The kitchen used suspended pots, but Maria found a flat-bottomed iron pot, which she placed on the stove and used as a frying pan.
She started with the egg and bacon sandwiches. The bacon was ready-made, simply cut from the kitchen's cured back meat. Without toast available, she had someone fetch a large loaf from the bakery, slice it, and pan-fried it until golden. Then she assembled the sandwiches with fried eggs, bacon, and raw cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, there were no tomatoes, so adding ketchup was out of the question.
After cleaning the pan, she began frying the chicken breast. Soon, the aroma of garlic and honey filled the air, accompanied by the sizzling sound of oil, catching everyone's attention.
Julia helped Maria by handing her ingredients while secretly swallowing her saliva as she eyed the chicken breast frying in the pan. The sweet scent of honey was simply irresistible.
Bob was sent to the side to roast the wild boar. The boar meat, which had only been marinating since last night, wasn't very salty yet. After cleaning, it thoroughly, he cut it into small pieces, marinated it with spices and wine to remove the gamey taste, then skewered the pieces and roasted them over the fire. As he roasted, he brushed the meat with cumin and pepper, and before long, the aroma of sizzling fat wafted through the air, making everyone's mouth water.
The creamy mushroom soup and fruit soup were simmering in two suspended pots. The mushrooms bubbled in the creamy white soup, while the fruit soup was only flavored with fruit and some honey, with all other seasonings strictly prohibited. Lucia carefully stirred the soup with a long spoon, occasionally glancing over at Maria.
The vegetable salad was prepared by the helpers, but strong-flavored vegetables like carrots and onions were not allowed, and Maria made the salad dressing herself.
Meanwhile, she also had the helpers roll out the rested dough into sheets. The sheets were folded and then cut into strips with a knife, which unfolded into noodles.
The yellow noodles weren't exactly like real Italian pasta, but just as Chinese people can make stir-fried noodles that resemble pasta, she could do the same here.
To be honest, Maria preferred pasta dishes with tomato sauce, but since there were no tomatoes, she had to choose another method.
She added some salt to the water to boil the noodles. Once they were cooked, she drained them, added a bit of olive oil, and let them cool to prevent sticking. In the meantime, she heated a flat-bottomed pan, sautéed crushed garlic with sliced bacon and onions, then added some cream to heat through. Finally, she tossed the cooled noodles in the sauce and sprinkled some freshly ground black pepper on top, finishing the creamy bacon pasta.
She prepared the meal according to a set schedule. Although the preparation took longer, the cooking time was relatively short. The kitchen, built to accommodate banquet-sized operations, had several stoves going simultaneously. With everyone's help, all six dishes were ready around the same time.
Butler Pedro was quite uneasy about Maria being in the kitchen. He snuck in several times to check on her, and each time, the increasingly appetizing smells made it harder for him to leave. Finally, seeing that it was almost time, he hurried off to inform Simon, who was already at work, that the meal was ready.
Today, Simon was also a bit distracted while working. When he woke up in the early morning, he felt a cool sensation below, and the desire that had been aroused by the scenes in his dreams had not yet subsided. His erection had created a noticeable bulge under the blanket, forcing him to get up early and train with the knights to dissipate his lingering lust.
He couldn't scare Maria away just yet. He needed her to get used to life at Andalus Castle, to grow accustomed to accepting his help, so she wouldn't want to leave.
Furthermore, he was very curious about what kind of food Maria would prepare and wanted to go check it out, but several urgent documents required his attention today. He had to rely on Pedro to check on things for him, and the reports Pedro brought back only fueled his curiosity further.
When he heard that the meal was finally ready, Simon almost rushed out of his study.
When he came down, his sister Eleanor was already there, and Maria, after tidying herself up, had also arrived in the dining room. The two young women, who appeared to be about the same age, were chatting together. The table was still empty, but the cutlery had been set out.
Among the utensils was a wooden fork, a four-pronged fork that Maria had the servants rush to a carpenter to make. Ideally, according to the Western dining etiquette Maria knew, they should have prepared several sets, but with time running short, they only managed to prepare one fork for each of the three other diners.
After all, Western dining etiquette at this time wasn't fully developed, and most people still ate with their hands.
This meal's participants were limited to the Duke and his sister, Father Matthew, and Maria. The knights who had attended the banquet the previous night were not dining with them, which saved Maria quite a bit of effort.
Once everyone had arrived, the steaming dishes were brought to the table.
Not only had they never seen such food before, but the presentation was also exquisite. As soon as the dishes were set down, all three, including the priest, couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Simon's eyes lit up as he praised Maria, "This is truly a delightful surprise. Even before tasting, I can already tell how delicious these dishes will be."
"Thank you for your kind words," Maria nodded and smiled, graciously accepting his compliment.
In truth, she was startled when she saw the final products herself, hardly believing that she had made them. This meal, in terms of color, aroma, and taste, was on par with what a five-star chef from the future might create. The system's special ability was truly extraordinary.
The delicious food stimulated everyone's appetite. Almost as soon as Simon picked up his knife and fork, the others followed suit. Father Matthew showed some restraint, but the Duke and his sister ate with their heads down, barely pausing. Maria had portioned the food perfectly—just enough for them to be satisfied without any waste.
In addition to the food on the table, she also left some in the kitchen for Bob to share with everyone, as a reward for their help today. There wasn't much, so everyone could taste it, but the servants were grateful. This was the most delicious food they had ever eaten.
The two personal maids were treated better. In addition to eating with the people in the kitchen, they also got a sandwich each, which was put in their pockets at this time. After the master finished eating, they could eat their portion.
So at this time, the two maids couldn't hide the joy on their faces, and they were more attentive when serving Maria.
Maria also ate happily, but probably because she stayed in the kitchen for a long time, her appetite was not big, and she didn't eat as much as Eleanor next to her.
However, the guests naturally couldn't leave the table before the master stopped, so in the end she only scooped a bowl of fruit soup and drank it slowly.
By the time everyone had finished eating, the plates on the table had been cleared, and even the remaining soup in the plates was eaten up by Simon with a big appetite using bread. Seeing that he was still not satisfied, Maria felt that she had probably underestimated his appetite.
"If you need it, there are still some sandwiches in the kitchen."