Chapter 315 Fragrant Aromas
Aleshia felt the heat radiating from the pans and deemed it ready. She took out some meat, trimmed off the fat cap, and spread it among the four pans burning over the fire. As the meat rendered, releasing a delightful aroma, she returned to the cutting area, grabbed a bowl of chopped vegetables, and dumped them into the pans, scraping out any bits stuck to the bowl.
While the sound of pleasant sizzling filled the air, she stirred the pans until most of the greens turned translucent. When that happened, she returned to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and laid out several pieces of raw meat. She sliced the meat into strips and placed them in a bowl. Afterward, she generously sprinkled a variety of seasonings over it and began kneading and tenderizing the meat, allowing the flavors to infuse into it.
While Aleshia was seasoning the meat, Cecelia watched with intrigue. She had rarely seen spices like the ones Aleshia had bought and was sprinkling onto the meat. From the slight whiff she caught, Cecelia did not doubt that whatever Aleshia was preparing would be delicious. She glanced at the scrumptious-looking meat coated in all kinds of spices one last time before turning her attention to chopping the remaining vegetables on the cutting board. After finishing, Cecelia scooped the chopped vegetables and placed them into one of the bowls in front of her.
When Aleshia left the table with the bowl of meat, Cecelia closely followed with her own bowl. As they approached, Cecelia inhaled deeply, captivated by the fragrant aromas. While Cecelia enjoyed the scent, Aleshia carefully divided the meat equally between the pans and resumed stirring. Occasionally, she added water, flour, and salt to enhance the flavor and thicken the mixture.
A little while later, after taking in the various smells in a daze, Cecelia shook her head to pull herself out of her stupor and approached Aleshia. "What am I supposed to do with these?" she asked, holding out the bowl in her hands. Aleshia checked it and mulled it over for a moment before answering, "I'm thinking of using these for our next batch. You can set them down for now. Would you like to taste-test our creation?"
"Oh, I would!" Cecelia exclaimed, her excitement evident, shaking off the remnants of her earlier daze. She quickly grabbed a couple of utensils from a drawer and returned, handing one to Aleshia.