AN: I wrote this little piece after my second attempt at Niku Jaga, which is Japanese beef and potato stew. It turned out so much better the second time when I adjusted the ingredients and cooked the entire thing on an even lower heat than the first (which was already pretty low) anyhow, it turned out perfect this time and that got me thinking of Renji because he seems like the type to boil the entire thing in his impatience or hurry to eat. Enjoy!
Abarai Renji was watching nervously as Hisagi Shuuhei chewed thoughtfully on a piece of beef. The very same piece of beef he had been chewing on for the past three and a half minutes. Why wasn't he swallowing? It was just a lump of ground beef after all. There was only one explanation and if Shuuhei didn't want to voice it then it was up to him.
"You don't like it," Renji announced.
"I never said that," Shuuhei said looking mildly surprised.
"You're making weird faces."
"I am not."
"What's wrong with it?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. It's just… You got impatient didn't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well the beef is a bit tough," Shuuhei conceded.
"It's supposed to be that way!"
"The flavour hasn't really permeated the potatoes," Shuuhei continued.
"What's the point of different ingredients if everything tastes the same?" Renji grumbled crossing his arms over his chest.
"Some of the potatoes aren't cooked all the way through."
"They're fresher tasting that way!"
"It's a good effort Renji but you need to slow down. You were supposed to simmer the stew."
"I did! Wait… what does simmer mean?"
"Simmer is when you let it cook over low heat for a longer amount of time."
"Why the hell would I want to waste time like that? It only takes like 10 minutes if you bring the entire thing to a boil."
"Why? Because simmering gives you a rich, flavourful broth, tender, delectable beef and luscious, melt in your mouth potatoes."
"…"
"What?" Shuuhei asked, honestly confused.
"Can't you ever say anything without making it sound erotic?"
"I try not to," Shuuhei smirked. "It's more fun this way."
"Yeah, well… If you think you can do better, you do the cooking next time."
"I think I'm going to have to. I can teach you."
"Don't think you can manage without my expert help, huh?"
"Something like that."
A few days later...
"Why am I wearing this?" Renji frowned down at his apparel.
"It's your punishment for setting the dishrag on fire," Shuuhei said distractedly as he mixed the stew with a wooden spoon.
"How was I supposed to know you're not supposed to wipe oil while the stove is still on?"
"What did you think soaking up oil on a cloth and placing it near fire would do?"
"It wasn't that big of a deal," Renji scoffed.
"It wouldn't have been if you had dropped it in the sink instead of flailing it in the air and setting the entire kitchen on fire."
"Whatever, Shuu… It was just a little fire."
"A little fire is what I was using to cook the soup. What you caused took 2 people and 20 litres of soapy water to put out."
"There was no permanent damage. Besides, what does any of that have to do with me wearing a frilly pink apron?"
"Nothing at all. You just look adorable in it. Say cheese!"
*click*
Here is my recipe for Niku Jaga just so that you know how easy the recipe is.
Niku Jaga
1- Mix 1 cup of water with 3tbsp of soy sauce, 2tbsp sake or white wine & 4 sugar cubes.
2- Saute 1 small sliced onion with 1/4lb of ground beef until almost brown. Drain fat.
3- Lower heat to simmer and add broth from step 1
4- Add chunks of potato until the broth just covers them. (about 2-3 medium potatoes)
5- Simmer until potatoes are tender
Eat with rice. Also if you have a slow cooker, toss it all in and leave it alone for a few hours.
Reviews please! Good or bad, I take both. Thanks for reading.
