gnovel Chapter 30: The Beggar's Chicken, So Delicious It's Sizzling with Oil and Rich Yet Not Gre
Chapter 30: The Beggar's Chicken, So Delicious It's Sizzling with Oil and Rich Yet Not Gre
Chapter 30: The Beggar's Chicken, So Delicious It's Sizzling with Oil and Rich Yet Not Greasy!
"Is that all?" Li Lizhi gasped for breath, sitting unceremoniously on a small stool next to her, looking at her hands, which were in a terrible state.
"Just wait and see." Su Mu produced a bucket of water from somewhere. "Wash your hands first. People who don't know better will think I've hired two child laborers to mine coal."
The two of them went to the bucket to wash their hands.
The clear water instantly turned into a yellow soup.
Looking at her reflection in the water, Xiao Sizi pointed at Li Lizhi and laughed loudly, "Sister has turned into a big tabby cat!"
Looking at her sister's face, Li Lizhi couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You have the nerve to say that? Look at your eyebrows, they've turned into the Yellow Eyebrow King."
The two pointed at each other and laughed so hard they were doubled over.
Such unrestrained laughter was unprecedented in the strictly regulated inner palace.
Time passed little by little.
As darkness fell, the fire in the courtyard gradually died down.
The three mud balls buried in the fire didn't emit any fragrance. The thick yellow mud locked away all aromas, leaving only the distinctive scorched smell of dry, cracked earth after being roasted by the fire.
"Can we have some ducks?" Little Sizi squatted by the fire, holding a small twig in his hand, constantly poking at the ground. His stomach was already rumbling with cravings.
"That's about it."
Su Mu took an iron hook and scraped away the charcoal ash on top.
Three hard clods of earth, charred and white with a slightly blackened surface, were revealed. They looked just like rocks, hardly resembling anything edible.
Su Mu found a small hammer.
"Move aside, don't break your teeth."
He lifted a clod of earth onto the millstone.
Raise the hammer, then bring it down.
"Snap!"
A crisp sound.
The hardened yellow clay shell cracked instantly, revealing a fissure.
The moment the crack opened.
An intense, almost tangible fragrance burst forth, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time!
It's not just the aroma of meat.
It was the bitter aroma of lotus leaves, mixed with the mellow flavor of Shaoxing wine, the savory taste of the sauce, and the rich, meaty aroma of the chicken's own fat.
These flavors permeated and blended with each other in the sealed, high-temperature environment, and now they exploded without reservation.
"Wow--!"
Little Sizi gasped, inhaling deeply through her nose, and leaned forward as if she wanted to disappear into the crack.
Li Lizhi was also somewhat stunned by the sudden fragrance.
Just a moment ago I was disgusted by the mud, but now I feel that the mud is simply the most wonderful container in the world.
Su Mu wasn't afraid of getting burned; he raised his hammer and smashed the outer mud shell to pieces.
The lotus leaves inside had been roasted to a dark brown color and were tightly stuck to the chicken, glistening with oil.
At this time, no knives and forks are needed, nor are bowls and chopsticks.
Su Mu reached out, pinched a corner of the lotus leaf, and gently tore it.
Steaming hot!
The golden, glistening chicken skin was revealed. The skin was roasted until it was almost transparent, and the fat underneath was still sizzling and bubbling.
"Just tear it apart with your hands; this stuff is soulless when eaten with chopsticks."
Su Mu tore off a chicken leg and handed it to Xiao Sizi, who had been eagerly waiting.
"It's hot! Slow down!"
Little Sizi didn't care at all; he held the chicken leg with his two dirty little hands.
The bones have already softened.
With a gentle tug, the flesh and bone separated instantly.
The meat was incredibly tender, and the juices dripped down the chicken's texture, landing on Xiao Sizi's hands before sliding onto the ground.
"Awoo!"
The little girl took a bite.
