Reincarnation Of Audemars - Chapter 124

The next morning I was early when I hopped down from the bed and headed for the shower. Today is the start of the internship for the chef apprentices and I wanted to impart my knowledge as much to them as possible. It was before the cock crows when I was up and about and had dressed up for the day.

“You’re up early, darling… Come on, come back to bed… Meeeooowww…” Patricia called me but I told her that I need to check the ingredients and make sure that we have enough.

“Today, I would be presenting the menus such as Tex Mex meatballs, Turkey Tetrazzini, Pork Chops in bread crumbs and Crock-Pot chicken noodle soup. So I need to make sure everything is fresh. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked and these menus are going to be wonderful. Luckily I bought all the meats from the members last night and all we need to do is change a bit of menu for today.”

“Hhhmmm…alright then, I will be up and about soon. I just need to stretch on the bed and dry-swim on it for a while.” Patricia replied as she dived under the blankets once again.

After getting dressed I went downstairs and since the cooks arrive from 9 am, we are the ones who would prepare breakfast. I fired up the earthen stove and measured 2 kg of flour, added some fat and hot water and started to knead it. I placed a damp cloth over it and added yeast to it to make it rise.

Next, I took out the mutton and immerse it in hot boiling water to get rid of its fat before I turned it into minced meat in the manual grinder.

I took out the necessary spices and mixed with the minced mutton and I took 2 kg of potatoes and diced them into smaller pieces. I took half a kilo of green peas and corn kernels and steamed them separately before I mashed the peas into a mush. I also added diced onions, chopped garlic, spring onions and celery into it.

After the mutton had been seasoned, I mixed all the ingredients up. Today for breakfast, I’m going to make ‘Golden Pillow’, a super-sized baked dumpling that could serve 6 people at a time.

The earthen oven had been properly heated up and I separated about 14 lumps of kneaded dough and began to flatten them using a rolling pin. I made a base just like a pie should be and inserted equal portions of fillings inside it.

I then roll another piece and covered it up nicely as I pleat all the sides and places them onto a baking tray for up to 7 bread per layer after I brushed a bit of fat on it.

The ‘Golden Pillow’ looked pretty much like an Empanada but in a circular shape. A layer of fat was also brushed on top of it so that it would be constantly baked and turned golden brown.

This type of baking may need constant glazing of fat even though the mutton from the goat would also release its natural fat inside it. After baking for about 15 minutes, the trays were interchanges and the ‘Golden Pillows’ which were in the bottom tray were turned to the other side after I glazed some more fat on it.

It was a process of interchanging the trays, overturning the Golden Pillows and ensuring that the insides would be fully cooked. Even as mutton from a goat may take some time to cook as a whole, but when it’s minced and had been immersed in hot boiling water, it is much faster to cook this way.

The earthen oven is convenient to use and the heat is very constant. Every time I opened up the oven door, the scent of freshly baked bread and the seasoned meat inside it began to waft and somehow I could hear the members stirring and preparing themselves.

“WOW…I KNEW IT MUST BE DADDY IN THE KITCHEN…” Kayla hollered and she climbed to sit on top of the counter. “What are you cooking, Daddy? The smell is very nice and I was awakened by the smell of fresh bread too.”

“I’m making Golden Pillows for breakfast. One pillow could be eaten by 4 to 5 persons and I made 14 of these. I hope its enough to share around.” I replied as unopened up the oven door and let the heat comes out again.

I had stopped stoking the fire and the fire had died down to embers only. The release of heat when I opened up the door makes the heat within be regulated and also to spread the scent all over the Castle. Hah hah hah…

“Wahseh…what is my brother in law up to so early in the kitchen. I can smell something wonderful in the kitchen from upstairs.” greeted Prius as he and Rebecca walked in. Patricia arrived soon after and the way I looked at her that day was simply breathtaking. I don’t know what that makes my heart thump like horses running on muddy flats.

“Hi everyone… Yeah, it’s been so long since I’ve baked and I’ve decided to make some Golden Pillows today for breakfast.” the oven door was slightly ajar and when I opened it and pulled a tray out, everyone in the gasped at the enormous size and the sizzling of the fat that was in the tray.

“This is the Golden Pillow I was talking about. Its good for 4 people and I made extras just in case. Kayla, Jane… Could you help me by taking out some plates? Ingles, could you get me a trolley and Adam would you help me arrange the cutlery outdoors?”

The children went about the task and I placed 10 golden pillows on a large platter and then took 7 plates and arrange them on a food trolley. Ingles and Jane helped to push the trolley as Kayla had seated herself outdoors with the rest of the members.

When each of the Golden Pillow was served on a plate and evenly distributed, I used a knife and fork to cut it up into 4 squares and served a quarter in each saucer.

“Guild Master, I didn’t know you are a cook too…” said one of the member as he is literally salivating when he saw the quarter slice before him.

“I stand corrected, Guild Master is a culinary expert… This Golden Pillow has the crispiest skin outside and the juiciest and moist on the insides. This looked simply D-E-L-I-S-H…”

“Alright, let’s all dig in.” I finally said as I finished cutting up and serving everyone. I used my hands to pick up the quarter and when I bite into it, the juices of the meat, along with the spices, herbs and curry with its mashed peas, the diced potatoes and corn kernels made me have a locked jaw temporarily.

Some called it turnovers or empanada of they are bitesize and baked or deep-fried. If it is this big its definitely a golden pillow for sure. I ate it with my bare fingers and everyone followed me and our children said that I ate it like it was like a burger.

“If you want burgers, I would make them for breakfast tomorrow. I just need to get some buns and after I made the meat into patties, it would be flame-broiled and served with lots of salad leaves, cucumber, pickles and a choice of ketchup or chilli sauces and with molten mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Who wants a burger for breakfast?”

“Me…! Me…! Me…! Me…!!!” answered our children while the members just smiled since WHO IN THE WORLD WOULD REFUSE A BURGER. Especially for breakfast. Hah hah hah…

Sometime later our 2 guests came by since they got my message for them to be over. I told them to ran a seat and share a golden pillow and when they saw I bring out the huge empanada, they were delighted when they saw what’s the fillings inside were.

“My God… Is this prepared by you, my brethren? You really do surprise me, and I didn’t know culinary is also part of your skills set. This is simply very delectable. I do love spicy meals from time to time and this is something I’ve never tasted in my life.”

“Thank you my brethren. The members brought back the meat from the hunt last night? I saw the whole army of them marching in last night. I thought who they might be until I saw the emblem on their chest and recognises it was from Castle Keating-Macleod.” exclaimed Bruce as he bit into the goodness of golden pillow.

“Its part of a meal made up of part Mediterranean and part Asian. I simply loved the spiced and seasoned meat and it could be made into anything you could think of. By the way, I do have something to discuss with you both later, but we will do it right after this, would that be alright?”

I said as both of the men nodded and began to bite into the meal and since both of them were sharing a single golden pillow, that piece simply looked like the men were enjoying half a 12″ pie each.