Smoke rose to the ceiling, seemingly trying to find its way out. Then it saw its hope, moving towards the chimney where it was swallowed whole. The sound of sizzling echoed, and the trio—Gail, Filly, and the chef Temor—watched the pan with refined coconut oil and the chicken leg on top.
Temor sniffed and his eyes widened. This… there's no burnt smell? He sniffed again and gulped unknowingly. He observed the meat closely and noticed juices seeping out from the part where it was currently cooking. The pale chicken leg also became a bit red. Compared to when he normally cooks, there's no liquid of this sort and the meat doesn't become rosy one.
Temor had already tried this method of cooking his dishes, but he hadn't achieved this kind of effect. He glanced at Filly and noticed she was already drooling. Even he was having a hard time resisting such food. However, he had to hold on.
He waited for a few more seconds, and when one side of the leg became fully red, he decided to turn it over so the top part would also be cooked.
The trio couldn't help but observe the side of the leg where it was in contact with the oil and the pan. The cooked leg was golden brown in color after some of the heat dissipated. Filly sniffed, and the smell caused her to close her eyes and savor it.
"W-why is there liquid coming out? What is that?" Gail asked, looking at the sizzling liquid seeping out from the chicken leg. "I haven't seen anything like that."
Temor took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm not sure. But if I'm going to guess… that's probably the essence of the meat."
"The essence?" Filly asked, while Gail tilted her head to the side.
"Well, that's the most logical reason I can think of why that is happening right now. It could probably be because of the oil too, but we will still have to taste it to see if the meat was really enhanced," Temor explained while glancing at them.
"Oh?" Filly raised an eyebrow. "But the smell is really different from when we cook it without oil."
"Yeah, it is more tantalizing, and also the meat became golden brown in color. Just looking at it makes me want to devour it as soon as possible," Temor said with a bitter smile.
Filly and Gail remained silent, though they felt the same way.
As the chicken part was almost cooked, Filly, a somewhat perfectionist, noticed that some parts were lighter than others. "Temor, can you cook the areas where it's lighter? I just want it to be even in color."
"That's easy, Miss," Temor said with a smile. He raised his hand and, with a snap, the fire under the grill grate moved erratically before behaving like tentacles. Legs made of fire emerged and touched the lighter areas of the chicken leg.
As the tantalizing smell intensified, Filly's mouth started watering. "Is it cooked yet?"
Temor didn't answer immediately. He continued to observe the chicken for a moment before waving his hand, causing the fire to diminish instantly, as if it had never been there. However, the heat from the charcoal indicated the fire's previous existence.
"It's done," Temor said as the sizzling sound from the oil decreased. He retrieved a spatula and plate, then placed the chicken leg on the plate. Smoke rose from the chicken, followed by its mouthwatering aroma. "We should taste it to see the difference when cooking with oil."
"I will taste it first," Filly said firmly. However, Gail, who was beside her, shook her head.
"No, let me, Miss. We still don't know if the reaction from the oil makes the chicken toxic. My body is resistant to common to intermediate poisons and toxins. I should be able to handle it if anything goes wrong," Gail said with determination in her voice.
Hearing this, Filly looked at her before glancing at the golden-brown chicken leg. In the end, she sighed and stepped aside. "That makes sense. Go for it."
"Thank you, Miss!" Gail bowed, but the moment her head lowered, her saliva dripped to the ground. Fortunately, no one noticed it, and she also stepped on it, making sure to get rid of the evidence.
Temor handed her a knife and fork. "Taste it first and savor it as much as you can. If you feel anything unusual, tell us immediately."
"Okay," Gail nodded and took the utensils. Looking at the chicken meat, which she never thought could have such an appearance, her mouth started watering and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She brought down the knife and started cutting a piece of the chicken leg. As soon as the meat was severed, juices flowed out, making the scene even more tantalizing and luscious than before.
Gail gulped as the meat was right in front of her eyes. She opened her mouth and took a bite. As she started chewing, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"W-what? Tell us what you feel!" Filly said anxiously.
"It's—" Gail couldn't finish her words as she began to chew again. Only after she swallowed did she continue. "It's very delicious!"
She was about to take another piece of the chicken when Filly held her hand. "Wait a minute."
Seeing the serious expression on her boss's face, Gail was 'awoken' from her state. Her face turned red with shame. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay," Filly shook her head. "Tell me specifically what it tastes like and if it's toxic."
"Okay," Gail nodded. "First of all, it's not toxic. As for the taste—"
"It's better than what we're serving!" Temor interrupted the woman with glasses. There was already a fork in his hand with a piece of chicken on it and a visible bite taken out of the meat. "The skin's crispiness is just right, so right that each bite makes the skin crackle. Compared to when I normally cook it, the meat inside became tender and juicy. Yeah, that's the word for it.
With each bite, the flavor bursts in your mouth."
After saying those words, Temor wiped the meat juices from the side of his mouth.
"That's… amazing," Filly said, her eyes glancing at the chicken leg with expectation. She grabbed a fork and took a piece of the meat. In one bite, she devoured her share. Her eyes widened, and after she swallowed, she licked her lips clean. "You're right! There's even a hint of coconut.
Although it isn't as flavorful as the best monster meat we have, in terms of taste and texture, it's definitely on the way there."
Soon, the only thing left of the chicken leg was its bone.
The trio looked at the plate with longing in their eyes.
"To think that we only used one ingredient and this normal chicken became this," Temor muttered. "Why don't we use the Scavenger?"
Filly smiled when she heard this. "Sure."
The Scavenger is a bird-type monster with a beak that could pierce a boulder and legs that could outrun a 2nd-Step Foundation Building Cultivator. They are one of the most common monsters used for cooking. They greatly resemble a chicken, and like them, Scavengers can't fly.