Vol 1 Chapter 1-【Side Story】 Meido Arisu’s Cooking Class(Extra Edition)

The end-of-year and New Year’s holiday season.

How is everyone spending their time?

Many of you might be relaxing with loved ones—family, partners, or friends.

Perhaps you’re lazing around at home, snuggled under a kotatsu while munching on mandarins, visiting an amusement park, or spending time at shrines or relatives’ homes. It’s a time to break from the usual routine.

Today is December 31st.

As the personal maid of my dear Master, I have the privilege of spending this final day of the year at his residence.

To spend New Year’s Eve together with Master… what a wonderful honor.

The time is 5:20 PM.

Master is currently napping, nestled comfortably in the kotatsu.

Such a lovely, peaceful sleeping face.

I almost want to preserve it for eternity.

Suppressing those thoughts, I make my way to the kitchen and begin preparing a meal.

Although Master suggested we just order takeout, I cannot, as a maid, trust food prepared by someone else.

I know he said it out of concern for me, but there’s no need to worry.

I will serve only the finest meal for Master.

【Seasonal Tempura】

Perfect for the winter season, this tempura dish brings warmth and satisfaction.

Ingredients
Common ingredients include potatoes, sweet potatoes, shrimp, and more.

For the batter, you can mix flour, potato starch, and egg whites, depending on your preferences. Cooling the batter before frying results in a crisp texture.

These are the basic ingredients for tempura. You can also add seasonings or ingredients to your liking for variation.

Additionally, there are numerous possibilities depending on the choice of ingredients and cooking methods.

【Steps】

1. 1. 1. 1. Prepare the potatoes and sweet potatoes: Peel the skin and cut them into manageable sizes.
         2. Dry the ingredients: Drain the moisture from the potatoes and sweet potatoes after cutting them. Remove the vein from the shrimp.
         3. Heat the oil: Pour an appropriate amount of oil into a pot or frying pan and heat over medium heat.
         4. Mix ingredients: Lightly coat the ingredients from Step 2 with the batter.
         5. Arrange on a frying rack: Place the coated ingredients on the frying rack.
         6. Fry the first side: Fry each piece for 2–3 minutes until one side is golden brown.
         7. Flip and fry the other side: Remove the tempura from the oil, flip, and fry the other side for 2–3 minutes in the same manner.
         8. Cook to perfection: Once the batter turns a golden brown and achieves a crispy texture, the tempura is ready.
         9. Serve: Enjoy with a sprinkle of salt or a dash of vinegar, according to your taste.

“Well, this turned out quite well.”

Even I must admit, I’ve created something rather splendid.

Since I still have many other dishes to prepare besides the tempura, it’s time to get back to work.

“Ah, I almost forgot something important.”

Reaching into my bag, I retrieve the meat cleaver I had stashed away for the final ingredient preparation.

With a towel held between my teeth…

Here we go—

“Mmm… Something smells wonderful.”

Before I realized it, Sakata, who had been sleeping under the kotatsu, stirred awake.

“Good morning, Master.”

“Good morning… Wait, is this…?”

His eyes widened as he took in the spread of dishes laid out on the table.

“Did you make all this, Arisu?”

“Yes, this is a special full-course meal prepared just for you.”

As Arisu had said, the table was adorned with dishes like tempura and meat entrees, all meticulously arranged.

“It looks delicious. Thank you so much.”

Sakata picked up a piece of tempura and took a bite.

“Oh, shrimp tempura. It’s delicious.”

“Fufu, thank you very much.”

Watching Sakata enjoy the food with a smile, Arisu couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Is this… meat tempura?”

“Yes. I thought it might be unusual, but I deep-fried some fresh meat.”

“Huh… interesting.”

Sakata took a bite of the meat tempura.

In that moment, he thought he saw a glint of madness flash across Arisu’s face.

“Mmm, it’s delicious. As expected of you.”

“Thank you very much.”

Suddenly, Sakata felt a sense of unease. His gaze wandered around the room.

“Hmm… Doesn’t it smell a bit… like blood?”

“Oh? Could it be because of the fresh meat I used?”

“Ah, maybe that’s it. Well, it’s not really that bothersome.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Hearing Sakata’s words, Arisu stood up.

“I’ll go clean the kitchen.”

“Oh? Sure, go ahead.”

Leaving those words with Sakata, she headed toward the kitchen.

“I should clean this up before he gets too suspicious.”

Arisu began washing the meat cleaver she’d left in the kitchen.

The sink was stained with a deep red liquid.