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Chapter 23
“Chop half of the onions and garlic, and slice the other half!”
Shin-i and her group, who had been singled out, looked reluctant, but the deputy inspector was watching them with a sharp gaze.
“…Got it.”
“And Dasim and Gabi, bring over all the spices!”
“Got it!!”
The two went to the storeroom, struggling to carry the containers of spices back. Serin quickly opened each lid and sniffed them to check.
The key to Arab cuisine is spices!
The taste of a dish can vary drastically depending on how the spices are combined.
“This is cumin. This is dried coriander powder. Ah! Found pepper. Oh! There’s turmeric too. Hmm, it would have been nice if there was paprika powder as well.”
As Serin picked out the necessary spices one by one, the onlookers’ eyes widened in amazement.
Looks like what she said earlier wasn’t an exaggeration. She’s clearly done this more than once.
“Now, grind the spices I’ve chosen!”
Dasim and Gabi quickly started grinding the spices Serin had picked into the mortar.
At that moment, Serin grabbed Shin-i, who was sneaking out of the kitchen.
“Shin-i, can you get some eggs?”
Shin-i glared at Serin with fierce eyes but quickly replied when she noticed Lee Jung-ah watching.
“O-okay!”
Grumbling, she headed to the chicken coop.
“Hey! Hey! All the vegetables are ready!”
Surprisingly quickly, Seonji and Jeongran had finished and neatly placed the prepared vegetables on the counter.
“Wow! Great job!”
Serin’s praise made Seonji and Jeongran turn their heads with a huff, but it wasn’t a sign of dislike.
Serin placed the minced lamb, chopped onions and garlic, salt, pepper, and ground spices into a large bowl and mixed them well.
“So, what exactly are we making?”
Dasim asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.
“Kofta!”
“Kofta?”
“It’s a dish mainly eaten in Muslim countries. It’s made by shaping minced meat or vegetables into balls.”
Thump, thump—
Serin kneaded the mixture vigorously in the bowl to make it sticky, then tore off portions and shaped them into balls the size of baseballs.
“Did you watch carefully how I did that? Make the meatballs—well, these dough balls—into fist-sized spheres like this.”
“Y-yeah!”
“…Tch, got it.”
Serin then looked for cooking utensils to prepare the next dish. Finding nothing suitable, she picked up a pot lid and flipped it over.
“?!”
The onlookers’ eyes widened at this unfamiliar sight.
Once the lid heated up, Serin poured oil in and added the chopped lamb.
Sizzle—
The satisfying sound of meat cooking filled the air. Once the color of the meat changed, Serin added the sliced onions and garlic and stir-fried them, sprinkling in spices appropriately.
She handed a spatula to Seonji, who had been staring blankly at her cooking.
“Stir-fry this on high heat a little more, and see these herbs next to it? Add them, stir-fry lightly so they don’t wilt, and finish it. Since the lamb stir-fry will be served in the middle of the meal, divide it nicely into five bowls!”
“Uh? O-okay!”
Seonji nodded absentmindedly as she took the spatula, and Serin spun around sharply.
The other onlookers flinched. They felt an undeniable energy radiating from Serin.
“You! You! You!”
“Huh?”
“Me?”
The two who were singled out stepped forward awkwardly.
“Wash these potatoes, taro, and carrots, and cut them into finger-sized pieces.”
“And you! Soak the mung beans, then grind them with rice. After that, add plenty of water and boil them!”
What Serin planned next was Mercimek Çorbası, a common Middle Eastern soup.
Normally, lentils are used, but since we don’t have any, we’ll use mung beans instead. Add rice for texture!
But that wasn’t enough. This was a full banquet! She needed to prepare more dishes.
“Se-Serin, we’ve finished all the kofta!”
Gabi, who had just completed the kofta, called to Serin.
“Already? Well done!”
The lamb stir-fry was also finished, and Serin transferred it into bowls. Once the pot lid was empty, she wiped it clean with a cloth and added more oil.
“Gabi, put the shaped meatballs in here!”
“Huh? Okay!”
Gabi brought the tray of meatballs and placed them one by one into the hot oil.
Sizzle—
The aroma of frying meat filled the kitchen.
“Cook these until the outside turns a nice brown—”
“You mean cook them properly? Not burn them? I’ve made ‘donjeonya’ a few times before.”
When the family was struggling financially, Gabi had worked during feasts in a noble household, so she had experience making this type of meat patty.
“Yes! That’s right! You handle the finishing! As expected of our Gabi, you’re so reliable!”
Serin’s praise made Gabi blush.
“Mm-hmm!”
Serin then took the prepared potatoes, taro, and mung beans, heated oil in a large iron pot, and started stir-frying the onions and garlic.
Once the onions turned translucent, she added the sliced carrots and stir-fried them together, then added the remaining chopped lamb.
She poured in the mung beans and rice with the pre-prepared seasonings and brought it to a vigorous boil.
The starch from the taro and mung beans thickened the soup as it boiled, filling the kitchen with a delicious aroma.
The onlookers swallowed nervously.
Serin pushed the pot aside and called Dasim.
“Keep an eye on the stove so it doesn’t go out.”
“Got it! Leave it to me!”
As the number of dishes grew, the onlookers followed Serin’s instructions without complaint, seemingly excited.
Serin wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
The side dishes are ready. Now for the main staple.
Just as Koreans need rice, Middle Eastern people rely on bread as a staple. Without bread, it’s like serving side dishes without rice.
The bread commonly eaten in Arab countries is lavash, a type of flatbread similar to a tortilla. People usually tear it and dip it into soups during meals.
That’s why I made the soup too. Now, let’s make the bread properly.
“Can someone bring the barley flour?”
One of the onlookers brought a sack of dried barley and asked,
“What are we making with this?”
“We’ll make barley dough.”
“Are you making something like dumplings?”
“No, bread. Flour is usually used, but it’s too expensive.”
Serin knew that flour used to be a rare ingredient, so she decided to substitute barley flour.
Even in the hotel business, you have to keep a margin, right?
“Bread? What’s that?”
Everyone tilted their heads, hearing the word for the first time.
“Uh, I’ll explain later.”
She cleaned the counter, poured the barley flour, added salt, and mixed it. She made a well in the center and gradually added water while mixing.
Once the barley flour started coming together, Serin kneaded the dough vigorously.
Thump, thump—
The onlookers approached, then stepped back in surprise at her aggressive kneading.
After about ten minutes, the dough became smooth and elastic. Serin covered it with a wet towel and called Lee Jung-ah.
“Deputy Inspector!”
“…….”
“Deputy Inspector?”
“Huh? Oh, yes!”
Lee Jung-ah, who had been watching Serin knead the dough as if hypnotized, snapped back to reality at her call.
“When did the guests say they would arrive?”
“In about 30 minutes, I’d say.”
Considering the round trip from the entrance of Hye-eumryeong to escort the guests, that would be about right.
“Then I have one more favor to ask.”
