Freshly Caught Fish Sashimi and Spicy Fish Stew Work Wonders for a Hangover
Freshly Caught Fish Sashimi and Spicy Fish Stew Work Wonders for a Hangover
"Haaa, that sea breeze."
Listening to the crashing waves and breathing in the salt air, I couldn't help picturing all the fish swimming beneath the surface.
What would bite today?
What new species would I reel in?
My heart swelled with anticipation for a fresh encounter.
Even if the other party in question was, well, a fish.
Stomach still queasy from a lingering hangover, I stood atop a seaside cliff.
The shoreline below was far too rocky for boats to dock.
Waves crashed against the sheer rock face, churning the water into white foam.
Right at the base of that cliff was my favorite fishing spot.
I tied up my horse, threw a rope over the edge, and climbed down.
On my back, I had a fishing rod, cooking utensils, and a bucket for the catch.
"Hmm...~"
The oceans of this world are peculiar.
Maybe the romance fantasy author just didn't know much about the sea?
Fish were caught regardless of warm currents or cold, and with no distinction between coastal waters and the deep ocean.
It was like that legendary sea from a famous manga—the All Blue.
A fabled ocean where every species of fish supposedly swims together.
Truly, a fantasy sea.
The fun of fishing here was that you never knew what was on the other end of the line until you pulled it out of the water.
'If I recall, this setting came up when the female lead tried to solve the male lead's food crisis with aquaculture.'
I remembered the author, with no real knowledge of farming or the ocean, just coasting through that part of the story.
-Rebecca solved Count Yohan's food shortages through the aquaculture of various fish species.
That was the entire sentence.
Still, the author must have felt a twinge of conscience, because she threw in a bit of world-building later.
The deep sea was infested with monstrous sea creatures, so all the fish huddled close to the shore to survive.
"Thanks to that, I catch a huge variety out here, so I'm not complaining."
It meant I got to enjoy all kinds of different fights, too.
The only problem was that, unlike land animals, a lot of the fish here were hard to identify at a glance.
Some looked perfectly edible but were actually poisonous.
Others had way more bones than expected, making them an absolute pain to eat.
I can't even begin to describe the trouble I went through just figuring out what was edible and what wasn't.
Back in the knight order, whenever we ordered fish, it almost always came dried or frozen solid.
No wonder everyone hated fish dishes so much.
I get it.
The closest shoreline to the imperial capital was a solid week away by ship.
No matter how advanced magic had become, there was simply no method to keep fish alive in a ship's hold for seven full days.
Even the Golden Wagon Merchant Group struggled to manage it as an ingredient.
So whenever I got leave from the knight order, I came straight to the coast to fish and categorize everything myself.
To truly grasp a fish's flavor, it was crucial to taste a specimen while it was still alive, not after it had been dead for days.
That's why I came here in person.
In this world, chefs seemed to think it was beneath them to go out and procure ingredients with their own hands, but to me, that was pure nonsense.
'Discussing the taste of fish without ever catching one yourself? Ridiculous.'
I'm confident those experiences are what gave me the foundation to open my own restaurant after leaving the order.
Having settled into my favorite fishing spot, I pulled out the notebook I'd brought along.
My book of secrets.
It was a densely packed kitchen knight's guide to everything edible—from wild greens and meats to fish—listing all the usable ingredients in this world.
-List of Edible Fish.
Volum Fish - Similar to pollack. Called by different names depending on how it's preserved. The meat is springy, and in winter the flesh fills with fat, making it perfect for braising or stews.
Knife Fish - Similar to cutlassfish. Hard to catch and not commonly seen. Fishermen call it the phantom fish.
★Personally, best when grilled.
Arrow Meat - Similar to mackerel, but a bit oilier. If you can get it fresh enough for sashimi, nothing beats it.
Flat Meat - Similar to olive flounder. One of the absolute best fish for sashimi. Easy to catch, with autumn being its peak season.
Doom - Similar to sea bream. Also called one of the finest sashimi fishes. Unlike Flat Meat, it's a tough one to reel in.
Etc.
This was my list of the fish I'd personally caught, cooked, and eaten so far.
Below the edible list, I kept a separate record of the inedible ones.
