I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 66



Only Noblemtl

Farmer and Fisherman

“Want to try kidney pie?”

“I can do that much for a friend. Not just for you, but for Anna too.”

“If you do that, I would really appreciate it.”

“I think I need to prepare, so I’ll go back today and come back tomorrow.”

I still can’t think of a suitable recipe. I guess I’ll have to try it myself and go through trial and error.

“Okay. I’ll try making the pie again. Let’s taste it together tomorrow.”

On my way home, I stopped at Mark’s Grocer’s to buy some fresh beef and lamb kidneys. Kidney pies are often made in Britain with pig and lamb kidneys, as well as beef kidneys.

After coming home, I sat down at the table and thought about what the charm of kidney pie was. This pie is a very popular dish in England. Almost every pub sells this menu, and it is one of the dishes that is often eaten at home. They must have their own charm.

However, this unique ammonia smell from the kidney is hard to bear for anyone other than the British. However, if you wash it thoroughly to remove the smell and then boil it, the unique flavor will disappear. Is there a way to reduce the unpleasantness while maintaining the flavor?

What food I know has the strongest ammonia smell?

Of course it’s fermented skate. The ammonia smell of fermented skate sashimi is quite bad, so how did I enjoy eating it?

“ah!”

It’s the beginning.

I jumped up and washed the raw kidneys of cow and sheep in water and ate them raw.

The pungent smell of blood, the ammonia smell, and the slippery texture. I don’t like any of it. But it seems to have a way. There is definitely a combination that would work here. After testing it with two kidneys, I was able to perfect the recipe.

The next day I arrived at David’s Pub.

“did you sleep well?”

Say hello to Anna and David, who look tired.

“I stayed up most of the night yesterday thinking about the menu.”

Anna also seems to be looking to start working with David at his pub.

“I found my own answer. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Just because something tastes good to me doesn’t mean everyone else will.

“I’m looking forward to it. Your food has never disappointed us.”

The two of them have tried many of my dishes. Back then, I only had to make dishes that suited the students’ level, but now the two of them are chefs with considerable experience.

“It’s been a while since I’ve tried something so unsure. I thought about why, and it turns out it’s because I’m not British. When I did some research, I found that kidney pie is sold in almost every pub in the UK. And there was a survey that said that the average British person eats pie at least once every three or four days.”

“That’s a valid statistic. I think it was the same at my house when I was in England.”

“Can I use the kitchen?”

“of course.”

I may not fully understand the British food sensibility, but I will continue to do what I have been doing so far: making the most delicious food.

Since I had prepared in advance, it didn’t take long to make the pie.

“Try it.

Two people cut the pie with a knife and look at the cross-section.

“The color is a little different? Did you use a special sauce?”

“It smells good. Let’s try it.”

Two people put the pie in their mouths at the same time.

“Is this really kidney pie? Looking at the cross-section, it clearly has a lot of kidneys in it, but it doesn’t smell bad. To be exact, it does smell, but it’s not unpleasant.”

“Even from my perspective as a British person, the taste is luxurious. The beef flavor is rich and the mild flavor from the kidneys blends well. How is this possible?”

“I was thinking about how to neutralize the ammonia smell in kidneys. I got a hint from Korean cooking, and the acidity could help to neutralize the ammonia smell.

So I cut the beef into big chunks and marinated the kidneys in wine overnight. I used Herdade de São Miguel, which has a strong acidity. It’s cheap and perfect for this dish. And I also added sherry vinegar when I sautéed the meat.”

“Ah! I understand this taste. The meat marinated in wine and seared is what gives it this flavor. Then, I deglaze it with onions and celery to bring out the fondant flavor. It’s different, yet British.

“But you mostly kept to the recipe. I thought you’d come up with a totally different pie with kidney beans in it.”

“Actually, I was thinking about that too. I was thinking of making a delicious pie based on Shepherd’s Pie. But it wasn’t a kidney pie. I made it with beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, following the traditional recipe. Of course, I also used spices like parsley, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon.”

“I can’t believe it. How did you make such a perfect pie in just one day? And maybe it’s my mood, but the taste of the kidney is different.”

“You’re sensitive. That’s right. Here, I mixed sheep and cow kidneys in a 3:1 ratio. Sheep kidneys have less of an odor and are mild. However, when I used only lamb, I felt that it lacked its unique flavor. In the end, I mixed the two.”

It took a lot of experimentation to figure out this ratio.

“I hate kidney pie, but I could eat this. I think this would sell well. And it would restore my reputation.”

Anna’s face brightens.

“It’s not enough. It’s not the end.”

If it was going to end like this, I hadn’t even started. My tongue can find the optimal combination to make even the worst ingredient, kidney, taste good.

“What are you talking about?”

“Wait a minute.”

I went in and made the same kidney pie.

“Is it the same pie as before?”

Anna tilts her head.

“That’s right. But things will be a little different from now on.”

