"Eh?" Uncle Tie stopped in his tracks, "What’s this young man doing here with a stall? What’s he up to?"
Lu Yongjun sniffed, "He’s cooking."
He recognized that it was the chicken he bought from the mountain.
Hanyang Peanut Chicken was available everywhere, but only the Lu Family’s was recognized as the best.
Other people’s free-range peanut chickens were left to roam in the fields after the peanut harvest, allowing the chickens to eat bugs and scavenge for leftover peanuts.
But for profitability, they often raised more than they could handle, and the chickens couldn’t get enough to eat, so the owners had to supplent with other feed.
But Lu Yongjun was different.
He actually planted a lot of peanuts where he raised his chickens. Although the quality of these peanuts lagged behind those grown specifically, they were good enough for feeding chickens.
It wasn’t that Lu Yongjun wanted to do this, it was just that this thod of farming had been passed down from his grandfather’s generation.
His old father had repeatedly emphasized this on his deathbed.
The dishes of Lu Fang could be sold in smaller amounts, and it was okay to earn less money, but the ingredients must always be prepared according to the ancestral thods and not made with ingredients from outside.
Perhaps custors wouldn’t notice on the first day, but over ti, custors would naturally feel the difference.
Truly good ingredients complented by great cooking skills give people an unforgettable feeling, making them long for more daily. Changing the ingredients would gradually erode that experience.
When that day cos, people will say: Lu Fang’s Bangbang Chicken isn’t as good as it used to be.
That’s how many small shops lose business day by day until they eventually close down.
That’s why the old man said, continue doing it this way; Lu Fang’s existence may not make you rich beyond asure, but it will ensure that all future generations live free of want.
Once you scale up, the quantity of ingredients will fail to et the demand, and everything the old man warned about will start happening one by one.
Lu Yongjun heeded his father’s teachings and had done so ever since he took charge of Lu Fang.
He mastered cooking this chicken throughout his entire life, needing only a whiff to recognize it as his own.
Uncle Tie sniffed hard, "It doesn’t sll like anything. What’s this thod?"
"Shh..."
Lu Yongliang raised his hand to signal Uncle Tie to remain silent because he had just realized that although they were standing there, the young man buying chicken hadn’t noticed them at all.
They even exchanged a few words, yet the young man inside remained focused on adjusting the heat and hadn’t noticed them.
Lu Yongjun knew this state was quite miraculous. It might sound a bit mysterious, but only true food lovers understand how rare this state is.
When learning the craft from his father in his youth, Lu Yongjun occasionally experienced this state.
In these monts, it felt as though the six senses opened up while cooking, sensing every subtle change in the ingredients. In such a state, it was unnecessary to think about what to do next or how much seasoning to add; every step was the optimal asure, utterly magical.
Every ti this state occurred, his culinary skills would improve drastically, and things he didn’t understand before would beco clear.
This was why Lu Yongjun told Uncle Tie not to speak, so as not to disrupt the young man in front of them.
Chen Mo was truly focused.
When the temperature reached sixty-five degrees, beads of sweat appeared on Chen Mo’s forehead!
Despite seemingly just turning it on and off, it was indeed a painstaking task. In the later stages, Chen Mo deliberately refrained from checking the progress bar, trying to master the speed at which the temperature rose at different levels of heat.
Initially, there were so discrepancies, but by now, they were almost negligible.
Seventy degrees!
When Chen Mo switched off the heat again, the water temperature in the pot had reached the required seventy degrees as per the recipe!
However, when the internal temperature of the chicken reached equilibrium, it lowered, prompting him to reignite the fla!
And switch off the heat again!
"Perfect!"
The final progress bar showed a "Perfect" rating. A mont after turning off the heat, the internal and external temperatures of the chicken reached a uniform seventy degrees!
From beginning to end, no steam escaped through the gaps of the black pot’s lid, indicating that the water inside hadn’t shown any sign of boiling.
No words were needed. Chen Mo uncovered the pot, deftly scooped out the contents with a black ladle, and promptly transferred it to ice water!
Having exhaled a sigh of relief, Chen Mo, lifting the chicken from the ice water, suddenly noticed the two standing before his food cart.
Having just arrived in Hanyang, knowing almost no one, he had only exchanged a few words with these two.
"What are you two...?"
Uncle Tie lifted the bottle in his hand, giving it a shake, "We were planning to go inside for a drink."
Sichuan people are hospitable, so Uncle Tie added, "Why don’t you join us?"
Chen Mo glanced at the freshly cooked chicken, "Joining you would be nice, but this chicken is missing sothing. If you two don’t mind waiting a bit...?"
This ti, before Uncle Tie could speak, Lu Yongjun said, "Sure. Go ahead and do your thing. We’ll wait right here."
Lu Yongjun genuinely grew interested.
"I’ve made my Hanyang Peanut Chicken my whole life, but I never thought of using this thod. The water in the pot never even boiled; what’s this guy doing turning the heat on and off?"
What intrigued Lu Yongjun even more was the chicken’s quality; he knew it well, but even the best at couldn’t be served without seasoning.
Inside that pot was just clear water; there wasn’t even a hint of green onion, ginger, or garlic visible. It’s well-known that ginger pairs perfectly with chicken, making it essential for cooking chicken deliciously.
"Post-cooking seasoning is sowhat akin to my Bangbang Chicken, but the problem is... he didn’t make red oil either."
Lu Yongjun was genuinely curious.
Chen Mo nodded, "Alright, I’ll do my best to hurry up."
Dining was ant to be a group activity to enhance the experience. Just arriving in Hanyang, sharing a al with locals was a decent choice.
And his culinary adventure was with Lu Yingqiu’s father, the key figure; recalling the recipe’s section on seasoning, Chen Mo continued his busy work.
If it were Cantonese White Cut Chicken, one would need finely shredded ginger intertwined with chopped scallions, drizzled with hot peanut oil, and seasoned with salt and sugar for dipping sauce.
But Sichuan cuisine is different; without the distinctive numbing and spicy flavors, how could it be called Sichuan style?
He watched as Chen Mo took out fresh Sichuan peppers and green chilies, placing them in a mortar with ginger to grind.
Then, he started heating oil in a pan!
Bright red dried chilies danced fiercely in the scorching oil, releasing a burst of chili seeds.
He fetched a large bowl, seamlessly layering oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, spreading the mashed green and yellow powder from the mortar, garnished with delicate scallion threads, and pouring in the freshly made chili oil.
Sizzle!
The chili oil danced and splattered across the assorted seasonings, instantaneously evoking their aromatic fragrances, culminating in a final fusion with the spiciness of the chili oil.
The Black Blade appeared as Chen Mo sliced the whole chicken into parts before using Lu Yingqiu’s beloved small mallet to tenderize the chicken pieces ticulously.
Lu Yongjun watched in increasing bewildernt.
Young man.
I initially thought you were making White Cut Chicken.
Seeing your seasoning, I guessed you might be crafting so other Sichuan dish.
Now you bring out a small mallet?
Are you making Bangbang Chicken?
The pounded chicken pieces were further cut into smaller portions by the Black Blade, neatly arranged on a large plate, reconstructing the chicken to its original appearance.
This entire process flowed like running water but was steeped in affection, making Uncle Tie drool and leaving Lu Yongjun utterly confused.
What on earth is this?
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