Chapter 66 - Wine Steamed Clams
"Hello, Dahlia-chan. Here, this is a little something for the other day."
At the gate, Marcella stood holding a case of six bottles of red wine and a wooden bucket.
"Thank you, Marcella-san. I’m sorry to trouble you."
"No, I drank a lot myself, and the two of us enjoyed a feast. This one’s from Irma. She said the clams have already been purged of sand, so they’re ready to eat."
In the bucket he showed her, water filled the bottom where a generous amount of clams lay submerged.
"Clams, they look delicious!"
"They’re in season right now. Oh, let me carry the wine up to the second floor with you; it’s heavy."
"Um, I actually have a guest upstairs at the moment."
Volf was on the second floor. Introducing Marcella to him out of nowhere might be awkward for both parties.
"Oh, you’ve got company. Sorry for interrupting. Should I leave these just inside the workshop?"
"Thank you, please do."
Placing the case of red wine and the wooden bucket beside the door to the workshop, Marcella smiled and said,
"Don’t drink too much just because of the clams. Well, see you around."
"Yes, see you."
After the short exchange, Marcella quickly returned to the carriage.
In the bucket’s clear water, a few clam siphons peeked out. They were a good size, and their colors had a pleasing hue.
In the royal capital, clams happen to be in their prime season, and they were one of Dahlia’s favorite foods.
Deciding to deal with the wine later, she carried the wooden bucket upstairs with a smile.
"...Was that guest a friend?"
It seemed Volf had heard the conversation below from the tower window.
Setting the wooden bucket on the table, Dahlia answered his question.
"Yes. He’s my friend’s husband, and also my friend. His name is Marcella, and he works at the Courier Guild. He’s also a guarantor for my company.”
"I see."
"Well, his wife and he wanted to invite you out for a drink sometime... If you’re up for it, how about joining us?”
"I’d love to, but... what’s his wife like?"
"I'm sorry. I forgot about your concern, Volf."
"Sorry..."
She had momentarily forgotten that Volf often worried about unintentionally attracting women’s attention. It was a natural concern for him.
"Irma’s fine. If you’re worried, you can wear glasses when you meet her."
"Is she like you? Someone who wouldn’t care about appearances?"
"No, Irma loves Marcella-san... It’s hard to explain..."
For Dahlia, it was impossible to imagine anyone disrupting the bond between those lovebirds.
Even if Volf, a handsome young man, were involved, Irma wouldn’t waver, and the same could be said for Marcella.
"Then, if the timing works, I’d be glad to go."
"I’m glad to hear that. Oh, by the way, I just got these. Do you like clams?"
"Yeah, I do."
The two of them peered into the bucket of clams.
There were quite a few clams, but it seemed just right for the two of them to eat and drink together.
"Since they’re in season, how about having some together?"
"Thank you. I appreciate it every time. But as for my contribution, wouldn’t this drink not go with clams?"
Volf pulled a bottle of amber liquid from his bag.
The bottle had no label, nor did it have any decorative touches. It was a simple glass container, small and unadorned, with a beautiful amber liquid swaying inside.
"Is that whiskey?"
"It’s apple brandy that’s been aged a little. Altea-sama of the ducal house gave it to me, saying I should enjoy it with a friend."
The brandy had a fine color.
If possible, it seemed like something that should be savored on its own rather than paired with food.
"It’s not impossible to pair it with clams, but let’s save it for after the meal."
"Okay. I’ll leave it here, then."
Placing the bottle on the table by the sofa, Volf turned back toward her.
"Well then, is there anything I can help with?"
"Could I ask you to set the table? And prepare glasses for the white wine?"
"How about red?"
"White goes better with clams."
As they walked to the kitchen together, Dahlia began preparing the meal while Volf gathered dishes and glasses.
"What are you making?"
"Wine steamed clams and garlic baguettes. Is that all right?"
"That’s perfect; they’re my favorite."
While she quickly washed the clams, she heated olive oil and chopped garlic in a shallow pan.
Beside her, Volf followed her instructions, carefully slicing the baguette and spreading garlic butter on each piece.
"Do you eat wine steamed clams often, Volf?"
"I order it frequently, both at noble-style restaurants and taverns."
"It’s served on a plate, right? Even in taverns, you don’t take it directly from the pot, do you?"
"Yeah. At some places, the shells were removed before serving."
