Then, Finn started to take a look at the rest of the plants within the territory, though they were unfortunately not blessed with a garden module.

He found out about quite a few things. For example, the brightpear fruit would become sweeter, it said, if the tree was surrounded by sunberry shrubs.

He could even get notes about the sapsurge tree! He cared most about its sap, and apparently, the tree could produce more sap if it was hydrated. He practically had unlimited utilities after Pang ate all the precious toughened-level cores Syl gave him, so he could at least water it without care for waste.

The shavings of shell from insectoid monsters were also good, and they had the tendency to make the sap more potent! Whether he wanted that or not was one thing, but thinking it was possible to modify was really cool.

Looks like he's getting a new hobby…

Anyway, now that that was settled, he went on to handle the carcass.

The use of the meat was obvious. The meat could last at least a day, but these monsters were huge, and a lot of meat could go to waste if he didn't smoke them or turn them into jerky (unless he magically gained a lot of customers, of course).

For the skin, he was hoping to use it for leather (though he had no idea about tanning, yet). For the bones, he could probably use some for stock base/broth and maybe powder it as a calcium supplement (for plants).

He decided to make a few dishes from the get-go. Since he had a surplus, he could certainly splurge. He was also quite excited to use his newfound chilis! He tasted the sap, and a drop was enough for a serving (if he was still a pitiful Dormant tier, his tongue would definitely still be hurting at this time).

He really wished he had more materials and ingredients, though. He wondered if he could go to town someday and check it out for himself.

Of course, he would have to be able to handle himself outside well first, and also finish those time-bound missions still hanging over his head.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Finn just started cooking. The moment he positioned himself behind the counter, the redhead entered a zone where he was practically the deity.

He opened the flames and the oven, and held on to his kitchen knife, showing off impressive prowess that made Pang lift his head off the sofa to watch him.

Finn's movements were cool, graceful, and accurate. Pang wasn't sure whether he was really cooking or was doing a performance.

To be fair, it was a force of habit from his previous job. Not only was he part of the showbiz industry for a while, but he also worked in an open kitchen for a few years. He was trained to cook efficiently while looking good in the process.

Anyway, today Finn decided he'd try to make something like braised pork, though obviously he'd be using alternatives completely. It was a challenge, but it was quite exciting as well.

The essence of the braised dish was that it was a slow-cooked meat rendered tender by its own juices. It will be layered with warmth and depth, and just a bit of sweetness… and this would be the goal of this exercise.

The texture of the brindlejaw meat was a cross between a boar and an ox, except it was even tougher, but was sufficiently softened by the sap.

Purplestep seeds offered a satisfying mineral bite without overpowering it like Earth salt would've. In many cases, especially if it was the only spice he had, it was really mild. However, if combined with others, it wasn't too bad.

Sunberry leaf would stand in for black pepper, with its sharp biting taste, while the ivara vine gel would balance the dish, cutting through fat with its mellow citrusy edge.

He would also add veilroot to tie things together with its subtle depth, and the slight tinge of nettleflame sap was there to add stimulation. This was the theory, but actually cooking would still require testing and experimentation.

Sometimes, ingredients had a tendency to react differently from what one expected. Fortunately, he had [Dish Analysis], which would tell him if it was edible or not.

First, he marinated the meat in a mix of ivara gel, crushed veilroot bulb, and smashed sunberry fruit. It was to taste, but it did end up tasting good after some trial and error. He let it sit for around two hours as he cut the rest of the meat either to smoke or turn into jerky later.

He also made more mashed thornroots, fried sliced thornroots, and chips for carbs, and also salad to balance the meal.

Next, he took a wide pan (he loved this complete kitchen in the middle of nowhere), and threw in some chopped onion, er, veilroot. He sauteed them in the meat fat until it was golden.

He took a few pieces of veilroot to taste before he added meat (lest it ruin the meat), and was a little surprised.

It actually had a tiny bit of sweetness, unlike the bite of onion, though their effect was similar. It seemed like when it was cooked like this, it embraced a lightly sweet and buttery aroma that overpowered the sharpness characteristic of an onion.

He then added the marinated meat, and a sticky hiss rose from the pan, blowing a more delicious scent onto his nose.

Gulp

That was Pang, not him.

Anyway, he seared the pieces until it was browned on all sides. He then slowly added the premade marinade. Finn watched the liquid bubble as it touched the brown meat and the veilroot combination.

It wasn't vinegar or wine, but the gel's brightness should cut through the heaviness, which was as good as it could get considering everything.

He covered the pan and set it on low heat for a bit. As it simmered, he prepared the glaze for the next batch.

It was made of sunberry juice, a little ivara gel, and a bit more grounded purplestep seeds boiled together until it thickened to a gleaming glaze of deep amber. He tasted it and, like the previous batch, it was warm, earthy, and faintly sweet with a brightness that nudged at the back of the throat.

When the meat was tender enough to press apart with two fingers, only then did he add the glaze with a ladle. He then placed it on another plate, just before dusting the whole thing with toasted sunberry leaf dust.

Gulping, he hurriedly took a fork, stabbed a piece to get a bite, and he almost moaned at the juiciness.

Although he lacked a variety of ingredients, the taste of the food here was really not bad! Was it because of this thing called 'essence'?

[Braised Brindlejaw with Purplestep Glaze and Sunberry Leaf Dust (D)] [Information: Tender cuts of brindlejaw slow-cooked with veilroot, purplestep seeds, and citrusy ivara gel, finished with sweet-hot sunberry glaze. Increased HP and stamina recovery by 15% for 15 minutes.]

[Created D-Class Essence Food]

[Received! One Time Bonus +1 Agility and +1 Strength.]

…Oh?

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