I made a hole in the center of the pie. Then I slowly poured the warmed clotted cream into it. The cream flowed through the hole in the pie. It was more than I thought.

“Okay. Now try eating again.”

Anna cuts the pie with a knife, her face full of curiosity.

“Wow. The inside is completely creamy and mixed. It’s like cream chowder. The filling wasn’t dripping before, but now it’s completely dripping like an English pie.”

The Australian meat pie, which is well known to the public, is eaten with the hands, because the filling is thick and does not flow out. But it is not British.

“British people don’t eat pies with their hands. They often use the pie as a bowl and eat it from the top with a spoon. I made this based on that idea. It’s a way to enjoy the contents deliciously.”

“This is a completely different dish. The gravy and cream in the pie go so well together. Kidney pie has too much meat in the filling, so it might be overwhelming for women, but this is soft and creamy. Women will like it too.”

“Clotted cream originally had a strong flavor. The rich taste of the cream coated the meat, and the taste of the kidney itself changed. It spread smoothly in the mouth.”

“The red wine keeps the cream from splattering. The gravy sauce also goes well with creamy foods. It also performs well. What do you think?”

“What’s so touching? It’s definitely British. It’s kidney pie. But at the same time, it’s your own original.”

David’s eyes were moist. A delicious British kidney pie.

The price will go up because of the wine and clotted cream, but the taste will make up for it.

“Then how about we just name it Jehee?”

Anna suggests.

“hmm?”

Oh, you want me to put my name on kidney pie?

“That’s a good idea. I’ll put it on the menu.

“How about ‘Jehee’s Kidney Pie’?”

“Honestly, I think it’s right to name this after its creator. It’s a dish that you wouldn’t be ashamed to name yourself after. You have a few signature dishes in fine dining, but you don’t have any popular menus yet, right?”

Anna seems to really want to put my name on the pie.

And when you hear it, it’s true. My signature dish is difficult for ordinary people to experience. Most of them require expensive ingredients and high-level techniques. On the other hand, this dish can be made by anyone with passion and a little bit of technique.

“Okay, let’s do that.”

So my first popular food signature recipe was kidney pie. I always teased David as a kidney pie-eating Englishman, and I guess that’s what happened. But it’s still delicious, so I don’t think customers who order this pie will curse me.

I stayed in David’s pub all day and sampled his other menu items. The menu is substantial, including fish and chips, steak, shepherd’s pie, Sunday roast, jacket potatoes, bangers and mash, and the English breakfast that every British pub must have.

British pubs aren’t what we think of as drinking establishments.

British people go to the pub in the morning, still drunk, and have a full breakfast.

At lunchtime, people come in groups of three or five and have fish and chips or pie for lunch.

In the evening, a British pub is a place where people end the day by drinking beer with their neighbors after work and eating steak or roast beef.

Looking at the menu, it seems like David is also dreaming of such a space.

“Sunday Roast is only on Sundays?”

Sunday roast is a food that originated from the Puritan tradition. The Puritans had to eat an abstinent meal from Friday until the end of Sunday service. And as a reaction, after Sunday service, they prepared a sumptuous table and ate together with their families as if to relieve the regret of not having eaten during that time.

“Of course. I’ll bring all the British people in New York here.”

David smiles with a confident expression.

“Well thought out. A lot of New Yorkers will come. They’re curious. And that menu takes too much time to prepare. Once a week is enough.”

“That’s right. It’ll be quite difficult. Later on, I plan to only serve it to guests who make reservations in advance.”

“What are you going to name your store?”

“Farmer and Fischer.”

“Huh? That’s your last name?”

“Yeah. We’ll get married. Of course, if the pub doesn’t go under.”

David says playfully.

“Don’t worry, I’ll feed you then.”

Anna slaps David on the back.

“By the way, a farmer and a fisherman.”

“Yeah. Hahaha.”

David and Anna’s pub was open for business shortly after receiving a fresh coat of paint and a new sign.

And soon after, word got out that a chef from a five-star hotel was in charge of the kitchen, and it quickly became established. This is why chefs build their careers in hotels and fine dining restaurants, despite the low wages and terrible working conditions.

* * *

A few more days passed and I was preparing to attend Soohyun’s wedding. As I was racking my brain over the menu for the reception, Anna came to the house. She was carrying a huge rack of French ribs on her shoulder.

“Anna! What’s going on? What is this meat?”

“Thanks to you, the pub is doing well, so I wanted to repay you, but this is all I can give you.”

Because she looks like an innocent European woman.

“Thank you, but is business going well thanks to me? Are the kidney pies selling well?”

“It’s not that much. Do you remember the note you left behind?”

“Of course. I wrote it down in case anyone was suspicious.”

If I claim that the pie is my signature without any evidence, people might not believe me. So what if I wrote it myself and even signed it?

“I put it on the wall and people were so curious that they took pictures and posted them on social media. Thanks to that, we can make kidney pies all day long.”

Oh my goodness. I guess I’m really a hot topic in America.

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