bullyxtreme Chapter 108 Braised Chicken with Chestnuts, the more you eat, the more delicious it becomes!
Chapter 108 Braised Chicken with Chestnuts, the more you eat, the more delicious it becomes!
Chapter 108 Braised Chicken with Chestnuts, the more you eat, the more delicious it becomes! (Please read on! Not recommended for late-night reading!!!)
"Brother--!"
A series of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the alley.
Little Sizi was wrapped up like a red ball, wearing a small hat with rabbit fur trim on her head, and her two rabbit ears swayed as she ran.
She could smell the aroma from afar, and when she rushed over, her eyes were glued to the bamboo winnowing basket, her mouth practically watering.
"It smells so good!"
The little ox wasn't shy at all; it pounced right on the bamboo winnowing basket and stretched out its chubby little hands to grab it.
"hot!"
Li Yuan reacted quickly and grabbed his granddaughter's wrist.
Before Su Mu could even speak, he saw that the old man, who usually seemed slow, was reacting with astonishing speed.
"Grandpa?"
Little Sizi tilted its head, looking at the old man in front of it whose hands were covered in black ash, blinking its big eyes.
She recognized him as Wengweng, but her father had told her not to call him that in front of Guoguo.
"Ouch—it's so hot—"
Little Sizi withdrew her hand, put her finger to her lips and blew on it, looking aggrieved. "But I want to—"
Seeing his granddaughter's greedy look, Li Yuan felt a tender spot in his heart.
He loosened his grip, picked out a slightly cooler one from the winnowing basket, and, without caring whether his hands were dirty or not, skillfully applied the method Su Mu had just taught him.
One press, one pinch.
Click!
A whole chestnut was revealed.
Li Yuan held a chestnut to the little ox's mouth, his voice unconsciously softening, a kindness Su Mu had never heard before: "Here, eat this, Grandpa will peel it for you."
The little ox took a big bite, its cheeks puffing up instantly, like a little squirrel storing grain.
"Is it sweet?"
Li Yuan asked.
"Sweet! So sweet!"
Little Sizi nodded indistinctly as she chewed, a few chestnut crumbs still clinging to the corner of her mouth. "Grandpa's so amazing! He peeled it open in no time!"
This exclamation of "Awesome!" instantly relaxed Li Yuan's old face, filling the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes with a smile.
He sat in the Da'an Palace. Although he was the retired emperor, who really took him seriously? The eunuchs and palace maids were respectful, but it was out of fear that they kept their distance.
Who else would look at him with such adoration, like this little girl, and praise him for being amazing?
Just because he peeled a chestnut.
"I want more."
The little ox swallowed and then opened its mouth again.
"Okay, okay, I want more."
Li Yuan responded cheerfully, no longer feeling cold or his hands trembling.
He didn't mind the dirty chestnut shells or the sticky syrup. He peeled them one after another, completely absorbed in the task.
He casually tossed the broken bits of meat into his mouth and ate them. He stuffed the whole, round pieces of meat into the little ox's mouth.
Su Mu leaned against the wall, holding a large iron shovel, watching the old man and the child.
The late autumn wind swirled withered leaves past my feet, and the sky was overcast, as if it were about to snow. But by the stove fire, it was unbelievably warm.
The old man's hands were covered in soot, and he smiled like a Maitreya Buddha. The little girl's mouth was full of crumbs, and her two little feet were swinging on the small stool.
"Eat slowly, don't choke."
Su Mu offered a reminder and poured Li Yuan a cup of warm barley tea.
Li Yuan took the tea, took a sip, and felt completely refreshed.
He looked at his little granddaughter counting chestnut shells and suddenly felt that life wasn't so hard after all.
The roasted chestnuts in the bamboo basket were almost gone, leaving only a pile of broken shells and a few thin layers of sugar coating.
Li Yuan licked his fingers, still savoring the sweet, caramelized taste, when a rumbling sound came from his stomach.
"Gurgle—!"
