I Transmigrated Into A Fantasy World To Farm And Build Houses!-Chapter 168: Teppanyaki Grilling

The cornmeal was a pale green color. Under Eric’s strong hands, it was quickly ground into an extremely fine powder.

He brought the flour into the house, found a large bowl, and then added some pre-ground breadfruit flour. Using a 1:1 ratio, he mixed the two flours, then added a little leftover old yeast water from last time to speed up the fermentation.

Kneading the dough with warm water into a smooth, pliable mass, Eric found a clean cotton cloth to cover the bowl, then carefully carried the whole bowl and placed it on the earthen bed.

The warmth from the earthen bed would help the dough proof and rise in the shortest amount of time.

Evan curiously observed the whole process. He spoke:

"Among beastmen, those who know how to use flour to make food are indeed rare. You all seem innately bad at handling soft, sticky things like this." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"What a vivid description."

Eric said teasingly, brushing the sticky flour from his hands:

"Perhaps it’s also for ’well-known reasons’ that I can not only meditate for magic, but also deal with this sticky dough."

Evan lowered his eyes slightly and chuckled. He knew full well this little cub was still holding a grudge about what he’d said regarding magic resistance. He really holds a grudge.

In the yard, the octopus tentacles had been cut into pieces by Sam, stacked neatly like firewood.

Eric also brought out a cutting board, placed the octopus pieces on it one by one, and used the vegetable knife to scrape off the outer purplish-black skin, revealing the firm, snow-white meat inside.

Sam, who was squatting nearby, saw this and also imitated him, picking up a piece of tentacle and using his sharp claws to scrape off the outer skin.

With Sam’s help, the mountain-like pile of tentacles quickly turned into clean, white meat. Eric didn’t discard the suction cups on the tentacles. This part was chewy and crispy, his favorite.

The preparation for octopus and squid is quite similar. Eric decided not to use a grill rack but brought out a flat-bottomed iron pot, turning it into a cast-iron griddle for teppanyaki-style grilling.

The octopus meat was sliced into thick pieces, about an index finger wide, and Eric carefully scored the surface with a few diagonal cuts.

As soon as the oil in the pan was hot, he quickly laid out the octopus slices. The meat quickly contracted upon hitting the high heat, emitting an incessant, pleasant sizzling sound.

Eric used an iron spatula to press down lightly on them, and the octopus slices, pressed against the hot cast iron, sizzled even louder. A fresh, sweet aroma characteristic of seafood began to spread, weaving into every corner of the small yard.

Seafood of all kinds cooks very quickly. If cooked for too long, the octopus slices would shrivel up, becoming tough and losing their flavor.

Watching the heat, just as they were cooked, Eric quickly removed them, brushed on a thin layer of sauce, and then sprinkled evenly with pepper powder, chili powder, and some homemade fish bone powder.

The sauced octopus slices took on a glossy, light brown color, harmonizing with the colors of the dry spices, making Sam, who was standing nearby, gulp audibly with craving.

"Sam, go eat inside. It gets cold easily out here, and it won’t be good cold," Eric said, handing him the plate, not forgetting to remind him.

With the delicious food right in front of him, how could Sam resist. He quickly grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth. The fresh, crispy, and chewy meat, combined with the spicy kick of the seasonings, was so delicious he had to clench his fists, his eyes lighting up with happiness.

He quickly picked up another slice and fed it to Eric: "Eric, this thing looks really ugly, but its taste is impeccable!"

Eric chewed in satisfaction, silently thinking that Sam just hadn’t seen the uglier ones. The creatures at the bottom of the sea - the uglier they were, the tastier they tended to be, probably because they grew recklessly, counting on no one seeing them.

If only I could have brought back crabs, he thought with regret. But crabs could only be eaten fresh, and he didn’t know if the crabs in this world produced toxins after dying, so he didn’t dare risk trying.

Sam carefully placed the plate of food inside. Since the weather turned cold, Eric had moved the large dining table from the living room into the bedroom. This table was originally made very large for convenient gatherings, but luckily the bedroom space was big enough.

Despite the delicious food beckoning, Sam was very conscientious. He tried to restrain his desire to eat and ran back out to the yard to help Eric.

Eric never needed to call anyone when he cooked. People would automatically come over just by smelling the aroma.

With nothing much to do in the idle winter, Luci’s sharp nose caught the scent and she came right over.

"Eric, what delicious thing are you tinkering with now?"

Luci walked in through the gate, but her gaze was fixed straight on Sam:

"It’s Sam again, making you work, isn’t it? He’s all grown up but still only thinks about eating all day, and he can’t even do his job at the cafeteria properly!"

Sam, who was slicing octopus with his claws, lowered his head in shame upon being scolded by his mother.

Eric chuckled, seeing Sam secretly shooting him a pleading look.

He quickly brushed the last layer of sauce on the freshly cooked batch of octopus, sprinkled the spices, and then said to Luci, who was now poking Sam’s forehead:

"I’m taking the opportunity to teach him how to make this dish. There are still a few more in the cave, he can make it for everyone sometime."

After speaking, he handed her the plate: "You try it, this tastes delicious."

Only then did Luci let Sam off the hook. Turning to Eric, her stern face suddenly softened. She smiled, took the plate, and put a slice of meat in her mouth.

"Mm, this meat tastes really unusual. The food Eric makes is indeed never bad," Luci praised as she ate.

Sam, at the side, breathed a sigh of relief, then quick as lightning, snuck a piece from the plate in his mother’s hand and stuffed it into his mouth. Choked with laughter by her son’s action, Luci could only point at his forehead, her expression one of both exasperation and doting.

Just then, a thundering sound came from the gate. Eric looked up and saw it was a group of Snow Wolves, still in wolf form, rushing over like a whirlwind. Their large, strong paws trampled on the thin layer of remaining snow, sending it flying.

When they reached Eric’s gate, the group of Snow Wolves stopped in unison, shifting back to human form before leisurely putting on their animal skin clothes.

Eric reflexively covered his eyes, but then, realizing the situation, he slowly lowered his hand. He really couldn’t understand: why were "they" the ones running around naked, but "he" was the one who felt embarrassed?

"We knew Eric was cooking just by the smell," Kevin said as he walked in, fastening his belt.

Max walked past, glancing at Sam: "As expected, you couldn’t hold out for long."

Hearing this, Michael laughed heartily, walking over to pat Sam’s shoulder: "You were muttering about this octopus yesterday. When it comes to eating, you really don’t delay for a second."

Facing his friends, Sam was no longer as meek as when his mother scolded him. He snorted coldly:

"On the road trip, Eric made you guys countless delicious things, but I haven’t eaten his cooking in a long time."

"Haha, who told you to skip training and hide in the cafeteria," Michael deliberately provoked him. "One time, Eric grilled octopus meat on hot stones, it was indescribably fragrant!"

Sam’s face twisted with jealousy. He said angrily: "I knew you ate a lot of it!"

Eric just smiled, his hands never stopping, skillfully flipping the octopus pieces on the cast-iron griddle.

The iron spatula in his hand was suddenly taken by Max. Eric was stunned, only to see Max shove the spatula directly into Sam’s hand: "You’ve been watching for so long, you must know how to do it by now."

Sam looked aggrieved at his inhuman friends, but he could only sigh helplessly, taking Eric’s position and starting to try his hand at grilling on the cast-iron.

Eric stood beside him, observing. He saw that Sam’s movements were quite proficient; he had learned how to do it after watching just twice.

He silently praised in his heart: as expected of a glutton, Sam’s natural talent for cooking was truly astounding.