"Volum Fish or Flat Meat would be perfect."
If I had my way, I'd be making pollack stew right now to soothe this hangover.
Whether the sea god would grace me with a Volum Fish was another question entirely, though.
I tied a float to my line and cast it into the ocean.
Propping up my rod, I waited for a bite and started pulling out my cooking gear.
A portable Flare Range, a Bruestar, and a pot.
A knife, tongs, and a ladle.
I'd also brought a small pot and a fistful of rice to cook while I fished.
Clatter, clatter.
Just in case I caught a Doom, I'd brought along gochujang, chili powder, and various seasonings and vegetables.
But honestly, whatever I caught, I was absolutely making a spicy fish stew to banish this hangover.
That's right.
I came out here today specifically to cook spicy fish stew with a freshly caught fish.
Might as well test out a new menu item while I'm at it.
I set the pre-washed rice on the Bruestar.
I was slicing green onions into large chunks and mincing some Gallek—what the people here call garlic—when my rod suddenly twitched.
"Already?"
That was fast.
So you knew I was itching to eat soon, did you?
I hurriedly grabbed the rod.
"Guh! This bastard's seriously strong...."
The sheer force transmitted through the rod made me grit my teeth.
The corners of my mouth crept upward.
With this much power, this had to be a trophy fish.
It was the kind of strength that would have dragged an ordinary person right off the cliff.
"Nngh! Look at you!"
I widened my stance and poured more power into my grip.
The rod bent almost to the point of snapping.
I channeled mana into it to stop that from happening.
Then, using my hips and shoulders, I heaved the rod upward with all my strength.
"Hyaaap!!"
A kitchen knight must never be overpowered by any ingredient.
Even if that ingredient happened to be a dragon.
'Not that a dragon is ever going to end up on the menu.'
Splash!
A single fish flipped up from the end of my line, dangling wildly.
It was a Flat Meat well over a meter long.
"Trophy catch!"
Not just any trophy catch. A monster trophy catch.
Flop! Flop!
Up on the rocks, the Flat Meat—no, the flounder—thrashed violently.
"A bit disappointed it's not a Doom...."
Still, flounder was easily top-grade.
"I've never seen one this size."
It was way too much for one person to eat.
But there was no way I could preserve it if I didn't.
I couldn't lug it back to the restaurant, either—the bucket I'd brought was far too small to hold this thing.
"Ah~, nothing I can do."
Guess I'll just have to eat it myself.
I laid the flopping flounder flat.
"A kitchen knife won't do the job here...."
I drew the sword from my hip.
Never thought I'd be pulling this thing out again.
'I swore I'd never unsheathe it again... sorry, old man.'
Recalling some old internet meme, I used the blade to sever the flounder's spine.
Crunch!
After removing the head, I washed away the blood with seawater and gutted the innards.
The fresh water I'd brought for cleaning was nowhere near enough, so I had no choice.
It'll wind up a bit saltier than ideal, but I'll just have to manage.
Using the little water I still had to rinse the rest, I then filleted it with the practiced hands of a seasoned kitchen knight.
Bones removed. Skin peeled away.
The plump, white flesh of the flounder gleamed beautifully in the sunlight.
"Look at that color."
Ah, now I'm really craving some soju.
But I hadn't come all this way just to cure a hangover with more drinking.
'No way I can eat all of this on my own.'
The amount was way more than I'd expected.
I cut the flounder into thick slices, plated them, and mixed together gochujang, sugar, vinegar, and minced garlic to make a chogochujang sauce.
Setting a small dish of soy sauce on the side, I had a complete flounder sashimi set ready in an instant.
"Shame there's no wasabi."
Swallowing my regrets, I ate a big piece of the flounder sashimi.
The spicy-sweet kick of the chogochujang bloomed across my tongue.
The firm, chewy texture of the flounder made my eyes widen on reflex.
How do I put this?
I felt a knot of frustration deep in my chest just melt away.
"Ahhh... now that's the taste."
Eating sashimi cut straight from a fish I'd caught on the spot.
This—this is exactly why I rode my horse a full hour to get out here.
"Good. So good."
Swoosh! Crash!
