Completed Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Job thread #2

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Home of the Konti people, this ivory city is built of native konti stone half in and half out of the sea. Its borders touch the Silverwood, and stretch upwards towards Silver Lake, home of the infamous konti vision water. [Lore]

Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Okara on August 19th, 2016, 3:01 pm


Summer 81, 516

Late afternoon sun streamed in through the Opal Temple kitchen windows and brightly lit the room of white stone. Workers moved around the space cleaning, chopping, and carrying ingredients. Okara stood in front of her counter work space, pausing a moment to consider what she needed to have ready for dinner time. She had been assigned grilled squid and seaweed salad for the evening meal. She reached up to wipe away sweat with the back of her hand, the hot afternoon sun and blazing kitchen fires created a sweltering environment in the kitchens. Summer was always a difficult time to spend extended periods in the kitchen. While winters were not extreme for Konti Isle, Okara was more than happy to spend all day in the kitchens when it turned cooler.

Okara sighed, resolving that she had best get to work. She moved around the kitchen, collecting a few bowls and knives before returning to her work station. She spent a few moments setting up her utensils to where she thought they would be most helpful. She had to prepare squid to be grilled for dinner and preparation took a few steps that she did not

Looking down at the dripping fishnet beside her feet, Okara sighed and reached her hand in. She withdrew a small squid and placed it down on her work space. The heat made her drowsy and slowed down her typically quick work pace. She noticed the other chefs and dishwashers move more slowly as well in the hot kitchens. She needed to start her prep work a little earlier then usual to accommodate her energy level.

Okara surveyed the squid body in front of her, wondering if this was one of the squid she had helped a fellow Konti fish the previous night. A long slender mantle with a small head and eyes beneath followed by eight limp tentacles. She place one hand on the mantle to hold it still, then grasped the squid’s head just above the eyes. With a firm hand she steadily pulled the head away from the mantle and the internal organs slid smoothly out, still attached to the head. Letting go of the squid mantle, Okara picked up a slender knife and after rooting around in the internal organs carefully carved out the squid’s ink sac. She placed the sac in one of the bowls she collected. The ink sacs would either be used as an ingredient by another chef or perhaps given to another in the Temple for dyeing purposes. The Opal Temple Kitchen workers did their best to waste as little as possible.

After dealing with the ink sac Okara used the knife to cut the tentacles away from the head and eyes. The head and eyes would be tossed but the tentacle meat was just as delicious as the mantle and could be used. She felt around the tentacles carefully until she came across the sharp beak. Squeezing the tissue at the top of the tentacles where it had once connected to the head made the squid’s beak pop out easily.
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Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Okara on August 19th, 2016, 3:01 pm


Moving on to the mantle again, Okara used the knife in broad strokes to gently wipe away the speckled skin layer on top of the meat. The squid’s skin layer was thin and membrane-like, it didn’t take much pressure to clean the mantle. Okara always considered squid to be much easier to clean then a typical fish that needed to be de-boned and filleted. She reached her hands gently into the small mantle opening and withdrew a long sliver of cartilage that was the squid’s cuttlebone. She placed the cuttlebone, beak, and squid head into a second bowl that she meant to use for refuse.

Holding a now empty mantle tube, Okara cut it open so it lay across the counter in one layer. She cut it into a few strips and then cut those strips again twice. She wanted to leave the squid meat in big chunks so that it would not fall through the grate when she grilled it. The cut up mantle meat and tentacles were placed in a third bowl.

Okara reached her hand into the fishnet on the floor beside her and began to prepare the second squid. One squid by itself was not difficult to deal with but when she had to cook for many people it took a lot of time to prepare a sufficient amount of squid for grilling. She worked steadily to prepare squid body after squid body. The net beside her slowly deflated as she took the squid from it one by one. She had to fight the urge to rush, careful not to cut her hands on the sharp beak or cuttlebone and to not tear the tender meat.

Eventually Okara’s large bowl of cut up squid meat was filled and then some. She was careful not to knock over the huge bowl and send all her hard work onto the ground where it would dirty and become unservable. The squid would have to wait to be grilled until the last possible moment to keep it fresh and hot for the patients and students that would consume it. Before she could start her next task, she needed to clean her work space. The refuse bowl she emptied into a bucket filled with similar fish and vegetable bits. The ink sacs she brought to a shelf where others who might want to harvest the ink from the sacs could find it.

Using a wet cloth Okara wiped down the counter where she had cut up the squid. She didn’t want squid juices to get into the seaweed salad she was going to prepare. The raw meat juices likely would not make anyone sick but the combination of tastes was not the flavor profile she desired. She scrubbed at the counter with the cloth until it gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

Turning towards the center of the room, she noticed another kitchen staff begin to set out trays for evening meal. Time was beginning to tick down to when she needed to have her dishes prepared. Beginning to feel rushed, Okara located a stack of white ceramic bowls and carried them to her work space. Now she needed ingredients.

