The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Somehow, the demon Ishtart, whether that name can be used for the current demon girl is uncertain, but we persuaded her and returned to the room where Liche was being treated.

Upon returning to the room, Liche still hadn’t opened her eyes, but from her breathing, it was clear that her condition had noticeably improved.

Given the situation, it seemed she would open her eyes within a few hours without any additional measures.

That might be the only good news in these ruins hiding the secrets of this horrific human experiment.

The three people, including Mari, seemed to have recovered from the shock and warmly welcomed us back with the demon girl.

The girl, whether she is Ishtart or a remnant of Ishtart, initially didn’t want to leave my side, but after being gently coaxed by Mari and the others, she soon started following them.

The three, knowing what the demon girl had been through from the journal, were very kind and considerate to her, which must have been an irresistible warmth for the lonely demon girl.

However, she remained wary of Daria, who had made a bad first impression. In this case, it’s Daria’s own fault.

Anyway, it’s a relief.

I was worried about what to do if she clung to me even after returning to the group, but things turned out smoothly.

Leaving the demon girl with Mari and the others, I started preparing lunch by gathering cooking tools from my luggage.

Clatter.

While the group took care of the demon girl, I set up the cooking tools in another room and began pondering today’s menu while slowly examining the ingredients.

Today’s lunch.

I wanted to prepare a feast for the girl, but considering the limited ingredients during travel, the variety of dishes I could make was restricted.

At least, seasonings like sugar were easy to preserve and still plentiful, so I might be able to make a dessert, but the main dish options were limited.

Especially, the meat supply was problematic.

It had been a while since we passed the last village, so all the fresh meat was gone.

There was still some meat, but it was preserved meat and eggs from a three-legged fowl bought for long journeys.

Jerky could be used as a soup ingredient, but today, soup alone felt insufficient.

I was confident in making delicious soup, but today, I wanted to make a dish that children would enjoy.

I could slaughter the three-legged fowl, but since it was bought for eggs, the meat quality wouldn’t be great, and I wanted a steady egg supply until reaching the empire, so I hesitated to slaughter it.

With over ten people, slaughtering a few three-legged fowls wouldn’t be enough.

So, I decided to give up on making meat the main dish.

Even without meat, I could make a dish that children would like.

If I gave up on the ingredient’s strength, the cooking method naturally came to mind.

I’ve heard this saying:

“Even fried shoes taste good.”

This phrase indicates that frying itself has a high baseline for taste.

But I dare say there’s another cooking method like this.

If fried shoes taste good, then stir-frying, which also uses oil, should be the same.

Decided.

The main menu for today’s lunch is fried rice, loved by all ages.

Specifically, Jambalaya.

Saying fried rice might make it seem all the same, but that’s a hasty judgment.

In fact, rice-eating cultures were widespread in my previous life, so even stir-fried rice varies greatly in taste and texture depending on the region.

And Jambalaya is an American-style fried rice, specifically from Louisiana.

Italy’s Risotto.

Spain’s Paella.

Indonesia’s Nasi Goreng.

From Central Asia to Southeastern Europe, Pilaf.

Being American, Jambalaya is relatively new among the world’s fried rice dishes, and like many American dishes, it has origins in other countries.

It was brought by Spanish immigrants to America, influenced by French settlers in Louisiana, mixed with Asian Pilaf cooking methods, and shaped by the communal cooking culture of enslaved Africans.

This is why I chose Jambalaya among many fried rice dishes.

Having evolved through many cultures means it satisfies many palates, meaning it’s generally less divisive.

Considering this, Pilaf or Chinese fried rice were also candidates, but being newer means it’s closer to the latest style.

Once the dish was decided, it was time to start cooking.

Fried rice can be broadly divided into two types.

One where cooked rice is stir-fried again with other ingredients.

And another where raw rice is stir-fried from the start.

Jambalaya belongs to the latter.

The first type is used in countries where short-grain rice is staple, like Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan.

In that sense, most fried rice dishes, including Jambalaya, should strictly be called stir-fried rice, not fried rice. It’s just conventionally called fried rice.

First, wash the raw rice in clean water.

For Jambalaya and similar dishes, long-grain rice is preferred over short-grain.

It’s the original and has less stickiness, making it suitable for frying, though less so for plain rice.

After washing the rice, set it aside and prepare the oil.

Note that Jambalaya is an American dish.

And American cuisine doesn’t use just any oil.

Preserved sausages and bacon.

Throw them into the pot and fry.

Extract the needed oil from these meats!

That’s American cuisine.

No vegetable oils.

Next, chicken stock is needed for umami and flavor.

I glanced at the three-legged fowls pecking at weeds in the ruins.

Those that met my eyes seemed to sense something and startled, stopping their meal and slowly backing away.

Scared.

But there’s no need to slaughter the three-legged fowls.

Starting to slaughter them for chicken stock would leave us short by dinner.

I took out a solidified chicken stock cube from the seasoning jar and dropped it among the sausages and bacon.

The chicken stock, hard like sugar cubes, melted in the oil from the sausages and bacon, releasing a bomb of aromatic flavor.

Next, another umami bomb, tomatoes.

Generously add the tomato sauce that Karina has been sparingly using.

The oil from the sausages and bacon turns red with the plopping sound.

Adding tomatoes definitely brings out the familiar Jambalaya color.

Add prepared vegetables like garlic, onions, and bell peppers.

At this point, by American standards, this dish can be considered healthy.

And finally, before adding the rice, one last thing.

The most important piece that makes Jambalaya, Jambalaya.

A seasoning blend of cayenne pepper, paprika powder, black pepper, cumin, etc.

The seasoning powders are complex and unfamiliar, making it seem difficult to obtain, but I immediately took out the pre-mixed seasoning from the seasoning jar.

Because the name of this mixed powder is very popular and familiar.

A magical powder that’s spicy but doesn’t linger, with a clean aftertaste.

Its name is Cajun seasoning.

After all this time as an adventurer, did you think I wouldn’t have Cajun seasoning prepared?

As the Cajun seasoning hit the pot with all the vegetables, sausages, and bacon frying, the spicy and stimulating aroma unique to Cajun seasoning filled the space.

Immediately add the washed rice.

Season with salt, add water for moisture control, and it’s almost done.

Stir appropriately with a spatula to prevent ingredients from sticking to the pot bottom, and wait for time to pass…

Though it became more of a steaming dish than stir-fry halfway through, it’s still considered one of the world’s four great fried rice dishes among gourmets.

The completion of Jambalaya.

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