Hearing that, she hesitated a little but decided to propose how they ate it at home.
"With wine steamed clams, my father had a strong preference that they not be overcooked and should be eaten while still hot, so... at home, we place the pot in the middle of the table, and everyone takes clams onto their plates. Volf, would you be okay if we did that this time?"
"That’s fine. Let’s do it Rossetti-style."
Smiling at Volf’s easy acceptance of the Rossetti-style, Dahlia tossed the clams into a shallow pan. Listening to the slight sizzling sound, she poured in white wine and covered it with a lid.
Meanwhile, she placed garlic baguettes on a wire rack to toast. Soon, the delicious aroma of butter and garlic wafted into the air.
"Volf, could you take these and open the white wine at the table first? I’ll bring the clams as soon as they’re ready."
"Got it. I’ll prepare everything."
The young man cheerfully carried the warmed garlic baguettes and white wine to the table.
After waiting just a little longer, Dahlia brought the shallow pan of clams, their shells now opened, to the table.
"First, let’s hurry and toast."
"To the prosperity of the Rossetti Company and good fortune starting tomorrow."
"To peace of mind starting tomorrow..."
They chuckled at Dahlia’s heartfelt words and clinked their glasses together.
It seemed her throat had been thirstier than she realized; the cold white wine slid down effortlessly.
"Take the clams from the pot and place them on your plate to eat. If you want to enjoy the part stuck to the shell or the adductor muscle, you can use a small knife. Also, it’s perfectly fine to use your hands... I’m sorry it’s a bit uncouth, but please, eat them while they’re still hot."
When she opened the lid of the shallow pan, the clams let out fragrant steam.
The aromas of olive oil and garlic mingled, stimulating their appetite.
"You can dip the garlic baguettes into the leftover broth; it's delicious. You can add pepper if you’d like, but that’s optional."
"Alright, then I’ll dig in."
The two of them took the still-hot clams onto their plates and began using their forks to remove the meat.
The moment the clam’s meat touched their tongues, the hot, rich juices nearly scalded their mouths.
There was no grit at all; the texture of the tender meat and its salty umami unfolded as they chewed slowly.
Drinking the chilled white wine afterward let the clam’s salty taste dissolve smoothly, cooling their tongues.
Then, eating another hot clam restarted the delicious cycle.
When they finally paused, Dahlia bit into the garlic baguette, and the contrast in texture delighted her. Even soaking up the clam broth on her plate brought no trace of fishiness, only pure, seasonal deliciousness.
The pairing of white wine and garlic baguette was so good that their glasses emptied faster than expected.
Across from her, Volf’s chewing had noticeably increased again, but she decided not to say anything.
The two ate in complete silence until all the clams were gone.
"Where are these clams from? Or is it a different variety? They were really delicious."
After finishing his meal, the young man tilted his head curiously while gazing at the pile of shells.
"I believe they’re just regular clams you can buy at the market. Though the freshness is very good."
"Does removing the shells or letting them cool even a little cause this deliciousness to disappear? Maybe keeping the lid on until the last minute is important? Are clams meant to be eaten straight from the pot?"
Seeing Volf deep in thought about the best way to eat clams made Dahlia smile involuntarily.
"Volf, you’ll need to choose the setting carefully. Eating straight from the pot isn’t very proper, you know."
"Then these are 'Green Tower Exclusive Wine Steamed Clams'?"
"...If you say that, there’s also 'Green Tower Exclusive Eastern Liquor Steamed Clams.'"
"Huh? Eastern liquor steamed clams?"
"Yes. That version is also delicious, and steamed food goes really well with eastern liquor."
"Can I bring clams and eastern liquor next time?"
Volf’s expression suddenly turned unusually serious.
While happy that he liked her cooking so much, Dahlia wondered why he became so fixated so quickly.
"Clams need time to purge sand. So if I know when you’re coming next and find good clams, I’ll prepare them in advance."
"Alright. Next time, I’ll buy the best eastern liquor the shop has."
"Please don’t do that. That would be far too extravagant. Affordable liquor is more than enough for steamed clams."
"No, I think better liquor would make both the wine-steamed and liquor-steamed clams even more delicious."
"That’s probably not how it works..."
Faced with a young man who seemed ready to buy expensive liquor just for clams, Dahlia found herself explaining the details at length.
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