The sound was quite loud, and it seemed especially clear in the empty back alley.
Li Yuan blushed, put his hands back in his sleeves, and coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.
"Hey Su, these chestnuts are delicious, but they don't fill you up. The more I eat, the hungrier I get."
Su Mu stirred up the last bit of embers, letting the residual heat dissipate slowly.
"This stuff is a snack, it can't be eaten as a meal. Plus, it's sweet, so it's an appetizer."
Su Mu stood up and patted the dirt off his backside.
"Perfect timing, I haven't eaten either. Since you're still here, sir, how about we have another meal?"
Upon hearing that there was still food, the little ox immediately raised its head from the pile of chestnut shells, its eyes sparkling.
"I want to eat meat!"
"Okay, let's eat meat."
Su Mu turned and went into the small storeroom.
Not long after, he came out carrying a plucked chicken.
This is a yellow-feathered chicken with yellow skin and tender meat. It looks like it weighs only two or three pounds, which is when the meat is at its firmest and not dry.
Su Mu threw the chicken onto the cutting board and swiftly chopped it down.
Several muffled thuds were heard.
The whole chicken was chopped into evenly sized cubes.
He then took a ceramic basin from the side and poured half of the unroasted chestnuts into it.
"Today we're not going to do anything else, we'll just use what we have here: braised chicken with chestnuts."
Li Yuan moved closer to the stove, wanting to help add fuel to the fire, but he was afraid of getting his old but still elegant gray squirrel fur cloak dirty.
Su Mu didn't expect him to do anything, and skillfully set up the wok.
Heat the pan, coat it with cold oil, pour it out, and then add more oil.
The chicken pieces were not scalded with water and were put directly into the pot.
With a loud sizzle, white smoke billowed up.
Su Mu quickly flipped the large spoon, letting the chicken skin fry in the hot oil.
The fat from the chicken skin slowly seeped out, and the originally white meat surface developed a golden brown, charred edge. The raw meat smell dissipated completely, replaced by a pure meaty aroma.
Next, sauté scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then add a spoonful of soybean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red.
Add half a bowl of Shaoxing wine.
The aroma of alcohol instantly dispelled the chill that had filled the courtyard.
Add hot water until it covers the chicken pieces.
Only then did Su Mu pour the bowl of raw chestnuts in.
Finally, I added a few pieces of rock sugar and a few drops of dark soy sauce for color.
Cover the pot and simmer over low heat.
"Is that all?"
Looking at the steaming iron pot, Li Yuan felt that this method didn't seem particularly unusual.
"Steep dishes need to be cooked slowly."
Su Mu moved a stool and sat down in the downwind area. "Let the sweetness of the chestnuts seep into the chicken, and let the chicken's oil seep into the chestnuts. This is called mutual exchange."
Fifteen minutes later.
The pot lid was lifted.
The thick broth bubbled and simmered at the bottom of the pot, each burst releasing a rich, savory aroma.
The chicken turned a deep amber color, while the chestnuts were golden and coated in a rich sauce, looking soft and tender.
Reduce the sauce over high heat, then sprinkle with a handful of green garlic sprouts.
Red meat, yellow chestnuts, and green garlic.
When this pot was served, even the gloomy sky seemed to brighten up a bit.
Little Sizi had already been tapping her chopsticks on the edge of her bowl, drool dripping from the corners of her mouth.
"Hurry up and grab it, buddy! I want that big, juicy one!"
Su Mu first served Li Yuan a bowl, and specially picked out a few extra chestnuts.
"Try it, this is called braised chicken with chestnuts."
Li Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a chestnut, putting it in his mouth.
No need to chew.
With a gentle bite, the chestnut melted into sand in my mouth.
Soft and sweet!
Moreover, the sweetness is infused with the savory juices of the chicken, making it not dry at all.
Eat another piece of chicken.
Tender and fall-off-the-bone, with a rich, savory sauce, soft and chewy skin, and even the bones are fragrant!
"good!"