Chapter : 65
The Bachelor Receives Complaints
I returned to grilling the skin skewers and continued cooking them carefully six times.
It was a shortened version of the authentic grilling method, but finally, the skin skewers were done.
They were completely different from the first batch. With the excess fat rendered away, they had shrunk slightly, and the meat felt lighter. The surface was perfectly crispy.
Because the fat dripped off, the flames would flare up several times, and though it almost charred, I managed to grill them perfectly.
Once that was done, I wanted to grill the rest and eat… but the crucial sauce wasn’t ready yet, so I moved on to making it.
I prepared a pot and added green onions. Then I tossed in the bits of meat that had fallen during trimming and skewering. This way, the fat would melt out and make a delicious sauce.
Next, I added soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake, and sugar, which Homura had given me, and let it simmer.
Once it came to a boil, scum would appear on top, so I carefully removed it.
After simmering down and pouring it into a container, the secret Zilk-style yakitori sauce was complete.
By repeatedly dipping and grilling the skewers in this sauce, the fat would soak in, making them even more delicious.
“All right, let’s grill the rest too.”
With the sauce ready, I dipped the skin, hearts, gizzards, neck meat, and negima skewers in it and grilled them over the shichirin.
These didn’t require a special method like the skin, so they cooked quickly.
Since there were ten of each, I could divide them—five with salt, five with sauce. For now, I grilled two at a time, one with salt and one with sauce.
The sauce and fat dripped onto the charcoal, hissing and creating smoke.
It was an enormous amount of smoke, but the aroma of the sauce and meat was irresistible.
As I watched the skewers cooking, a satisfied smile on my face, the doorbell suddenly rang.
I ignored it out of laziness, but the bell kept ringing.
Finally, tired of the persistence, I decided to take the skewers off the grill.
“Damn it, who is it at a time like this?”
I clicked my tongue in annoyance at the interruption and headed to the entrance.
When I opened the door, Catalina was standing in the hallway.
It seemed she had a day off; she wasn’t in her usual dress or gown but in loose loungewear. Even so, she looked striking—probably because of her naturally good figure.
“What is it?”
“Don’t ‘what is it.’ The smell is incredible!”
“…Could it be the smell?”
“Yes, very much so! Thanks to that, my laundry now smells like it!”
She waved a brightly patterned handkerchief in front of me.
Smelling it, I could indeed detect the aroma of grilled yakitori—so savory and appetizing.
I had expected a lot of smoke, but I hadn’t realized it would reach the neighboring balcony.
“My bad. I’ll cover the cleaning costs.”
“No, you don’t have to go that far… but stop immediately before anyone else complains!”
“No, I can’t do that. I’m just about to eat these.”
If I stopped now, all my effort today would go to waste. Besides, it would do nothing to clear the frustration in my chest.
“Huh?”
“By making delicious yakitori with my own hands and eating it, I can finally move on to tomorrow. So, just this once, let it slide.”
“Even if you say it with a dramatic tone, it won’t work.”
Damn, this is what neighborhood trouble feels like.
If she weren’t someone I knew, she probably wouldn’t have complained at this stage. Indeed, relationships bring their complications.
As I gritted my teeth at Catalina’s immovable stance, a “grrrr” sound suddenly came from her.
It was clearly from her, and she seemed aware of it, blushing deeply.
“Oh, so that’s what’s going on…”
“What do you mean!?”
She raised her voice, probably to hide her embarrassment.
“Wait right there.”
I said that and retreated to the living room, quickly finishing the half-grilled skewers.
I plated one skewer each with salt and sauce and headed to the entrance.
Opening the door, Catalina stood awkwardly.
“What’s that?”
“Rockbird yakitori. From left to right: skin, heart, gizzard, neck meat, and negima. One skewer each with salt and sauce.”
“I didn’t come here to complain just to get free food…”
Even as she protested, her gaze was locked on the skewers.
A tiny bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth—she was losing her composure as a lady.
“This is more like a ‘sorry for the inconvenience’ gift. Take it.”
“W-well, if that’s the case…”
“By the way, you don’t need to return the plate.”
I said that, closed the door, and returned to the kitchen.
Shooing off a hungry beast was easy.
It annoyed me a bit that I had to give away the skewers I had worked so hard on, but it would have been worse if I couldn’t cook them properly.
There was more than enough for her. I could give her a portion.
“All right, time to grill my own portion.”
I returned to the shichirin and continued grilling for myself.
“All right, this is done.”
Looking out the window, it was already night.
Due to trimming, skewering, and careful grilling, lunch had become dinner.
No wonder I was starving.
I plated three skewers each with salt and sauce and took my seat.
“Let’s see how it tastes. At least it should be better than the street stalls.”
Half a day had passed since I ate the terrible Rockbird skewer. Finally, this moment had come.
