NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90.1
Supreme Pudding Made From A Cockatrice Egg
“Well, Yuuri-kun, where did you get this?”
“I received it as a gift.”
“A gift… but, isn’t this a cockatrice egg?”
“Yes, it is.”
Lucia, wide-eyed in shock, was met with Yuuri’s cheerful smile. This was Lucia’s family home, Food Paradise. Lucia mainly prepared desserts for course meals, cakes for tea sets, and sweets for the twice-a-month dessert buffets. However, she didn’t manage everything alone, and the restaurant had both regular closing days and staff vacations. Today was one such day off for Lucia.
Though it was her day off, Lucia was experimenting with new sweets. That was when Yuuri came over, carrying a cockatrice egg that his clan had brought back from a mission.
A cockatrice is a bird-type monster. In this world, it looks like a massive chicken with a snake attached to its tail. The snake is alive and can petrify whatever it bites. The bird is also capable of flying, quick, sharp-beaked, and has strong legs, making it a dangerous creature. Its egg is known for being delicious but extremely hard to obtain.
In other words, it’s not the kind of thing one casually brings back saying, “I got it as a gift.” The clan members gave it to Yuuri nonchalantly, so he treated it like any other souvenir. When analyzed with the [God’s Eye], it said: “Extremely delicious and highly nutritious. Suitable for all dishes, but ideal for custards and steamed egg dishes for a smooth texture.” So, Yuuri came over to make pudding with Lucia—unwavering as always.
The cockatrice egg was enormous, fitting for such a creature, almost the size of Yuuri’s head. It was large enough to make several servings of omelets. Naturally, the shell was hard, requiring tools to crack it open.
But that wasn’t the real issue.
“Yuuri-kun, what exactly do you plan to do with this egg?”
“Huh? I want to make pudding for everyone, so could you help me?”
“…Pudding?”
“Yes! It seems like it’ll be delicious as pudding!”
“Pudding, from a cockatrice egg?!”
“…Yes?”
Lucia was stunned, while Yuuri tilted his head in confusion, as if asking, “Why not?” He just wanted to make pudding since the [God’s Eye] recommended it. All he needed was Lucia’s tools and help—nothing more.
But cockatrice eggs are a rare delicacy. Among the bird-type monsters that lay edible eggs, cockatrice eggs are considered exceptionally high-grade. The difficulty in obtaining them, combined with their scarcity, makes them a luxury reserved for the wealthy.
Yet, here was Yuuri, casually asking, “Help me make pudding for everyone,” leaving Lucia dumbfounded. Apologies, Lucia—please don’t expect common sense from Yuuri. His priorities revolve solely around enjoying, creating, and sharing delicious food.
“Yuuri-kun, this egg is a luxury ingredient, you know?”
“Is it? But it’ll be really good as pudding, so please help me.”
“Yuuri-kun…”
Lucia slumped her shoulders in defeat as Yuuri stared at her in puzzlement. Despite being told it was a luxury item, his carefree nature remained intact. With a sigh, Lucia led Yuuri to the kitchen. Even though she was still baffled at the idea of making pudding from a cockatrice egg, she knew Yuuri wouldn’t give up. And she was right.
Once Lucia resigned herself to the task, her professionalism as a pastry chef kicked in. With her skills and pastry-making expertise, she began preparations. Yuuri, too, donned his favorite apron, washed his hands, and got ready.
Normally, individual pudding molds would be used, but with an egg this size, they’d need far too many. So instead, they prepared several large molds, more akin to cake molds. Yuuri was fascinated by these giant pudding molds, which he had never seen before.
“Wow, I didn’t know pudding molds came this big.”
“These are for when making individual servings would be too much trouble.”
Yuuri nodded in understanding, looking like a younger brother listening to his older sister. It was a heartwarming sight. Despite their charming dynamic, the speed at which they worked revealed their skilled culinary expertise.
As Lucia cracked the egg using tools, Yuuri began making caramel sauce. Caramel sauce is made by boiling sugar, and just boiling it isn’t enough—you need to add water or hot water to adjust the consistency. With a small saucepan in hand, Yuuri hummed a tune while stirring the mixture, ensuring the sauce reached the perfect texture.
He carefully poured the hot caramel into the molds, making sure not to spill any. Both Lucia and Yuuri believed that pudding without caramel wasn’t real pudding. Of course, different kinds of puddings exist, but their preference was clear.
The cracked egg’s contents were poured into a bowl. The yolk was large and richly colored, indicating its superior quality. Even a gentle poke with a whisk bounced back due to its elasticity.
Sugar was added, and the mixture was stirred thoroughly. A dash of vanilla essence was included for fragrance. Once the mixture was smooth, they slowly added warm milk, kept at about 60 degrees Celsius, stirring gently to avoid bubbles.
“You don’t want the milk to be too hot, or it’ll cook the eggs prematurely,” Lucia warned. “Then it wouldn’t be custard anymore.”
“Does it feel like the egg is overpowering everything else, or is it just me?”
“The proportions are correct, so it’s fine.”
“Got it.”
Even though they had added milk, the mixture remained a vivid yellow, highlighting the richness of the egg. It seemed the cockatrice egg was exceptionally potent. Still, the proportions were correct for making pudding, so it should turn out fine.
With Lucia’s expertise, there was little reason to worry—though even for her, this was the first time making pudding with a cockatrice egg. Many things would rely on intuition.