The Magical Food God of Hogwarts

Chapter 45 I'll Teach You Magic!

The kitchen, which was always as dark and gloomy as the main hall, was finally bright today—Hannah lit all the magical torches she could find.

Lucas has now put on a clean apron, washed his hands, and is examining the ingredients on the cutting board, which Hannah also found.

A can of pineapple, a large piece of pork shoulder, bell peppers, flour, starch, and various seasonings on the side.

"Lucas, is that enough?" Hannah put down another large jar of tomato sauce, her light green eyes gleaming in the firelight.

"That's enough, thank you. You can wait outside; I'll bring it out when it's ready."

But Hannah carefully took a few steps back, leaning against the wall and looking at Lucas expectantly: "Can I watch from here? I promise I won't make a sound."

Lucas nodded, running his hand over the pork, feeling the direction of the fibers, then placed the piece of pork on the cutting board and picked up a rolling pin.

"Alright, let's begin."

With a soft thud, Hannah's eyes widened as she watched Lucas strike the pork with the rolling pin, followed by another strike, the pork trembling violently.

Lucas's pounding rhythm quickened, and the crisp, even tapping sounds echoed throughout the kitchen as the large piece of pork stretched and deformed under the pounding.

At that moment, Hannah felt that this small kitchen was Lucas's stage, and Lucas was playing exciting and cheerful drumbeats on the stage.

"What are they doing?"

Hearing the noise, Tonks couldn't sit still any longer and ran over from the bar to look. Hannah quickly gestured for her to be quiet.

Lucas's drumming had stopped. He put down the rolling pin, and with a flick of his wrist, the Western-style chef's knife seemed to leap into his palm.

Lucas gently felt the blade with his thumb, the knife dancing in his palm. He lightly twirled the knife a few times, and the chef's knife stabilized as if it were an extension of his arm.

Having honed his skills over the years, he is now adept at using these Western-style knives and feels completely at ease with them.

In the next instant, the knife flashed into the pork, shimmering in the firelight, and uniformly sized chunks of meat appeared on the cutting board as if by magic.

Tonks and Hannah stared in disbelief at the boy wielding the knife, Tonks's violet hair turning a shimmering silver without them even noticing.

Merlin, all the cooking processes I've ever witnessed before were accomplished using cooking magic.

But now, Lucas relies entirely on his own hands, and his skills are even more perfect than cooking magic!

"This is magic!" she exclaimed in amazement. Hannah immediately glared at her, displeased. "Don't talk!"

Tonks chuckled. "Aren't you talking too, Miss Abbott?"

"I—" Hannah blushed, but dared not say any more.

Tonks looked at her maliciously, then suddenly transformed his nose into a large pig's snout. Hannah let out a short scream in fright, then quickly covered her mouth, looking at Lucas with concern.

But Lucas remained unaffected, his hands moving fluidly, his wrists steadily stirring as he made a smooth, thick batter using flour, cornstarch, eggs, a pinch of salt, and water. He then poured the meat chunks into the batter, gently turning them with long chopsticks to ensure each piece was evenly coated.

With a click, the can of pineapple was opened, excess syrup was drained, and bright orange pineapple chunks were poured out. The chef's knife, after being washed, gleamed again, this time cutting the bell peppers into neat little pieces.

Lucas reached out and skillfully used chopsticks to test the temperature of the oil by inserting them into the bubbles. Then, he gently slid a plate of batter-coated meat chunks into the oil, filling the kitchen with a sizzling sound and the aroma of oil rising up. The fried meat chunks were quickly scooped out and drained on a tray lined with absorbent paper, glistening with an enticing golden light, looking incredibly crispy.

"I'll have a piece first," Tonks said eagerly. "It smells so good!"

Hannah stood angrily in front of her, only reaching Tonks's belly, but she glared at her with her arms outstretched, looking like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"Alright then, I'll wait a bit longer..."

In just a short while, Lucas had already picked up a spatula.

Mix tomato sauce, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and a little cornstarch together and heat over medium heat, stirring rapidly with the back of a spoon. The sauce quickly thickens and becomes clear under the heat, turning a vibrant orange-red color, with dense bubbles bubbling and making a "bubbling" sound.

Glug glug... Glug glug...

When Hannah realized that it was her stomach growling, her round face immediately turned red.

Fortunately, Tonks didn't have time to laugh at her, watching intently as Lucas placed the fried meat chunks, pineapple chunks, and bell pepper chunks into the pan one by one. Then, with a flick of his wrist—

The huge pot was tossed around!

The spatula flew through the air, its movements swift and precise, coating every piece of food in a thick, scalding sauce. The rich, sweet and sour fruity aroma, the crispy fried texture, and the savory meatiness exploded with flavor under the intense heat!

"What smells so good?"

Old Tom couldn't hold back any longer, so he dropped the bar and peeked in, only to be met with angry stares from Hannah and Tonks.

But at that moment, Lucas had already finished plating.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, my guests." The red-haired boy put down the spatula. "I'll take it out now... uh, it seems unnecessary?"

The three of them had already gathered around, staring intently at the plate of delicious food that exuded a rich aroma.

Golden chunks of meat are coated in a glistening, amber-like sweet and sour sauce, garnished with bright yellow pineapple chunks that release a sweet aroma, while vibrant red bell peppers add a splash of color.

"Merlin, what's the name of this dish?" Tom, who prided himself on his extensive knowledge, had never seen it cooked like this before.

"Sweet and sour pork with pineapple, an Eastern style." Lucas wiped his hands clean, took off his apron, and said, "Please enjoy."

Before Lucas could even finish saying "please," Tonks had already forked a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Hiss—it's so hot!" She exhaled, but couldn't bear to spit it out. In that instant, her hair turned into a bubblegum-pink color again.

As the perfectly crispy crust bursts open under your teeth, the tender, juicy pork is fully released. The perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce perfectly cuts through the greasiness of the fried food, while the refreshing tartness and natural sweetness of the pineapple further enhance the flavor, bringing a sunny and pleasant feeling.

When she swallowed the third piece, Tom and Hannah finally realized what was happening and started attacking with their forks.

"Merlin's beard! It's so delicious!"

Tom's wrinkles smoothed out, while Hannah squinted.

"This dish is best eaten with a main course," Lucas advised with a smile. Hannah, her mouth bulging, quickly said, "I'll go get it!"

As the three of them began to share the sweet and sour pork with bread, Lucas let out a soft sigh.

Ah, if only I had a bowl of rice right now.

These British guys are really wasting a good thing...

Tonks snatched the last piece of sweet and sour pork with lightning speed, a blissful smile spreading across her face. Hannah glared at her, then picked up her bread, wiped off the last bit of sauce, and ate it all.

"The taste is alright, isn't it?" Lucas said with a smile. "Mr. Abbott, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. We can't set up a stall now, and our previous agreement is void. But I still need to stay in Diagon Alley, so I'd like to stay at the Leaky Cauldron."

"So, in exchange for making you dinner every day, can I move to a different room?"

Before Tom could even speak, Tonks shouted, "I want to live here too!"

"Lucas, make me one too, and I'll teach you magic!"