Okara found a small staircase in the kitchens and walked down it into a flooded storeroom where fish and produce from the ocean were kept cool and fresh. Okara picked out two kinds of freshly harvested seaweed that she thought would blend well together in a salad. She dragged the heavy, water soaked seaweed bundles up the stairs and to her work station, a trail of seawater left in her wake.
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Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Okara on August 19th, 2016, 3:02 pm


Okara pulled out a handful of sea oak, a green seaweed with frond-like leaves. She shook some excess water from the handful and then laid it across her work space. From another bundle she pulled out a handful of dulse, a red seaweed with long slender leaves that attached to a central base. She shook water from the dulse and set it next to the sea oak. Using her hands, she searched through the seaweed, checking over the leaves for any gritty sand or tiny crabs that may have hitched a ride and gone unnoticed by the harvesters. Satisfied that the seaweed was appropriately clean and free of extras she turned her attention to chopping. With a large kitchen knife Okara began to chop the seaweeds into manageable, bite size pieces. Once the first handfuls were chopped she pushed them aside and grabbed more sea oak and dulse to chop.

Working her way through the bundles of seaweed, Okara ended up with a large mound of chopped fresh seaweed. She set her knife aside, away from where she might accidentally cut herself. She dug her hands into the pile of seaweed and began to mix it around, intent on creating an even distribution of the sea oak and dulse. The two seaweeds had similar flavor profiles in their fresh state, mild and tangy with salt ocean flavor. But as a professional chef she not only considered flavor but also appearance and she desired an even distribution of the red and green colors.

Once the seaweeds were mixed to Okara’s satisfaction she took a bowl from the stack at her work space and filled it with a handful of the mixed seaweed. She filled bowl after bowl until her workspace and part of the counter space next to her was filled with small bowls of fresh seaweed, still wet from the ocean. Okara never rinsed her seaweed in fresh water. She found it made the seaweed more sticky and difficult to work with, and she liked the salty flavor of the ocean that came with the seawater soaked algaes.

While Okara could probably live on just raw seaweed, she loved the flavor, she knew those she was serving dinner to would probably enjoy some additional flavor in the salad. She searched the shelves until she found scallions and ginger root. The tuberous scallions were quickly chopped into tiny green and white rings. Okara gathered the tiny rings in her hand and sprinkled them liberally over the seaweed piles in the ceramic bowls.

Once all of the bowls had a healthy topping of green rings on top of the green and red seaweed she moved onto the ginger roots. Using a slender knife Okara scraped away the skin of the root to expose the moist meat inside. Once the skin of the first root was removed she ran it back and forth over a course metal grater above the rows of salad bowls. The pungent smell of ginger and scallions wafted up into Okara’s nose, making her belly growl in hunger. Being a chef was hungry work, she knew if she didn’t mind her portions she could end up being the largest Konti on the island.

A little ground pepper sprinkled over the bowls completed the salad. Okara quickly began to move each of the bowls onto a waiting wooden serving tray. Her feet padded quietly back and forth between counters as she moved the bowls around. As she finished placing bowls on trays another worker in the kitchens announced the time left until the trays would be picked up by orderlies for patients. Okara took in a deep breath, she needed to start grilling the squid or she would run out of time.
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Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Okara on August 19th, 2016, 3:02 pm


Okara scanned the shelves around the kitchen until she found a heavy earthenware jug of sunflower oil. She picked up the heavy jug and walked it over to the counter where her bowl of chopped squid stood waiting. She unsealed the jug and carefully tipped it over the squid, spilling oil over the white, raw meat. She sealed the jug and returned it to its place on the shelf. Once she was standing back at her counter she dug her hands into the bowl of squid and mixed it around, making sure the oil evenly coated the meat. She generally tried to avoid adding excess fats and oils to the meals she prepared but the oil was necessary to ensure the squid would not stick and get stuck to the grilling grate.

Once the squid was evenly coated, Okara wrapped one arm around the large, brimming bowl and carried it to the kitchen hearth where a metal grate was hung over a lit fire. With her free hand, Okara began to pick up handfuls of squid and sprinkle the pieces evenly around the grate. Once the grate was covered in squid she set down her bowl on a nearby counter and picked up long metal tongs that were hanging near the hearth. She watched the squid hawkishly, squid was a delicate meat that was very easy to overcook. Okara recalled many bits of rubbery, overcooked squid when she was still learning the trade and didn’t know any better. As a more experienced chef she knew what to look for and how to estimate the length of time the squid would need to finish.

After two chimes on the grill, Okara used the tongs to lift a piece of squid. Seeing the blackened grate marks on the underside, she began flipping all the squid pieces over to cook on the opposite side. She hurriedly grabbed a large, round plate and counted off another two chimes before picking up the grilled squid with her tongs and placing it on the plate. She moved quickly, trying to pick up as many pieces as she could. She cursed silently to herself when one piece slid over the side of the grate and down into the flames of the hearth fire. Once all of the pieces were on the plate, she picked one up with the tongs and blew on it carefully before biting into it. For a chef, it was important to taste test food before serving it, especially something as finicky as grilled squid. She pleased to find the squid still soft and tender, not rubbery or tough from overcooking.

