Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The Royal Horse

As expected, that lady was exactly the owner of the injured horse.

Princess Alice.

Granddaughter of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and daughter of Princess Victoria the daughter of Ludwig IV of the Grand Duchy of Hesse in Germany as mother,

Son of Prince Alexander of the Grand Duchy of Hesse Prince Ludwig von Battenberg as father, a precious royal they say. In one word the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Because her father is a current British navy colonel she usually resides in London and often spends time at Windsor Castle with her mother.

Why is the family relationship so complicated? As expected royals!

The hobby is horseback riding like a noble. From the start meeting at the stables wasn't a coincidence.

Anyway I chased late but the princess had already disappeared. It seemed she caught another horse at these stables and fled.

I asked Mr. Brighton who followed.

"Is it okay? Even if the princess leaves without any words like this?"

"You don't have to worry. She was just greatly surprised so there won't be a matter of scolding later. She's not such a person."

What's there to be surprised about?! We were strangers?

Was my face something to be that surprised about? Objectively looking I'm not on the ugly side. Well, since I came 100 years into the past from the 21st century, the aesthetic standard might be a bit different from modern.

Anyway it was as Mr. Brighton said.

I worried if the princess might come again and harass the stablemen, but for the past 3 days she didn't even show her nose around.

That's a relief. Just no big incident until I leave!

Other than that it was a really okay manor.

I gathered people and did twenty questions, and they were all diligent and trustworthy people.

Thinking there would be no more matters to worry about, I handed my account number to Mr. Brighton and asked to deposit half the monthly rent every month.

The employees were living in houses rented by the royal court, and the right I was granted from His Majesty Edward VII was receiving the monthly rent of those plus shop rents here and there in the village, public facility usage fees, and part of the village contribution fees that accumulate every month.

Gathering like that roughly 30 pounds a month. With this level it was a considerably satisfying large sum!

The next mission was confirming my parents' residence.

Royalty won't particularly appear, the village people are gentle and the air looks clear so I thought with this level it would be livable.

If only it wasn't the subtle horse dung smell carried on the wind!

Still compared to the terrible London smog this is a hundred times better.

Just in time there was one empty house in the corner of the village, so when I return to London I decided to ask my parents' opinion. It wasn't a matter for me alone to decide.

Well, with this all problems are solved. Now what shall I do?

Since I came this far, I intended to extract as much as possible and go.

Come to think of it there was one skill I could learn here.

Horseback riding.

I finally decided to learn how to ride a horse.

"There, there. Good? You absolutely can't throw me off?"

Snort.

They say it's the gentlest natured mare in the stables. Thanks to that even if a horseback riding beginner like me got on its back it didn't particularly cause a riot.

Sway sway.

"Ugh! Stay still!"

Still it looked easy on the outside, but when I actually got on maintaining balance wasn't easy. If it runs even a little like this it seems I'll fall off the horse!

Clap clap clap!

While I was flustered, Mr. James who was holding the reins clapped beside me and said.

"Sir Durand! You're doing very well! You're skilled to the point it's hard to believe it's your first time riding! If you practice a bit more running will also be possible!"

Is that empty words?

Anyway, as a person who became a knight if I can't ride a horse properly it doesn't make sense. For pride I absolutely had to learn it.

And after riding a bit, it was more fun than expected.

Mongolians consider horseback riding the best play, right? I understand why.

The longing for a riding object instinctively imprinted in human DNA!

The pleasure of free riding where another existence moves instead!

The ultimate thrill of a different dimension from riding a bicycle!

Deeply immersed in the fun of horseback riding, on the 4th day I even succeeded quite excellently at lightly running at a trot!

Then Mr. James was very happy and said.

"Excellent! Exactly that sense! However it's better to still avoid driving the horse outside the riding ground. There are rabbit holes here and there in the fields so if the horse steps wrong you might fall off!"

Is that praise or scaring?

Clap clap clap!

The Earl of Derby who was watching beside also clapped along. But this side the intention was the opposite.

"Jean! Now if you've learned enough shall we slowly return to London? I really want to eat Chicken and Chips!"

Earl, we've only been here for four days?

Unlike the momentum when first coming down, the Earl looked somehow anxious.

