I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 102



Only Noblemtl

I got the omnipotent tongue 102

Dinner of the Leaders (2)

“Risotto preparations are underway.”

“Yes, Chef!”

The chefs begin to boil cabbage. On the other side, they boil chicken to make stock and begin preparing other ingredients.

For today’s dinner, I was planning to serve a candy-themed ravioli that I came up with while making the staff’s lunch menu.

Purple, green, and yellow, which remind us of Hanbok, were extracted from beets, spinach, paprika, and turmeric, respectively. With the dough with these colors added, noodles were pulled out and placed on the main dough that was pulled out wide. After that, the dough was rolled several times on a roller to complete the dough with three beautiful colors. Then, the inside was filled with various ingredients to complete the ravioli with really colorful colors, but this was the problem.

My appetite didn’t decrease. Humans instinctively have colors they like to eat and colors they don’t. Colorful desserts stimulate the appetite, but pasta doesn’t. It felt like I was rejecting it, as if it would be harmful to my body if I ate it.

I threw away the pasta I was making and thought about it for a moment.

I want to show my skills. But I think I was too absorbed in that. Providing the best food to the customers comes first. Recognition and fame should follow along the way, but should not become the goal in itself. This is too inconsiderate food.

The stress of overworked leaders, long flights, multiple agendas, and the indigestion that naturally follows.

I want to make food that is easy to eat. I want to make dishes that are familiar yet new, curious yet appetizing.

After thinking about it for a few days, I was able to complete the recipe. I want to feed mushrooms and cabbage to the top. Let’s make a satisfying primo piattori without using beef or pork.

Boil the cabbage until soft and separate the leaves one by one. If you use a whole leaf, it will be too big. I chose only the largest cabbages, steamed them lightly, and then removed the large leaves and rolled them up. Then I cut them into 6cm intervals. This way, you get thin, long cabbage sheets.

However, if you make risotto and put it in here and just roll it up, the ingredients will be separate. It will be no different from a wrap. In order for this to become a complete dish in itself, it needs to be cooked while it is rolled up.

I took a square pot and put cabbage leaves on the bottom. Then I put in coriander, cinnamon sticks, and thyme to add flavor as the image came to mind, and put cabbage on top of that.

In a pan, I sautéed garlic, shallots, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and pine mushrooms. Then I added rice and sautéed them together, then added truffle powder. After turning off the heat, I mixed it well with a spatula. I put the well-mixed filling on cabbage sheets and started rolling them one by one.

After making the rolls with the feeling of filling the cabbage rigatoni, I started to place them one by one on the cabbage that had been laid out. As I filled them, I soon filled the pot tightly without any gaps. Pour the chicken broth and boil it. The rice will cook inside the cabbage rolls and the risotto will be complete. The spices that were laid out in advance will add flavor, and I think this will be a food that gives rest to the tired summit.

* * *

As she was finishing her salad, the servers brought her the next dish. Merkel felt increasingly uncomfortable. Germany has been struggling with the recent immigration problem. Most immigrants come from politically unstable Arab countries and Turkey. And as a result, there are conflicts with those countries.

It was no wonder that Merkel was feeling unwell due to stress, as the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, the party in question, and President Obama, who had recently been giving her a headache over the exchange rate issue, were all in the same place. After eating some finger food and salad, she felt full. She thought she just wanted to go back to the hotel, have a glass of wine, and rest. As her interest in food was waning, the next dish came out.

“What is this?”

On the plate the server brought was a thin cabbage roll. The cabbage roll, about the size of an adult woman’s finger, was served with asparagus, baked potatoes, etc. For some reason, it smelled fragrant. Without realizing it, Merkel took a fork, picked up the cabbage roll, and put it in her mouth.

“Oh my. It’s risotto. It’s risotto inside a cabbage roll.”

At Merkel’s words, the leaders each picked up their own comfortable utensils and tasted the food.

“Oh, really. This risotto has a strong mushroom flavor. I can see that it has truffle in it.”

Obama also eats his food with an expression of interest.

“I heard that they use ingredients like truffle, dried Korean pine mushrooms, and dried shiitake mushrooms. I’ve only heard of it, but this is my first time seeing it, and this is the first time I’ve seen a risotto like this.”

President Lee Han-young smiles as he eats, seemingly satisfied with the leaders’ responses.

“When you chew it, the sweetness of the cabbage and the strong flavor of the risotto with various mushrooms come out. It’s definitely delicious. And it’s easy to eat.”

French President Sarkozy also added a comment like a gourmet when the topic turned to food.

“Yes, that’s right. Since you can just pick them up and eat them one by one, this is perfect for a dinner menu.”

Merkel, who was born in the common people, liked cabbage and potatoes, as expected from a German. And asparagus was also one of her favorite vegetables. When she chewed the roll, the hot risotto mixed with the cabbage in her mouth, creating a fragrant taste. She was able to enjoy the food purely, forgetting that she had been feeling uneasy.

* * *

When I first heard that the serving distance might be long, the first main dish that came to mind was Beef Wellington. Since the meat is wrapped in dough and baked in the oven, it can be served hot enough even if the serving distance is long. However, since the kitchen is located close by, there is no need to be restricted like that anymore.

