pjbooks Chapter 112 [Not Enough to Eat]
Chapter 112 [Not Enough to Eat]
Chapter 112 [Not Enough to Eat]
"Chicken carcasses and chicken feet are used to make a pot of broth."
Liu Zhuohao laid the chicken carcass, chicken feet, and some scraps from the cutting board flat on the hot iron plate.
The oil sizzles happily when heated, and a rich, caramelized aroma rises instantly, like an invisible hook, tugging at the taste buds of countless people around.
"It smells so good! Can I have some?"
"Boss Liu, after we finish filming the video, how about we share the leftover scraps with everyone?"
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"Ha, they only prepared one chicken, enough for three people to share, how could there be scraps left?"
"No way—I thought I came here to eat, but all I get to do is look and smell, without giving me anything to eat! This is torture!"
"Wow, that chicken looks so shiny and healthy, it must be a good one!"
During the initial preparation phase, the onlookers didn't notice anything amiss, but now that the chicken skin had officially landed on the scorching hot iron plate, the aroma of caramelization accompanied by rising white smoke completely whetted their appetites, and the crowd was filled with the sounds of swallowing saliva and rumbling stomachs.
"Come try my food if you're hungry! Our grilled squid is famous in this night market, a ten-year-old stall!"
"Licorice fruit, fresh licorice fruit! It cuts through the richness and aids digestion!"
"Anyone want some roasted chestnuts? I just roasted them, they're still hot!"
The other stall owners nearby were all shrewd; seeing that the time was right, they quickly started drinking at the top of their lungs.
With such a massive influx of customers, we might as well take advantage of it.
"How much is a skewer of grilled squid?"
"Besides squid, is there anything else? Oysters?"
"Boss, a bag of roasted chestnuts, please! Hot, please!"
Before long, the sounds of buying and selling filled the crowd. The air was filled with the aroma of grilled squid, the sweetness of roasted chestnuts, and the freshness of licorice and fruit, all mixed together with the domineering aroma of chicken oil on the hot plate.
Liu Zhuohao was happy for this to happen, as the crowd's attention was diverted, and the pressure on the scene was naturally reduced.
He used a spatula to scoop up the fragrant fried chicken carcass and melted chicken fat, and poured it into a deep soup pot prepared next to him. He added ginger slices, knotted scallions, a few red dates and a little ginseng, and poured in water.
Flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the hot water quickly boiled, only to be tightly covered by the lid, locking all the deliciousness and aroma into the small space.
Just like when he first made that Boston lobster, Liu Zhuohao tried to make use of every part of the chicken to create a variety of delicious dishes.
"Debone the chicken thighs. We'll be making a grilled cheese chicken burger later. That's what we want—a rich and juicy flavor."
"I plan to cook the chicken wings with salt and pepper."
"Many people think chicken breast is dry, but that's because it's not cooked properly. If you handle it right, it can be very tender."
"As for the remaining chicken skin and scraps of meat, we won't waste them, we can—"
Liu Zhuohao explained little by little, not to the customer in front of him, nor to the other onlookers.
He was leaving his voice through the microphone to explain to viewers who would watch the video later.
As for the customers in front of us—
"Teacher Cat, I didn't expect you to be the guest!"
At the stall, the two lucky customers who had already taken their seats were two boys, students from a nearby high school.
They were all fans of Liu Zhuohao's early breakfast stall. This time, one of them finally won the lucky draw and invited the other to come along.
Song Yinxuan was already in "business mode." She leaned forward slightly, her face displaying just the right amount of curiosity and enthusiasm. Her small dimples appeared and disappeared with her smile, and her voice was much more relaxed than before, carrying a sweet and soft quality that could make people feel happy: "Really? Thank you so much! Besides watching Boss Liu's food, do you usually watch me dance? Is there anything in particular you'd like to see me dance recently?"
Her smile was incredibly infectious, her crescent-shaped eyes were very distinctive, and her focused listening quickly put the two boys at ease, making them more talkative.
Compared to previous video recordings where Liu Zhuohao was busy cooking on the sidelines and occasionally had to take care of the customers' emotions to avoid awkward silences and excessive tension, this time a guest was specifically responsible for warming up the atmosphere, which was indeed much more harmonious and lively.
While they were talking, Liu Zhuohao sprinkled a few pieces of chicken skin, which had been fried on a hot plate until golden brown and crispy with slightly curled edges, with fine salt on them, and gently placed them on a square piece of seaweed.
He then cut the excess chicken into even small pieces, quickly mixed them with finely shredded scallions and citrus vinegar with a refreshing fruity acidity, skewered them with bamboo skewers, and placed them on the high-temperature edge of the hot plate to grill quickly.