Okara placed the plate down on a counter near the hearth in an attempt to keep the cooked food warm while she finished grilling the remaining squid. She sprinkled more oil covered raw squid over the grilling grate and counted down the chimes for flipping the squid over and finally placing it on the plate of cooked squid. She worked quickly through the raw meat until the bowl held nothing more but a small puddle of sunflower oil at the bottom and the plate was heaping with cooked squid. Moving the heaping plate to the counter of trays, Okara used the tongs to dish out cooked squid onto plates another kitchen worker had kindly set out on the trays for her. Orderlies from the Temple hospital began to file in and take away trays as Okara finished the last couple of plates. She breathed a sigh of relief, she had cut it very close on time. Grilled squid was a touchy dish that required excellent timing to be served warm and fresh while avoiding over- and under-cooking. She knew if she were a better chef the timing would probably be no problem, but she was still growing in her craft.
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Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Okara on August 19th, 2016, 3:03 pm


Okara turned and watched as a dishwasher began collecting dishes and utensils for cleaning. The other cooks were stretching and slowly moving towards their next tasks. After the evening meals the chefs saw to any preparatory or planning work for the next day. Okara walked slowly to the join the group of chefs who gathered around one of the counters. One of the Konti passed Okara a piece of paper and a quill for writing. The chefs took turns writing down the menu for the next day and it was Okara’s turn that evening.

“Alright, so we need to determine the menu for tomorrow. Any ideas?” the paper passer asked the group of waiting chefs.

“Why don’t we have some berries with breakfast. They are so ripe and wonderful right now.” suggested one of the chefs.

“How about with some honey drizzled over? And perhaps a nice piece of smoked fish? Smoked salmon maybe?” Okara suggested and the group nodded in agreement. Smoked fish was always a nice choice for breakfast as it had been smoked in days prior to consumption and required little prep work the day of. Okara wrote Breakfast on the paper and then the suggested meals below it.

“Next is lunch. I’m told there is still of a glut of squid at market so I’m thinking we should take advantage of it. Battered and fried squid perhaps? We haven’t served fried fish in a while. It would be a nice change.” One of the chefs suggested and the group nodded along Okara wrote the heading Lunch on the menu and the next suggestions.

“If we are going to serve fried squid we should have some seaweed salad or a cold vegetable dish. Something light to go with such a heavy entree.” Okara said and the group agreed that seaweed salad would pair the best with the fried dish. Seaweed salad was an extremely common Konti dish that seemed to appear almost daily on the menu.

“All we have left to plan is dinner. Any suggestions?” One of the Konti asked, and Okara stood with quill poised over paper, ready to write as she considered the dinner menu.

“We haven’t served fermented or pickled fish for a while. I know we have some jars of pickled herring in the storeroom. We also have some fermented vegetables, carrots and cabbage I think.” Okara suggested as she recalled what she had seen resting on shelves in the kitchen storerooms. The group decided on pickled herring and added boiled potatoes to pair with the strongly flavored dish. Okara wrote down the dishes under a Dinner heading and the group discussed shifts and assigned chefs to each dish on the menu. Once each dish was assigned, Okara posted the menu on the wall for those who arrived first in the morning. Okara and the other chefs each checked their workspaces for cleanliness and extinguished the fire before heading home for the evening.
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Slippery Squid and Seaweed Salads

Postby Efforvescent on September 13th, 2016, 5:38 pm

Image
Skills:

    Cleaning 2
    Cooking 3
    Planning 1
    Organization 2
    Socialization 1
    Endurance 1
    Writing 1
    Observation 3

Lores:

    Endurance: Summer heat makes everyone move slow
    Cleaning: Cleaning counters to avoid cross contamination
    Food Preparation: Squid gutted cleaned and cut up for grilling
    Cooking: Squid cook quickly
    Place: Opal Temple Kitchens feed patients and staff
    squid ink sacs good for dyeing and cooking
    Cooking: Time management is important
    Cooking: Hidden critters in the seaeweed are not good eats.
    Cooking: do not rinse seaweed in fresh water, salt water retains flavor
    Cooking: Recipe -- Seaweed with ginger and scallions
    Cooking: Recipe -- Grilled Squid
    Cleaning: an organized and clean workspace is a happly space
    Collaboration with other chefs make for a smooth running kichen
    Planning: How to make a Menu -- Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Consequences:

You may find you are a little dehydrated the next day from working in a hot kitchen. The feeling of being run down is quickly dealt with plenty of fluids.

Loot:

None

Notes:

Dont rush the details. I love the amount of information packed into this thread but felt that it needed more detail to feel the trials of working in a kitchen.
good work. Enjoy the grades.
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