pjbooks Chapter 51 The wind lessened by half, and the rain stopped completely.
Chapter 51 The wind lessened by half, and the rain stopped completely.
Next to the food truck.
Ling Yun braced his arms on the control panel, his eyes fixed on the eight jars of braising liquid.
The dark brown broth simmered gently in the pot, with bubbles rising from the bottom like tiny fountains.
It was turned off after rolling for half an hour.
Once the brine had calmed down, he moved them one by one away from the furnace opening.
Next.
The duck parts need to be slowly simmered in the residual heat of the pot to fully infuse them with flavor.
Many recipes online don't teach this trick.
But this trick is actually more important than the spice recipe.
Lingyun was busy non-stop.
As soon as the eight pots of brine were taken out, eight more pots were immediately taken out and placed on the fire.
The clanging sound of iron pots hitting the stove opening rose and fell.
Li He ran around inside and outside, holding up her phone to capture all of this.
have to say.
Although Lingyun's match last night generated a lot of buzz, his videos of selling vegetables, preparing them, and even cooking steaks for extended periods also garnered a considerable number of views.
Although there were all sorts of comments in the live chat.
However, most people admire Ling Yun's superhuman stamina, which allows him to stand in front of the stove and work for hours without moving.
The hype is only temporary.
Only this kind of perseverance is the foundation for persisting.
Soon, the area under the table at the entrance of the food cart was filled with small iron buckets, packed tightly together, each containing three ducks.
The duck skin was dyed a deep amber color by the braising liquid, glossy and shiny, with wisps of aroma wafting out from the gaps along the edge of the bucket.
When we got to the sixteenth bucket,
A flash of white light appeared before Ling Yun's eyes, and he successfully generated inspiration.
After observation.
He knew that meat also needed to be arranged properly, so he took all the duck parts out of the front and rearranged them.
Place the meatiest part of the duck leg at the bottom, and the parts with less meat on top.
He bent over, adjusting the position of each duck one by one, his fingers moving quickly and accurately among the steaming duck meat.
Fortunately, the only difficult part of this step is cutting the duck, and Ling Yun currently has enough stamina to spare.
finally.
He spent three hours getting more than thirty buckets, which he then arranged in rows on the ground.
If Lingyun hadn't run out of ducks, he probably could have continued working.
"This is obviously a new dish you're going to introduce."
Li He squatted down and quickly snapped a photo of Ling Yun with the buckets.
Post it on Douyin.
He quickly garnered a flood of drooling expressions.
"I wonder... if any of them are what I'm hoping for!"
Ling Yun slowly straightened up, rubbed his aching lower back, and glanced at all the buckets.
I wonder if there's a perfect duck among them, one that happens to strike that perfect spot to create a divine dish.
"Let's take a break!"
Li He handed her a bottle of mineral water from her bag.
Ling Yun took the water, unscrewed the cap, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
Standing near a fire for a long time is an extremely agonizing experience.
He once tried drinking five bottles of mineral water for six hours in one night and didn't go to the toilet even once.
The two remained silent for a while.
A cheerful and loud voice came over.
"Chef Ling, I'm here!"
Zhang Moli rushed over with a smile, waving a stack of documents in her hand, panting:
"I've been searching for so long, and I've finally found it! The most traditional way to make Three-Cup Chicken, just what you've been looking for. Take a look!"
"Really!"
Ling Yun's eyes lit up. He put down the empty water bottle in his hand, stood up, and took the documents from her.
It's written in great detail.
He decided to try making it right away.
Lingyun has an exceptionally complete selection of spices, and you can even have the system manufacture cookware for a fee.
The three-yellow chicken was already in the refrigerator yesterday.
In just ten minutes, he had prepared all the materials.
Chop the chicken into pieces and cut the duck into chunks.
He recited the chef's mantra, his knife moving up and down with a crisp, rhythmic thud.
Lingyun first cut the three-yellow chicken into pieces and set them aside.
Take a ceramic casserole, without opening it, first put ginger slices, garlic cloves, and a knotted bunch of scallions at the bottom of the pot, and finally arrange the chopped chicken neatly on top.
Then pour in rice wine, sesame oil, and a cup of traditional soy sauce.
After putting everything in, Lingyun turned on the fire and placed the ceramic casserole full of chicken on the stove.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for another half hour.
[Rough Three-Cup Chicken, B-]
Although the score was low, Lingyun still decided to give it a try.
This traditional Three Cup Chicken may not be as flavorful as the various improved versions that have been developed over time, but it does offer a glimpse into the philosophy behind the creation of this dish by the ancients.
Lingyun now has some vague ideas in his mind.
To make a dish reach a divine level, you can't just know the cooking order and recipe; you must understand the reason behind each step and the purpose of each seasoning.
Only in this way.
Only then can one break through to the god-level realm based on their original foundation.
"Come and have a taste, everyone. This traditional three-cup chicken may not be the most refined, but at least it'll be hot."
Lingyun took out the Three Cup Chicken and placed it on the table.
The three of them sat around the folding table and began to enjoy their meal.
As soon as the lid of the casserole was lifted, a burst of white steam carrying the aromas of wine, soy sauce, and meat rushed out, blurring everyone's vision.
Lingyun fanned away the smoke.
The dark red, glistening chicken came into view.
Each piece of chicken was coated in a thick sauce, gleaming like agate in the light.
Lingyun carefully examined the casserole and found that the entire inner wall of the casserole was soaked in this color.
It seems that all three sauces were pushed to their limits by the heat during the braising process.
The clay pot isolates the steam, locking in all the moisture from the three ingredients, allowing the chicken to absorb the flavors while being cooked through.