The chicken surface quickly changed color and sizzled, releasing a mixture of oil, vinegar, and scallion aromas.
"These are crispy chicken skin and seaweed chips, and chicken skewers with scallion and citrus vinegar flavor, which are served as appetizers."
The crispy chips and chicken skewers were placed on three small, clean white plates, which were then carried by Huang Weixiong, who was waiting nearby, to the simple dining table that resembled a bar counter.
"Finally, I got to taste it! I've been watching Boss Liu's lobster and steak videos, and I always couldn't resist ordering takeout every time." Song Yinxuan said, first reaching out her finger to carefully pick up a skewer of chicken that was still steaming hot. She blew on it and then couldn't wait to put it in her mouth.
The moment you bite into it, the outer skin is slightly charred, while the inside is tender and juicy. The tangy flavor of the citrus vinegar and the spicy aroma of the scallions perfectly balance the richness.
But what followed was a familiar yet stimulating numbing and spicy sensation that precisely hit her taste buds!
"Hmm! This—"
Before she could finish speaking, her eyes widened suddenly.
Unlike the other two lucky customers who had complete freedom to improvise, she had a script, or rather, a set of lines.
Liu Zhuohao had prepared a script for her beforehand, outlining what she would say, so that more usable video footage could be saved during the recording.
Song Yinxuan's current reaction is clearly not in line with the script.
She subconsciously looked at the bamboo skewer in her hand, then glanced at the plates of the two boys next to her. Their chicken skewers and crispy chicken skin didn't seem to have much seasoning, but you could see the golden chicken skin and tender white chicken meat.
On her plate, both the chicken skewers and the crispy chips clearly showed specks of red chili sauce.
"You're from Sichuan and Chongqing, after all. Our milder flavors might not suit your taste, so I added some homemade spicy sauce to your portion," Liu Zhuohao explained without looking up, his hands busy cutting chicken wings. "If you think it's not spicy enough or the taste isn't right, just let me know and I'll adjust it immediately."
This kind of almost one-on-one service is something you'd only find in high-end restaurants.
Song Yinxuan was stunned.
She never expected that Liu Zhuohao would be so thoughtful amidst such noise and busyness.
"No, no, no, that's enough!" She quickly shook her head, her voice slightly muffled by the food still in her mouth, but her eyes shone brightly. Her cheeks bulged as she chewed rapidly, then swallowed forcefully. "It's delicious! Really! The chicken skin is super crispy, the chicken meat is incredibly tender, and the sauce is—so fragrant!"
Taste buds that are constantly immersed in strong spiciness and numbing sensations can become dulled when it comes to pure, fresh, and tender flavors.
Even if one can rationally judge that the meat is of good quality, without that familiar, strong taste impact, the evaluation will always be somewhat incomplete.
But at this moment, the perfect amount of spiciness allowed her to truly and fully appreciate the tenderness of the chicken, the crispiness of the skin, and the stimulation from the complex sauce.
She couldn't resist picking up another crispy chicken skin seaweed chip, and with a "crack," the crispy, popping sound was clearly recorded through the microphone on her collar.
Song Yinxuan squinted her eyes with satisfaction, like a cat that had just stolen some fish. Her face was filled with the joy of being pleased by the food. The tension and alienation she felt earlier due to the environment seemed to have been diluted by the food at this moment.
"Wow, delicious!" "Sizzle—it's piping hot! But it smells so good!"
Compared to Song Yinxuan, who still maintained a certain level of composure in front of the camera, the two students completely let loose, popping pieces of crispy pastry into their mouths like potato chips, making a "crunch crunch" sound.
They picked up chicken skewers one after another, stuffed them into their mouths, and with a flick of their fingers, three or four pieces of scalding hot chicken were shoved into their mouths, making them gasp and grimace, but they were unwilling to slow down at all.
Song Yinxuan found it amusing but also a little worried that they might choke, so she smiled and reminded them, "Eat slowly, one serving per person, no one will take it from you."
One of the boys lifted his greasy lips from his food, glanced at her, then warily looked at his companion who was also engrossed in eating, and mumbled indistinctly, "Well—that's not necessarily true!"
As they spoke, the two of them quickened their pace of movement with their hands and mouths. Their hungry, predatory expressions made onlookers salivate and develop an appetite.
But this almost barbaric way of eating is precisely the real reaction that Liu Zhuohao wanted to capture in this video.
The customers further ahead, one was a couple, the other a family of three. Even though they couldn't help but indulge in the delicious food, they still maintained a certain level of decorum.