First, the skin skewer seasoned with salt, the one I had been most particular about in the Fukuoka style.
I didn’t remove the meat from the skewer—no rude business—and ate it whole.
“Delicious!”
The surface was perfectly crispy.
With the extra fat and moisture rendered away, the flavor was concentrated.
It wasn’t overly salty; I could taste the full umami of the Rockbird.
Maybe because I had sweated during grilling, the saltiness tasted even better.
“All the effort was worth it.”
This taste could never have come from simply skewering and grilling normally.
Food truly rewards careful handling.
I took another bite. The unique rubbery texture of the skin was mild, so even those who dislike it could enjoy it.
Yakitori goes well with ale.
Rich sauces pair with red wine, salt with white wine. Sake works with both, but ale is no less excellent.
Humans have five tastes: sweet, umami, salty, bitter, and sour. Combined, they create deliciousness.
Yakitori has sweet, umami, and salty; beer has bitter and sour. Together, they complete the five tastes.
I held the skin skewer in my right hand and drank ale from my left.
I could even hear my throat gulping.
The umami of the Rockbird and the bitterness of the ale complemented each other perfectly.
“Next is skin with sauce.”
Dipped in sauce, repeatedly brushed, and grilled carefully, this one I devoured boldly.
The sweet and savory sauce exploded in my mouth differently than the salt version.
Though the sauce was less sweet than in my previous life, the Rockbird’s natural sweetness and umami were strong enough to balance it perfectly. Ale went down well with this too.
“Even an amateur’s quick method makes this taste… amazing.”
If I, an amateur, could make it taste like this, professionals must be incredible.
Next, I want to select ingredients carefully and grill over six days. The taste is that good.
“Next is the heart.”
Also called the “heart,” this part had been carefully prepared.
It’s my personal favorite, so I had high expectations.
With neatly trimmed ends, it looked beautiful.
I started with salt.
The heart had that unique springy texture.
Biting into it released its characteristic slight bitterness and rich umami.
“Also delicious.”
The heart had some flavor quirks, but I liked that.
Rockbird hearts are bigger than chicken hearts, making them very satisfying.
Next was the heart with sauce.
Also incredibly tasty. The umami from the meat and the sweetness of the sauce blended perfectly.
The juicy richness felt like eating a flavorful steak.
I washed it down with ale.
The sweetness and umami reacted with the beer, making it even better.
Fresh sharpness passed through, and the pleasant bitterness flowed down my throat.
Ale went down quickly. I refilled my glass immediately.
“Next, gizzards.”
I grabbed a salted gizzard and bit into it boldly.
The crisp, crunchy texture spread in my mouth—so enjoyable.
The umami in the gizzard reacted with the salt to make it outstanding.
“Gizzards never disappoint.”
It always seems reliably tasty, no matter the restaurant.
The center was packed with flavor, which gradually spread.
I could chew on these forever.
I also tried the gizzards with sauce.
“Hmm, I prefer salt.”
The sauce version was good, but I was used to salt, so it felt slightly odd.
Still, it was fresh and not bad. I savored the texture.
After the gizzards came neck meat—rare and only a small portion per bird.
I started with salt.
Moderate fat and juiciness spread in my mouth.
After all the other fatty parts, this balance stood out.
The neck meat’s firm texture was very satisfying.
After salt, I tried it with sauce.
It didn’t disappoint.
“This one can be enjoyed more simply than any other part.”
I washed down the neck meat’s juices with ale.
Finally, it was negima—yakitori with meat and green onions, a classic.
I started with salt, eating the large thigh first.
“Also delicious.”
Slightly firmer than other parts, but still tender for a thigh.
The flavor and richness poured out with each bite.
The second bite of green onion balanced it beautifully. Charcoal grilling enhanced its aroma and sweetness.
“The onions really do their job.”
A pan or griddle couldn’t replicate this.
After salt, I tried the classic sauce.
The sauce paired perfectly with the thigh. The sweet-savory sauce combination was irresistible.
For negima, I still can’t decide which I prefer—salt or sauce. Both are delicious.
The dilemma isn’t just taste but also how to eat it.
Do I enjoy the rich thigh alone, or eat it with the onions for a lighter taste? I can’t decide.
The conclusion: both ways are delicious, so I do both.
Perhaps because I skipped lunch, all the skewers on the plate were gone before I realized it.
There had been about twenty skewers, all gone.
I couldn’t believe I had eaten so much alone. I was grateful to the butcher for giving extra.
The action began as a way to vent my frustration at terrible street food, and it was very satisfying.
Now, my chest felt clear and refreshingly content.
The previous frustration had completely vanished.
“Making it myself was definitely the right choice.”
Just one bad meal could disturb my peace of mind so much.
Human desires truly shouldn’t be underestimated.
From now on, I would continue to enjoy delicious meals every day, to prevent such issues.
