Kidney Pie And Stewed Kale And Sausages

“Kidney pie.”

When I answered, the black-haired man grimaced in recognition.

Offal dishes made from animal organs were primarily eaten by commoners, while the upper classes generally avoided them.

“Do you dislike it?”

“It’s the smell…”

“Then I’ll make you pasta with bacon and cavolo nero.”

Cavolo nero was a variety of leaf cabbage that came into season around this time and remained available throughout winter. It was a precious source of vegetables during the colder months.

It was delicious when stewed, but its tender young leaves were also excellent when sautéed.

“Sorry to trouble you, but I’ll have that instead.”

“Certainly.”

“I’d prefer the kidney pie. Sorry to make extra work for you, but it’s one of my favorites.”

That came from the other man, the brown-haired knight.

“Of course. It’s one of our specialties. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll also be serving stewed kale and sausages. Will that be all right for both of you?”

Kale was another winter vegetable. Not only was it packed with nutrients, but the large sausages also made the dish particularly filling.

Neither man had any objections, so I began preparing dinner.

First, I served them an appetizer.

It was a traditional assortment of cheese, ham, pork liver pâté, nut paste, sauerkraut, and olives preserved in oil, accompanied by bread.

Since neither man wanted alcohol, I served apple juice in place of an aperitif.

The black-haired man briefly frowned at the sight of the thinly sliced rye bread.

Rye bread, also known as black bread, had a distinctive sour smell. Members of the upper classes tended to dislike it.

But listen here, black-haired man. Just shut up and eat it. Give it a try.

Our rye bread was something special.

“Oh, this looks delicious!”

The brown-haired man enthusiastically began helping himself to the appetizers, and the black-haired man, seemingly encouraged by his companion, also reached for the rye bread.

After taking a bite, the black-haired man’s eyes widened.

“This is delicious!”

He deliberately raised his voice to address me in the kitchen.

“I steam it first, then toast it lightly. That makes the sourness less noticeable.”

To tell the truth, I had once occupied a position at the very bottom of the nobility, and I wasn’t particularly fond of black bread myself.

After considerable trial and error, I had developed this method of making rye bread, which was cheaper than wheat bread, more palatable.

“I’ve never liked black bread, but this is excellent.”

The black-haired man stuffed his mouth with a piece of bread topped with cheese and ham.

Suppressing the grin that threatened to spread across my face, I replied with a perfectly composed expression.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Kidney pie, as its name suggested, was made by stewing pork or beef kidneys with vegetables such as onions and diced beef, then enclosing the mixture in pastry and baking it in the oven.

As for the pasta, I sautéed garlic, thickly sliced bacon, and freshly harvested cavolo nero from my garden, then served them over the pasta.

“Here you are. Please enjoy them while they’re hot.”

I served the brown-haired man his pie with a side of mashed potatoes and placed the pasta before the black-haired man.

“Ah, delicious! There’s absolutely none of that unpleasant smell!”

The brown-haired man seemed delighted with the pie. He quickly polished off a slice from the rectangular pie dish before helping himself to another.

The black-haired man watched him intently before speaking.

“I’d like to try some, too.”

“It’s delicious, Lord Alvin. Absolutely exquisite!”

The brown-haired man praised it enthusiastically, placed a slice of pie on a small plate, and handed it to the black-haired man.

The man called Alvin cautiously sniffed the pie before closing his eyes and taking a bite.

“…It’s delicious.”

“Isn’t it? If this place were closer, I’d definitely become a regular!”

For some reason, the brown-haired man sounded rather proud of himself.

Seeing someone enjoy my cooking so much was tremendously gratifying.

“Innkeeper, this is excellent. I normally can’t stand animal organs, but this is delicious!”

The black-haired man showered me with enthusiastic praise.

“Thank you. I’m glad all the effort I put into preparing the ingredients paid off.”

To eliminate the unpleasant odor, I had thoroughly washed the kidneys before soaking them in salt water overnight.

After that preliminary preparation, I had simmered them with homemade veal stock, vegetables, and herbs. There was no way they could possibly taste bad.

Next, I served the stewed kale and sausages. Both men had second helpings, but they still seemed hungry.

“Would you like something more?”

When I asked, both men nodded.

“Yes, please bring us something else.”

I decided to make salami pizza and grilled lamb.

