NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30
Tarako And Potato Taramo Balls
“…Yuuri, what’s this?”
Camille asked with a puzzled look. He pointed to a mysterious pink object lined up on the cutting board. It looked like a sausage at first glance, but it was something entirely different. It wasn’t meat, but seafood.
“Oh? Camille, haven’t you seen this before? It’s called tarako. It’s the eggs of a fish called cod, salted and preserved.”
“…Fish eggs? Are they edible?”
“Yeah, they’re edible. Things like ikura and kazunoko are pretty tasty.”
“…Yuuri, your hometown’s kind of strange.”
“Huh? But they sell this stuff normally, so some regions must eat it.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Camille poked the mysterious object on the cutting board with his finger. His hands were clean. It felt squishy, with a unique elasticity. Even though it was called food, Camille couldn’t figure out how to eat it. He thought that if he ever saw it in a market, he would never buy it.
But if Yuuri said it was edible, it was. More accurately, he trusted Yuuri to turn it into something edible. That’s how it had always been.
Yuuri boiled and mashed potatoes. Camille was quite used to this task, as it was a common preparation. Croquettes and potato salad were very popular. Yuuri’s mashed potatoes, seasoned with butter, milk, and salt, and thoroughly strained through a sieve, were also a hit. It was a subtly labor-intensive dish.
This time, Yuuri cut the tarako in half and scraped out the insides with chopsticks, placing them onto the mashed potatoes. The tarako, neatly separated from its skin, was added bit by bit. Pink spread over the potatoes.
Wondering what this could be, Camille didn’t interfere. He trusted that Yuuri would make something delicious. The apprentices were all trained to expect delicious food from him.
“See, you mix the tarako and potatoes like this.”
“How do you season it?”
“Basically, just like this. Tarako is salted, so it has plenty of flavor. If it’s not enough, you can add salt and pepper.”
Yuuri mixed the tarako and potatoes evenly. The method was similar to making croquettes. The potatoes turned a faint pink, speckled with tarako. Camille still found it odd.
Once well-mixed, Yuuri tasted it. The combination of seasoned tarako and mashed potatoes was exquisite. It was tasty as is. If you added mayonnaise, kids would love it. Tarako mayonnaise is popular with kids, but they didn’t add it this time.
“Camille, taste it. I think it’s good like this. What do you think?”
“Mmm, oh, it’s tasty. The texture is interesting.”
“Does it need more seasoning?”
“I’m fine with it… So, is this the finished dish?”
“No, not yet.”
Camille, who couldn’t imagine the taste, admitted it was delicious after one bite. The texture and saltiness of the tarako blended well with the potatoes, creating a unique texture different from mashed potatoes or croquettes. The saltiness was just right for him.
Yuuri took out the tray used for making croquettes and showed Camille how to form the potato mixture into balls, each about the size of a takoyaki.
“Are we making all of them into balls?”
“Yep. Let’s do our best.”
“Got it.”
Camille obediently helped form the balls, knowing that when Yuuri took extra steps, the resulting dish was always delicious. Even simple dishes made with care were tasty, but more involved dishes were almost always a hit. Motivated by the promise of good food, Camille worked diligently.
Once all the balls were formed, Yuuri coated them in flour and fried them in hot oil. Boil, mash, mix, shape, and fry. It seemed easy enough if you knew the steps.
“Yuuri, what’s this dish called?”
“Hmm, we called them Taramo Balls at home.”
“Huh.”
Yuuri answered Camille’s question plainly. Because they were balls made from tarako and potatoes, they were called Taramo Balls. The name came from a dish called taramo spring rolls that Yuuri had once made. The Kugimiya family preferred the smaller ball-shaped version over the regular-sized spring rolls, so they became a staple.
The fried Taramo Balls were placed on a tray lined with a wire rack to drain the oil. Yuuri only fried a few at first for tasting. They both enjoyed the hot, freshly fried balls.
The sweetness of the potato, the saltiness of the tarako, and the flavor enhanced by frying blended perfectly. They were delicious, making it hard to stop eating. Camille quickly ate two and stared at the remaining unfried balls.
“If you eat more, it’s called sneaking bites.”
“Ugh.”
“No more, okay?”
“…Okay. By the way, why are you still frying them, Yuuri?”
Normally, Yuuri would fry them just before dinner, but he continued frying even after their tasting. Camille thought it was because they had a lot of mouths to feed tonight.
Smiling at Camille, Yuuri continued frying the Taramo Balls.
“Oh, I’m going to share these with the shopkeeper.”
“Huh?!”
“I got a great deal on the tarako. By the way, I need you to start the soup prep.”
“What?! What?!”
Ignoring Camille’s confusion, Yuuri packed the fried Taramo Balls into a basket and put it into his school bag, which had a magic function to keep the food fresh. Yuuri left the kitchen with a smile, leaving Camille behind, lamenting their share being reduced.
“Hey, mister.”
“Oh? Kid, you’re back?”
“Yep, I’m back.”
Yuuri called out to a man selling seafood at the market. He wasn’t a regular vendor but a traveling merchant from a port town. More accurately, he was a fisherman handling sales. Yuuri had bought the tarako from him.
In the inland capital, the culture of eating fish roe was uncommon. The man hoped to sell his high-quality goods, but fish roe wasn’t popular here, and he was struggling. That’s when Yuuri came by.
Seeing the high-quality fillets and dried fish, Yuuri was thrilled to find tarako and bought it. The man, glad to find someone appreciating his fish roe, gave him a generous discount. Now, while fillets and dried fish were selling well, tarako wasn’t.
“Here, please try this.”
“What’s this?”
“It’s a dish called Taramo Balls made with your tarako and potatoes. I wanted to share it with you.”
“Hey, you didn’t have to do that.”
“You gave me a great deal. This is a thank you.”
Yuuri smiled. He wanted to cheer up the man who seemed down about the unsold tarako. Tarako pasta was also tasty, but it might be hard to eat, so he chose not to make it.
The man took a Taramo Ball, still hot from frying. He was surprised by the unexpected use of tarako.
“Does it taste good?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious. I didn’t know tarako could be used like this.”
“Yes. And please, everyone, try some. These are made with your tarako.”
Smiling, Yuuri shared the Taramo Balls with the neighboring shopkeepers, who were curious. They were amazed and asked Yuuri how to make them. Yuuri gladly explained the simple recipe.
As a result…
The ingredients were simple and common: potatoes, tarako, flour, and oil. The process was easy to remember. The shopkeepers, eager to try it at home, flocked to buy tarako. Some even wanted to take Taramo Balls home, unable to explain or convince their spouses otherwise. Yuuri gladly obliged, quickly selling out his batch of Taramo Balls.
The man’s tarako also sold out.
Later, rumors spread that giving Yuuri extra ingredients might lead to delicious treats, though this happened only occasionally.