Every time I went to ride a horse he kept following and interfering. Why is he doing that? Is he protesting that the food doesn't suit his taste?

Well, the mansion chef's skill was so-so. Skill aside, the recipe choice was really...

No, why on earth do they only put out peanut butter dishes for 3 days in a row?!

'Haha, Sir Durand! This is exactly the famous peanut butter that one can't buy at a proper price even at any general store in London! How is it? Does it suit your mouth? Really delicious, right? I won't get tired of eating this for a whole month!'

What one month! I'm also now tired of peanut butter to the point of being sick of it!

In fact the people here didn't know at all the fact that I was the founder of peanut butter. In this era there's no SNS or internet so if one just keeps the surrounding mouths shut information won't spread.

If the only information transmission means are newspapers and magazines, when I poked a little pounds to acquaintance reporters they closed their mouths on their own.

Not enough they even diligently wrote advertisement articles? Ahem, that wasn't the purpose though.

When I showed no particular reaction even to the whining the Earl now transformed into threat mode.

"Jean-Paul Durand! Because you guy don't play with me there's nothing to do here! Then rather let's go fishing once more! If you don't go I'll stand here all day and chatter noisily!"

"No... Can't the Earl also enjoy horseback riding together? You said you often came here?"

"Alone for what fun? There's no one to race with? And it's not like hunting permission was given."

Fishing because the Earl was so bored I followed on the second day. Because I also occasionally enjoyed sea fishing in modern times.

But I overlooked the technical difference between the 20th and 21st centuries too severely!

In the world, there was no reel on the fishing rod! The fishing rod of this era is just about tying a line to bamboo. Elasticity and whatever there was no hand taste at all!

Heavy, and no shock absorption! No dynamism either!

From the old days if fishing it's the taste of enjoying a fierce power struggle with the fish while unwinding and winding the reel, but the fishing of this era was just throwing the float and leisurely waiting!

"Race? Can't you just race with me?"

"With you? With a beginner like you? Me?"

"Just now you said I ride well?"

"Oh, to follow me you'll need more than 10 years! Even His Majesty Edward VII can't follow me in horseback riding! Ahem."

Suddenly surprise criticism of His Majesty here?!

Anyway since it was about lunch time, feeling my stomach gradually getting hungry I also jumped off the horse.

Before the Earl sulks I needed to hurriedly relieve his mood. Otherwise on the way back to London I'll be thoroughly harassed!

"Good. Then instead if it's delicious food how is it? Since you seem tired of the chef here's food, I'll properly satisfy your taste. Then it'll be okay, right?"

"Oho, is that by any chance a dish I know?"

"No, probably the first time you'll eat? It's a dish I recently created. And the first taster is exactly the Earl."

"What? I'm the first?! Is that really true! Then good! If the taste is just that good I'll endure a day or two more! Is that all? If you impress me I'll let you continue horseback riding practice with my horse even in London!"

"Is that really true? You can't go back on it? For reference I'm coveting the Earl's thoroughbred, Bentley."

"Ahem, I promise!"

In fact lately continuing to smell peanut butter, there was a dish I came to want to eat severely.

Not greasy, something light.

Soft, clean yet chewy, a meat dish that melts smoothly in the mouth.

Suyuk.

Today of all days pork suyuk was tremendously craving.

###

Boiling meat is a universal cooking method common to all countries of the world.

Because with just fire and water anyone can easily do it, and it's more efficient than any cooking method.

When boiling meat even tough parts become tender and cook soft and moist, and the juices of the meat dissolve into the broth and the taste also concentrates.

Moreover storage is also easy, and parts that would normally be thrown away can be eaten deliciously so it's also good economically.

If there's a difference, European boiled meats generally tried to maintain the firm texture of the meat, while Korean suyuk developed by pouring everything into removing gamey smell and maintaining moist texture.

British boiled bacon, German eisbein are such European-style boiled meat dishes. But looking at the taste they're dry, or tough, or salty!

From the start by removing too much oil it also divides likes and dislikes for Koreans.

At best Italian bollito misto is a similar taste to suyuk, but still when eating there was a tough feeling of about galbitang meat.

Suyuk itself can't be said to be an original dish. Because most East Asian boiled meats shared similar cooking methods.