Lingyun picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in the bowl. She used chopsticks to break the chicken apart and found that it was still tender and juicy inside, with the chicken retaining its moisture very well.
He did that.
The aroma of wine, meat, and soy sauce in the meat is fully brought out.
"It looks pretty good!"
Li He was the first to use her chopsticks, picking up a piece and putting it in her mouth.
The intense aroma of the wok exploded on her tongue, instantly making her feel the warmth and passion of the rising steam, followed by the rich fragrance of the chicken.
She pondered it carefully:
"Mmm, this dish is sweet with a hint of saltiness, and saltiness with a touch of umami—it's delicious!"
Zhang Moli also ate a piece, her cheeks bulging, and nodded in agreement.
Ling Yun had anticipated this performance.
Dishes of the B- level.
While it might not be considered a signature dish, it's certainly good enough as one of the main courses.
Ling Yun didn't stop eating and started eating as well.
While chewing, I quickly break down the function of all the ingredients in my mind.
Needless to say, scallions, ginger, and garlic are essential ingredients.
It is used in most dishes, and its function is quite clear, so I won't go into details.
Lingyun began to think about the three condiments one by one.
The first cup is soy sauce.
In ancient times, soy sauce was not divided into light and dark soy sauce; it served both flavoring and coloring functions.
However, with the development of culinary skills, the coloring process has evolved into many different styles.
You can start from this aspect.
See if we can find a caramel coloring recipe that better suits the umami flavor of Sanhuang chicken.
The second cup is rice wine.
Rice wine can provide a second sweetness that is different from the natural sweetness of chicken, thus enriching the overall sweetness.
Ling Yun even considered the idea that ingredients share a common origin.
He couldn't help but start to think:
If the Sanhuang chicken is raised on grains, which are also the source of rice wine, would it have a miraculous effect?
The third cup is camellia oil.
Oil has a much higher boiling point than water, around 200°C to 300°C. It can quickly transfer heat, shorten cooking time, and prevent food from being cooked on the outside but raw on the inside. At the same time, the oil film can prevent food from sticking to the pan and also serves as a medium to bring out the aroma of seasonings such as scallions, ginger, and garlic.
Oil can make the chicken surface shiny and appealing in color, and make it more tender and juicy, which will whet your appetite at first glance.
It can be said to have multiple benefits in terms of color, aroma, and taste.
There are countless types of oils available nowadays, so you'd have to try them all to decide which one to use.
After a few bites of Three Cup Chicken, I was done.
Ling Yun took out his notebook, turned to a blank page, and wrote down all the points he had just thought of.
We shared the three-cup chicken from one pot.
He then began to try things out according to his own ideas.
The first thing he changed was the oil.
In the teaching materials Zhang Moli found, the biggest improvement to Three Cup Chicken made in Taiwan was the use of oil.
They mostly use black sesame oil.
Black sesame oil has a rich and mellow nutty aroma, which is relatively lacking in chicken, scallions, ginger, and garlic.
The idea behind using this type of oil.
It's probably to add depth and complexity to the fragrance by incorporating this woody scent.
Second.
There's also a mixture of peanut oil and black sesame oil in a 5:2 ratio.
Firstly, peanut oil has a low cost;
Secondly, since it is braised, the peanut oil has a milder aroma and a higher smoke point. Neutralizing it can effectively slow down the loss of flavor in the black sesame oil due to high-temperature volatilization.
of course.
Lingyun abandoned this plan after just one test.
This method clearly takes cost into account and is not the best choice for achieving optimal flavor.
Lingyun is busy here.
But Zhang Moli and Li He gradually couldn't hold on any longer.
They simply couldn't eat anymore.
Seeing Lingyun excitedly about to start the fourth pot, Li He hurriedly came up and called for a stop:
"Chef, let's take a break. We two girls really can't eat that much."
"Alright!"
Ling Yun glanced at the mountain of bones piled up in front of them and had no choice but to stop.
Three-cup chicken is different from braised chicken; if it gets cold, the taste will be much worse.
He glanced at the time; it was almost eleven o'clock.
"Then let's wait for He Yu to bring his people at noon!"
The voice just fell.
A bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, followed by a loud crack, as if it were tearing the heavens apart.
The sky, which had been clear just moments before, suddenly darkened, with dark clouds surging in from the sea like a thick, gray quilt.
"No way, the situation has suddenly changed!"
Li He's expression changed, she quickly took out her phone to check, and immediately exclaimed in surprise:
"The weather forecast says there will be a heavy rainstorm in two hours, and it will continue until evening!"
"So unlucky?"
Zhang Moli couldn't help but stomp her foot, her lips pressed into a thin line.
At this time.
She really hoped her good luck would work its magic!
"This is indeed a bit troublesome!"
Lingyun turned his head to look at the seaside.
The doll with his image on the outside, which had been fully inflated and stood round and plump on the beach, had stopped inflating and gradually shriveled up, like a deflated giant toy, clearly being taken off the stage.
"Why today of all days!"
Li He bit her lip in desperation, leaving a faint tooth mark on her lower lip.
The Culture and Tourism Bureau put in a lot of effort today, and she was preparing to further boost the buzz, but then a storm hit.
Is this a warning to them, a deliberate attempt to reduce their popularity?
"fine!"
Ling Yun withdrew his gaze, remaining calm:
"If the weather really doesn't cooperate, then we'll do it another day. Roads aren't built in a day."
He remembered a saying from the night market that sounded similar to a crosstalk performance.
The wind has lessened by half, and there has been no rain at all.
What will tonight be like?
Do your best and leave the rest to fate!