For the pizza dough, I used flour, yogurt, salt, sugar, and a little olive oil. I rolled the dough thin, spread pizza sauce over it, and topped it with salami, cheese, and rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes.

Then I put it in the oven to bake.

The grilled lamb was one of my standby dishes for occasions when I needed something extra.

I took some bone-in lamb that I had marinated in rosemary, cloves, oregano, garlic, and other herbs, then slowly roasted it over the fireplace.

The firewood crackled softly as it burned.

While the pizza and lamb were cooking, I kept an eye on the fire and sat down at the kitchen table to eat some kidney pie and stewed kale and sausages myself.

Both dishes had turned out well.

When I served the salami pizza and grilled lamb, followed by baked apples and chamomile tea for dessert, even these two men finally seemed satisfied.

“I never imagined I’d find food this delicious all the way out here. But wouldn’t your business be more successful if you opened a place in town?”

The black-haired man spoke while rubbing his stomach, and the brown-haired man nodded in agreement.

Although the rain was partly to blame today, they were my only customers.

Ordinarily, that would hardly be enough to keep an establishment in business.

“Actually, I never intended to run an inn in the first place.”

I shrugged and explained how it had come about.

The main road leading to the national border passed directly in front of my house.

National borders were generally marked by mountains, valleys, rivers, or seas. This region was no exception, and the mountainous terrain began a short distance beyond my property.

The mountains weren’t particularly high, and the road was well maintained because it was a major highway connecting our country to a neighboring nation. Nevertheless, a mountain road was still a mountain road, and both horses and coachmen naturally wanted to take a breather after crossing it.

With the mountains so close, the weather could also change unexpectedly, leaving travelers caught in sudden rainstorms.

My house happened to be situated in just such a location, so there was a seemingly endless stream of people asking whether they could rest for a while or take shelter from the rain.

I wasn’t heartless, so I gladly provided water for their horses and invited the travelers inside to rest.

Ever since moving into this house, I had devoted myself wholeheartedly to cooking as a hobby.

I particularly enjoyed preparing elaborate stews that required hours of cooking.

Naturally, most visitors would remark, “Something certainly smells delicious!”

Out of simple courtesy, I would ask,

“It’s just some home cooking, but would you like to try some?”

To my surprise, most people responded with, “Are you sure?” and eagerly accepted my offer.

At first, I served meals and provided lodging free of charge, but I eventually reconsidered, realizing that this was unfair to the legitimate inns operating in town.

Nowadays, I charged the standard rates for both meals and accommodation.

Naturally, I didn’t charge anyone who merely wanted to take shelter under my eaves.

There was also a space at one end of the stable where I had piled up some straw to serve as makeshift bedding. It was hardly luxurious, but it was surely better than sleeping outdoors.

“…I see.”

After hearing my explanation, both the black-haired and brown-haired men appeared impressed.

“This is really just a hobby, so I wouldn’t be able to manage if too many customers came. I’m perfectly happy with things as they are.”

“Indeed. Having an establishment like this here is a blessing.”

The black-haired man nodded.

I suggested that the two men take a bath and offered to wash their clothes while they were bathing.

“I have a drying room, so everything should be dry by morning.”

“Ah, that would be wonderful.”

Apparently, their wariness had eased, because they readily handed over their dirty clothes.

When I went to the laundry room to start washing them, I found a different brownie from the one I had encountered earlier waiting for me.

It was a small brownie with blue skin, blue hair, and blue eyes. Both its mannerisms and its voice resembled those of a child.

“If I do the laundry, will you give me a scone?”

“Of course. I’ll even give you some cream, so make sure you wash everything properly.”

Leaving the laundry to the brownie, I began preparing the bread dough for the following day.

The black-haired man apparently disliked rye bread. If I hadn’t known, I wouldn’t have given it any thought, but now that I did, I decided to prepare both rye bread and white bread for tomorrow.

First, the white bread.

I combined wheat flour, sugar, salt, a little yeast starter made from apples, butter, and water, then kneaded everything together to make the dough.

For the rye bread, instead of yeast, I used a prefermented starter that I had prepared in advance by mixing rye flour with water and allowing it to ferment.

I mixed the starter with rye flour, honey, and salt, then added plenty of cranberries and raisins to soften the sour flavor.

After allowing both doughs to ferment for a short while, I placed them in a cool, dark location to rest overnight.

I decided it was time for me to take a bath and get some rest as well.