The waves pounded the shore.
A mouthful of flounder sashimi, the cool sea wind whipping around me.
There was no way this setup couldn't put me in a good mood.
Every sense in my body felt razor-sharp and alive.
I almost felt like I was becoming one with nature itself.
Deep inside me, my mana began to churn rapidly, humming with satisfaction at the quality of the food.
Blood rushed, heat surged through my body.
I could even feel the hangover starting to lift.
"Now this is the sea. This is fishing."
This time, I dipped a slice of fin meat in soy sauce and took a bite.
Different from the chogochujang, the deep savory richness of the fresh sashimi melded perfectly with the soy sauce.
"Now for the main event."
After another piece of flounder, I filled my waiting pot with water and set it over the fire.
Still chewing the sashimi, I began mixing the seasoning paste for the spicy fish stew.
Soy sauce, chili powder, minced garlic, gochujang, and a bit of doenjang all went in together.
"Smells heavenly."
Mid-mix, I grabbed another slice of flounder, dipped it in chogochujang, and popped it into my mouth.
"Hmm...~"
A humming tune crept out of my throat.
Even though the hangover hadn't fully cleared yet, each piece of sashimi seemed to brighten my complexion.
I tossed the sliced radish and the flounder bones into the water to boil.
Bubble, bubble.
As the water boiled, I skimmed the foam rising to the top with a spoon, then took another slice of sashimi dipped in soy sauce.
I added the seasoning paste and let it boil a bit more.
Once the radish was cooked through and the fish bones had given up their flavor to the broth, I tossed the few remaining pieces of flounder meat left on the tray into the pot.
"No water dropwort—that's a crying shame."
Adding some of that would've been the perfect finishing touch.
Swallowing my disappointment, I threw in the chopped green onions instead.
Bubble, bubble.
The red stew churned and frothed, steam rising in thick wisps.
'That smell is killer.'
Even the flounder meat and green onions I'd added at the end were now perfectly cooked.
I took a spoonful of the spicy stew.
"Slurp!"
Cough!
The hot, spicy flavor swept away the last vestiges of my hangover and jolted me wide awake.
The way it cleared out the heavy weight in my stomach—an exclamation of genuine awe slipped out before I could stop it.
"This is heating me right up. Feels like I just downed a whole restorative tonic."
Well, dining magnificently out in nature like this is the ultimate tonic, I suppose.
The mana in my body surged vigorously.
My mana core, which had been dormant for so long while I focused on opening the restaurant, awoke and began to dance.
Sweat beaded and poured down.
Every time I took a spoonful of the broth, rich with the flavor of the fish bones—
"Man, it just keeps going down. Unreal."
I scooped up some steaming hot rice and ate it with the pieces of flounder in the stew.
"Haaaa."
Spicy fish stew made from a fish caught right on the spot—this was a true delicacy.
Watching the wild waves crash against the rocks, I polished off every last drop of the stew.
Even after devouring all that rice by myself, my stomach didn't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.
A satisfied fullness settled in, and a natural smile stretched across my face.
"Hangover's thoroughly cured."
What an incredible meal.
Flat Meat, you're the best, you know that?
***
"Sebastian? Sebastian? Where in the world has he gone?"
Far out at sea, Michelle, the Sea King's daughter, had come for a casual swim near the surface. She found it deeply strange that Sebastian, her personal attendant, hadn't returned.
-Princess, I shall hunt for some suitable food nearby.
He was a Flat Meat who had served the Dragon Palace for centuries, and in all that time, he had never once broken a promise to the Sea King or his family.
He was legendary among his kind, known as the strongest of all flat fish.
The very idea that someone the Sea King himself acknowledged could be bested by some lesser fish didn't even cross her mind.
Yet Michelle could not shake the unease prickling deep in her heart.
"I have to go see."
Swimming with the most beautiful tail in all the sea, she headed toward the place where Sebastian had vanished.
"His trail ends here."
Arriving at the last spot where Sebastian's presence lingered, she spotted a human scaling the cliff face.
And there, slung across his back—
"Seba... stian?"
Her faithful servant, Sebastian, hung limply, dead.
"NO! SEBASTIAAAAAN!!"