Unlike the tough, chewy texture of chicken from the imperial kitchen, this chicken barely needs chewing; it melts in your mouth with just a touch of your tongue.
The fragrance of lotus leaves permeated the meat, cutting through all the greasiness and leaving only a mouthful of fresh aroma.
"Mmmmmm!"
Little Sizi couldn't speak anymore. He was breathing out hot air while nodding frantically and stomping his feet happily on the ground.
Good job!
Is this the delicious treat you get in return for playing in the mud?
I'd be willing to play in the mud every day from now on!
Li Lizhi stopped pretending and took the other chicken leg that Su Mu handed her.
The chicken leg felt limp in my hand, and the bones inside seemed to have dissolved.
She took a bite.
The chicken skin is soft, chewy, and springy, while the chicken meat is tender and juicy.
Especially the flavor, because it's sealed tightly in the mud, all the moisture and aroma circulate inside, making it more fragrant than stewed and more tender than roasted.
That ultimate sense of satisfaction instantly filled the emptiness I felt after doing physical labor.
"This smells amazing!"
Li Lizhi had oil around her mouth, but she didn't bother to wipe it off. She quickly devoured a chicken leg, even sucking on the bones.
Su Mu broke off a chicken wing and squatted on the doorstep, munching on it with relish.
"This is the essence of beggar's chicken." He spat out a bone. "Mud locks in the moisture, lotus leaves enhance the aroma, and it's simmered over a low flame. It looks rustic, but tastes sophisticated."
The three mud balls were wiped out by the three men in a whirlwind.
In the end, even the diced shiitake mushrooms stuffed inside the chicken's belly were picked out by the little ox with its fingers and eaten clean.
They ate and drank their fill.
It was completely dark by then.
All that remained in the courtyard was the still-warm fire and a pile of broken yellow mud.
Li Lizhi let out a burp, then came to her senses and looked down at herself.
How can she be considered a princess?
The skirt was covered in mud splatters, the cuffs were filthy, and the shoes were completely unrecognizable. Although I'd washed my hands, they were still greasy from playing PUBG.
Not to mention the little Sizi, it looked exactly like a wild boar that had just rolled around in the mud, its mouth was covered in grease and its face was a big mess of mud and sweat.
"this----"
Li Lizhi was somewhat desperate. "How am I supposed to get back to the palace?"
"Let's walk back."
Su Mu kicked the pile of chicken bones into a corner. "Anyway, it's dark, no one can see clearly. Remember to bring that food box, and give the unopened chicken inside to your dad so he can crack it himself."
Helpless, Li Lizhi could only carry the heavy food box, lead the still unsatisfied little Sizi who was licking his fingers, and sneak out of the imperial kitchen's backyard under the cover of night.
Lizheng Hall.
Empress Zhangsun felt much better today and was sitting under the lamp doing needlework, waiting for her two daughters to return.
"Why haven't they come back yet?" She looked towards the door with some concern. "Maybe they're playing somewhere and have fallen."
Just as they were muttering to themselves, a commotion came from the entrance of the palace.
"Mother—"
His voice sounded a little weak, as if he were somewhat unsure of himself.
Empress Zhangsun looked up and almost pricked her finger with the needle in her hand.
The two daughters stood at the door, looking as if they had just escaped from a refugee camp.
Princess Chang Le, who was usually dignified and elegant, had disheveled hair, and her favorite Shu brocade dress was wrinkled and covered with yellow dirt stains, with a few withered grasses hanging from the hem.
As for the usually clean little Sizi, he was even more unsightly. He looked like a lump of mud, his face covered in black and yellow patches, with only his white teeth and two bright eyes showing.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Empress Zhangsun put down her needlework, slowly stood up, and looked the two clowns up and down with disbelief.
"you----"
Empress Zhangsun pointed at their mud-covered bodies, her voice trembling.
"Where did they go?"
"The palace drains are clogged? You—did you go dredging them?"