I adapted the main dish from Segreto to suit the local taste and created a steak recipe. Korean beef has a different charm from American prime beef and Japanese Kobe beef.

I smoked the meat in a makeshift oven that Minhyuk made. I used apple wood and oak firewood to light the fire, and slowly cooked the meat at a low temperature while infusing smoke. After that, I seared it in a pan and finished it off with a base of butter and thyme, and a unique steak was completed.

There are many vegetables that can be used as garnishes in Korea. After salting cabbage, I cut it thinly and made geotjeori. Since it is made only with salted seafood and salt, it feels like German sauerkraut. However, it has a much richer taste. I made chamnamul, myeonginamul, and carrot puree that can be served lightly. For the person who cannot eat beef, I plan to prepare Segreto’s red mullet main dish.

The servers came back after serving.

“What is the reaction of the leaders?”

“I’m not sure, but their expressions look good. The plates are almost empty, too.”

If Primo Piatto has comforted your tired body and mind and whetted your appetite, now it’s time to enjoy a satisfying meat dish.

“Let’s get ready for the main. There’s not much left. Cheer up!”

“Yes, Chef.”

The chefs are working diligently. They have also become quite familiar with the kitchen of this building. They are staff members that I would not be ashamed to show anywhere. Through this experience, both I and the chefs were able to grow.

I have rarely cooked for a specific customer. I focused more on my cooking than on the customer, and that is how I gained a reputation. However, when I started preparing dinner, I realized that cooking is not all there is to it. I learned that I need to cook with a little more consideration for people.

One by one, plates pile up on the table. I look at my watch and give directions to the servers to bring out the dishes. The main dishes have all been served, and it is now time to prepare dessert.

I discussed with the pastry chefs and thought about the dessert. In the end, I chose ice cream using makgeolli. Make meringue with brown sugar and egg yolk. Pour milk and heavy cream into a pot and boil gently. Stir well so that it does not stick, then strain once through a strainer and mix with the meringue. After cooling in the refrigerator, add honey, lemon juice, and makgeolli to taste, and put in an ice cream maker to complete.

Here, I prepared Korean fried rice as a topping. Fried rice is a food that is only eaten in Korea. It is a very exotic topping for foreigners and is also very useful. It is because the interesting texture and the rich taste of grains are good elements to add a point. I made fried rice with flavor by lightly mixing rice and millet with a soybean paste sauce that I blended myself and then frying it. When I put it on ice cream, it became a topping that goes well with the flavor of makgeolli. I also made cheese mousse and chocolate mousse to serve together in case there are some people who feel overwhelmed by the flavor of makgeolli.

The servers who had gone out to serve come back. I listen to the progress of the dinner with the earphones in my ears. As the guests finish eating the main course, it is time for the last dish to be served. When I make a gesture, the servers serve ice cream with a familiar gesture.

With the food out and all the work done, the staff were left feeling exhausted and out of their minds. It had been a crazy two weeks.

“You all worked really hard to come all the way to Korea with me. Thanks to you, we were able to finish the dinner safely. I heard that the leaders were satisfied with the food. Now you can add some decent experience to your resumes. You can all be proud. And thank you very much.”

The chefs seemed a little embarrassed when I said hello.

“Why are you saying this? All of a sudden.”

“That’s right. The chef is going, so of course we have to go too.”

“Since it’s ours, we cook according to the chef’s instructions.”

“If something like this happens again in the future, please take me with you.”

The chefs answer with laughter and chatter.

At that time, a radio message came through the earphones saying that the leaders enjoyed the desserts. It is said that there were many words of praise for the food. When I relayed this to the chefs, they all cheered. Joy and confidence were evident on their faces. In this way, one by one, they gained experience and became better chefs.

“Everyone, you’ve all worked really hard. There won’t be any schedules for the next two days, so feel free to rest after you’re done organizing. There will probably be a lot of people who are visiting Korea for the first time, so it would be good if Soyoung took them around and showed them around.”

Tsk tsk

“That’s not it.”

Soyoung says playfully, waving her index finger.

“hmm?”

“What about tourism? We’re all young, so of course it’s a club.”

“What? Is that so? I’ve never been there before?”

I have never been to a place like a club, not in my past life, not in this life.

“Actually, this is our first time too. But I’ve seen a lot of articles online saying that Korean clubs are fun. I heard they go all night long.”

Sam blushes and says, thinking about it, I’ve never heard anyone say that he’s in a relationship since I first met him.

Ella and Dominic avoid eye contact with me and pretend not to talk, as if the conversation had already ended while I was away.

“Anything is fine as long as you guys have fun. Just don’t cause any trouble.”

“Aren’t you going, Chef? You said it was your first time. Let’s go together.”

Even if you say that, it would be an uncomfortable place for me to go. I have no intention of going.

“Can you say that in front of Joohee?”

“Hehehe. I guess I’ll leave out the chef.”

Seeing all the other chefs smiling brightly, I guess they have high expectations. I just hope they can return safely.

While I was chatting with the staff, I heard a call that the dinner was over. I also heard that some of the leaders wanted to meet the chef. In the West, it is common to talk to the chef after a meal, so it seems that the leaders are paying attention. I checked my attire and walked to the dinner hall.