Chinese dongpo pork or suanni bairou, Japanese buta no kakuni also developed in the direction of maintaining moist texture like suyuk as boiled meats.

But if there's a point that distinguishes from Korean suyuk even here, it's about the degree of not separately adding sour taste or salty taste to suyuk?

Anyway, today's Korean food is suyuk!

"Let's see, the needed ingredients... Fortunately all are here."

The first core of suyuk cooking is removing gamey smell.

In fact most ingredients can be seen as for removing gamey smell. Because from the start it poured into that side.

Representatively doenjang. Of course even without it suyuk isn't impossible. Because substitute ingredients are abundant.

I poured coffee beans, green onion and onion, whole pepper, bay leaves, ginger into a large pot. It would have been good if there was soju but since there isn't this also changed to cooking wine.

"Well, then change to high heat... The temperature is also appropriate!"

But occasionally the suyuk eaten at restaurants is, not inferior to eisbein, tough and tough at times. Clearly the gamey smell was well removed though.

Why is that? Because sugar wasn't properly put in!

The second core of suyuk cooking is maintaining moistness.

Sugar has the property of absorbing and maintaining moisture, so it plays the role of cooking the meat moist and soft when boiling. So it's good to necessarily put it only for suyuk.

Moreover it naturally maintains the umami of the meat, and even pulls up the flavor with sweetness so literally the best additive.

But that doesn't mean putting too much sugar is also a problem.

If sugar doesn't melt properly it leaves an unpleasant texture on the meat surface, and even carbonizes and adds bitterness.

So putting sugar at the appropriate timing, at the appropriate temperature, the appropriate amount is the core secret of suyuk taste.

There remove gamey smell with high heat, cook evenly to the inside with medium heat, and slowly decompose the connective tissue with low heat to make the meat soft.

Only when all these processes perfectly harmonize is delicious suyuk finally completed.

Thinking about it this is subtly tricky. The word easy is canceled canceled!

"You! When on earth is the preparation all done! I'll faint waiting!"

"It's almost done! This dish needs a bit of patience!"

If there's a disadvantage, it's that the cooking time is long. Because to cook properly it takes at least a full hour.

Because the Earl of Derby who couldn't wait was pacing outside the kitchen, I pushed his back and for now sat him at the dining table in the reception room.

"There there, since you waited patiently I'll give a reward!"

Suyuk neatly arranged on a large plate. Just arranging is enough and no particular deco is needed is the advantage of suyuk. It would be good to put garlic sauce on it, but since the Earl will dislike it I'll pass this time.

Gulp.

The Earl's eyes looking at the plate sparkled burdensomely.

"Heh, that looks really amazingly moist! Is it applying bacon? The appearance is quite similar to the samgyeopsal part!"

"Yes, I used the samgyeopsal part. But the taste will clearly be different. Are you looking forward to it?"

The gloss is flowing smoothly, right? The color is also very pretty?

The Earl looked at the suyuk on the plate as if lost for a moment, then suddenly startled and looked down at his hands.

"But where are the fork and knife? It seems the serving order is wrong, did you make a mistake?"

Usually setting the utensils first is correct.

But this time I deliberately changed the order. If the utensils were first the impatient Earl wouldn't endure and stuff the meat into his mouth.

Suyuk alone is sufficiently excellent, but for the true taste showdown a secret weapon is needed.

I put the fresh vegetables carefully washed after picking from the vegetable garden around the mansion onto the dining table in the basket.

Thud!

"What? Isn't that butterhead? Where on earth are you going to use raw leaves without even salad dressing?"

"Exactly this is the core. Well, now I'll tell you the method of properly eating this dish. You must not miss even one. You understand, right?"

If there's suyuk of course there's a best friend that goes together.

Lettuce.

And butterhead is real European lettuce soft and moist and savory to the point it's not lacking even compared to modern Korea's red lettuce.

Right. What I'm trying to tell the Earl is lettuce ssam.

Because suyuk was a Korean food that bursts tremendous synergy when eaten as bossam!

"Then tell me quickly! I have no more remaining patience!"

Bang!

The moment I nodded and was about to speak, a servant of the mansion hurriedly opened the reception room door and ran in.

"Si-Sir Durand! The royal court of Windsor Castle is looking for Sir Durand!"