But these two customers in front of me are clearly different.
Liu Zhuohao was frying chicken wings in his hand. Watching their actions, he couldn't help but smile. He looked at Zhuang Zicong, who was learning from the photography team in the distance.
The three of them used to be like that too.
Especially back in elementary school, even the money in red envelopes was controlled by my family. If the three of us went out together, we couldn't even scrape together thirty yuan in our pockets. We needed to go online and buy food, so how could we possibly have enough?
Only three people can buy one serving of mala tang (spicy hot pot), and it's all vegetarian.
Even when served at an internet cafe, though it's all vegetarian, people still fight over it, with three pairs of chopsticks vying for the cabbage in the plastic container.
Potato slices, tofu, watercress —
Forget about the food, everyone was fighting over the bone broth in the spicy hot pot.
It smells so good!
Liu Zhuohao recalled the soup, and smelled the fried chicken wings in front of him, and his stomach couldn't help but rumble.
Later, he made money and ate many good things, but he could never find that same taste of spicy hot pot, and no one would fight with him for food anymore.
A state banquet!
"When you eat, besides the taste of the food itself, the surrounding environment and who you eat with are also very important." Liu Zhuohao pondered, wondering if he could incorporate this idea into his future restaurants.
Is this kind of atmosphere something that can be created?
Liu Zhuohao's thoughts suddenly stopped; he realized he seemed to be in danger.
He thought of some restaurants that seemed to have organized events specifically to create this atmosphere of hunger, making customers run around the mall before eating.
The marketing concept is to make customers sweat profusely and be hungry, so that they will enjoy their food more.
That's absolutely brilliant marketing.
Creating this kind of atmosphere doesn't seem like something I, as a business owner, should be concerned with.
Liu Zhuohao temporarily abandoned the idea, fearing that he might go astray.
At this moment, salt and pepper powder is evenly sprinkled on the golden-brown, crispy chicken wings. The rich chicken broth is carefully poured into a white porcelain bowl; the clear broth is dotted with the vibrant red of goji berries. The boneless chicken thigh meat is pan-fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sandwiched with melted cheese, fresh lettuce, and a special salad dressing, all wrapped in two crispy, fragrant round bread slices—this becomes the Grilled Cheese Chicken Leg Burger.
One after another, meticulously prepared dishes, catering to both the eyes and the palate, were served at the bar.
The three people in front of them initially chatted, talking about when they started following Bilibili, what categories they usually like to watch, and what suggestions they have for the future direction of Bilibili creators' videos.
However, in the latter half of the meal, conversations decreased significantly. Everyone focused on their plates, and the soft clinking of chopsticks against the plates, satisfied chewing, and sighs gradually replaced words.
"—I'm full, I'm really full."
Finally, after struggling to swallow the last bite of the hamburger bread covered in cheese and gravy, and even sticking out her small tongue to subconsciously lick the remaining salad dressing from the corner of her mouth, Song Yinxuan finally disregarded the screen image she had been trying so hard to maintain, leaned back in her chair, and let out a satisfied burp.
Her round cheeks were flushed with a healthy blush, and her eyes were somewhat vacant; she was completely captivated.
I don't know if it was the atmosphere at the scene or Boss Liu's cooking skills that were so good.
In the past, she would restrain her appetite in order to present a better figure in the videos, but in front of this stall, she could not suppress it at all and went straight in!
"There's none left even if you want some," Liu Zhuohao replied with a smile as he cleaned the hot plate. "Did you like the taste I adjusted earlier?"
Song Yinxuan rested her chin on her hand, pondering for a long time, seemingly searching her mind for sufficiently eloquent words to describe the meal. But after thinking for a while, she simply blinked her still bright eyes and said, "Delicious!"
I really can't think of a more fitting adjective.
The two students next to him looked on with longing, staring at the empty plates and Liu Zhuohao who was cleaning up.
"Boss Liu—is it really over?" One of them touched his stomach and couldn't help but ask, his tone full of longing.
"Heh! I was just thinking that after you guys finished eating, maybe we could have some scraps left to try. But look at you guys, you've almost licked the plates clean. What's the point of sharing?" An uncle in the crowd joked with a laugh.
"They say a half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home, and today I truly believe it!"
"Hey, my little rascal can eat like that too! Last time I bought two pounds of beef, and he ate it all with just satay sauce!"
"Only two pounds? My little one can not only eat meat, but also eat three or four bowls of rice, plus vegetable soup!"
"Sigh, daughters are so much better. My two daughters eat like they're being fed cats. They only take a couple of bites and then say they're full. When I ask them, they always say they're on a diet. It's driving me crazy!"
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