached Carlos and Javier, who were preparing to make the wild boar stew.

Diego: "Carlos, I want you to handle cutting the wild boar meat into suitable pieces for the stew. Javier, take care of selecting and preparing the fresh herbs we'll use to flavor the dish."

Carlos nodded determinedly and approached the table where the wild boar meat was resting, while Javier headed to the kitchen's herb supply.

Carlos: "I'll start by cutting the meat into medium-sized pieces. Diego, what's the ideal size for these pieces?"

Diego: "I want you to cut the meat into pieces about two inches in size. They should be large enough to remain juicy during cooking but small enough to be easy to eat."

Carlos nodded and began working on the meat, cutting it carefully into uniform pieces while following Diego's instructions.

Meanwhile, Javier took care of the fresh herbs, selecting sprigs of rosemary and thyme from the pantry and preparing them for use in the stew.

Javier: "Diego, how many sprigs of each herb do we need?"

Diego: "I want you to use four sprigs of rosemary and four of thyme. That should be enough to infuse the stew with a delicious aroma and flavor."

Javier nodded and began preparing the herbs, removing the leaves from the stems and cutting them into smaller pieces to facilitate their incorporation into the stew.

With Carlos busy cutting the meat and Javier preparing the fresh herbs, Diego supervised the process as a whole, ensuring that each step was carried out with precision and care.

Diego watched as Carlos finished cutting the meat into uniform pieces and Javier prepared the fresh herbs skillfully. With all the ingredients and preparations ready, it was time to start making the stew.

Diego: "Now that we have the meat cut and the herbs prepared, it's time to start the stew. Carlos, take the meat pieces to the large pot and heat some olive oil to brown them."

Carlos nodded and took the meat pieces carefully, placing them in the preheated pot with olive oil.

Carlos: "The meat pieces are ready to brown. With some hot oil, they should seal perfectly."

Meanwhile, Javier approached with the fresh herbs in hand, ready to add them to the stew.

Javier: "Diego, when should I add the fresh herbs to the stew?"

Diego: "Wait a moment, Javier. Let's first allow the meat to brown on all sides. Once it's sealed, we'll add the herbs to flavor the stew."

Javier nodded patiently and waited while Carlos continued to brown the meat in the hot pot.

After a few minutes, the meat was browned on all sides and ready for the next step.

Carlos: "The meat is well-sealed. Can I add the fresh herbs now?"

Diego: "Yes, it's the perfect time. Add the rosemary and thyme sprigs, and make sure to stir well so that the flavors integrate with the meat."

Carefully, Javier added the rosemary and thyme sprigs to the pot, letting the aromas fill the kitchen as they mixed with the browned meat.

Diego: "Now, let's add the chopped onions and garlic to add more flavor to the stew. Javier, can you take care of that while I prepare the beef broth?"

Javier nodded and began adding the chopped onions and garlic to the pot, while Diego headed to the pantry to prepare the beef broth.

With each one fulfilling their assigned task, the wild boar stew began to take shape.

Diego returned from the pantry with a container of homemade beef broth, ready to add to the stew and give it an even richer and deeper flavor.

Diego: "Here's the beef broth; you can add a couple of cups to the pot and then save the rest for later."

Javier nodded and carefully poured some of the beef broth into the pot, while Diego stored the rest in the pantry to use later in the cooking process.

Javier: "The broth is added. What's next, Diego?"

Diego: "Now, it's time to incorporate the vegetables into the stew. Carlos, can you bring the chopped parsnips and turnips?"

Carlos nodded and brought the chopped parsnips and turnips in thick pieces, ready to be added to the stew.

Carlos: "Here are the chopped parsnips and turnips, Diego. Where do you want me to put them?"

Diego: "Add them to the pot along with the meat and herbs. We want them to cook slowly and absorb all the flavors of the stew."

Carlos added the parsnips and turnips to the pot, distributing them carefully among the meat and already present vegetables. With each ingredient added, the stew gained more body and promised to become a delicious medieval meal.

Diego: "Now that we have everything in the pot, it's time to let the stew cook on low heat. Carlos, can you take care of adjusting the heat and keep an eye on the stew while it cooks?"

Carlos nodded and adjusted the heat to a low temperature, ensuring that the stew cooked slowly so that all the flavors merged, and the meat tenderized properly.

Carlos: "The heat is adjusted, and the stew is cooking on low heat. How long do you think we should leave it, Diego?"

Diego: "It will depend on the meat and vegetables, but I estimate we'll need at least a couple of hours for everything to be perfectly cooked. Let's keep it on low heat and be attentive to any necessary changes in the cooking process."

With the wild boar stew cooking slowly in the pot, the comforting aroma of herbsand spices filled the medieval kitchen, promising a delicious and memorable meal for all present.