I'm the Culinary God

Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms is very similar to Shandong Fried Chicken. The chicken isn't blanched during cooking. Instead, the chopped pieces are placed directly into hot oil, where high heat helps to maximally reduce their moisture content.

This cooking requirement means that only freshly slaughtered chickens can be used for this dish.

If frozen chicken were used, the effect would be greatly diminished.

Plus, eating unblanched frozen chicken doesn't feel reassuring.

This step requires patience, needing prolonged stir-frying to allow any unpleasant odors in the chicken to evaporate with the steam.

Keep stir-frying until the oil in the pot becomes clear again before proceeding to the next step.

"I guess when people from Shandong ventured to the Northeast, they brought Fried Chicken with them. Then, they adapted it to the cold, icy conditions of the Northeast by adding locally foraged dried Hazel Mushrooms and vermicelli."

Wei Qian observed Lin Xu's process, analyzing it like a scholar.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xu also thought that the method for Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms was indeed quite similar to that of Fried Chicken, especially the initial steps, which were almost identical.

When the chicken in the pot was sizzling and the oil had turned clear again, Lin Xu poured Cooking Wine along the side of the pot. After the alcohol evaporated, he added Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, and two small spoons of salt to enhance the base flavor.

He stirred the chicken in the pot again to evenly coat it with the Dark Soy Sauce, then added the soaked Hazel Mushrooms, followed by the water used to soak them.

Not all the soaking water from the bowl should be used; the dregs at the bottom containing potential sediment had to be discarded to prevent any grit from getting into the dish.

Since there were many people today, more vermicelli was needed. The water from soaking the Hazel Mushrooms wasn't enough, so Lin Xu added two more bowls of water, ensuring it completely covered the chicken pieces.

Then he covered the pot and began to stew.

This free-range chicken was different from the fast-growing chickens from poultry farms. The meat of the latter is soft and loosens quickly upon simmering, whereas free-range chicken meat remains firm even after stewing for a long time.

Lin Xu adjusted the stove to medium-low heat, planning to let it stew for half an hour initially.

For Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms, the vermicelli shouldn't be added too early, as it absorbs the sauce and can easily stick to the bottom and burn.

The softened vermicelli should only be added when the chicken is almost fully stewed and it's time to reduce the sauce. This allows the vermicelli to absorb the excess sauce, making them smooth and satisfyingly chewy.

Forty minutes later, the chicken was perfectly stewed.

Without even lifting the lid, one could smell the unique savory aroma of the Hazel Mushrooms and the delicious scent of the chicken.

The combined aroma was incredibly tantalizing.

Lin Xu scooped out the softened vermicelli and stirred in some Dark Soy Sauce to color it, enhancing its appetizing appearance. Then, he lifted the pot lid, added the vermicelli to the pot, and turned up the heat for a vigorous simmer.

While it simmered, the large iron pot had to be constantly shaken to prevent the vermicelli at the bottom from sticking and burning, and also to accelerate the evaporation of moisture.

When only a little sauce remained in the pot, it was ready to be dished out.

The reddish-brown chicken pieces, glossy vermicelli, and Hazel Mushrooms—swollen from absorbing the sauce—all exuded a rich and tempting fragrance.

No wonder this dish is considered one of the Four Great Stews of the Northeast—the flavor was simply unbeatable!

The portion today was quite large, just enough to fill three large bowls.

Just as he finished plating, Song Tiantian appeared at the kitchen door. "Boss, is it ready?" she called out. "I've been waiting to eat!"

Wei Qian picked a bowl with more vermicelli and handed it to her. "Didn't you ask for extra vermicelli at noon? This bowl has the most. Take it and enjoy. If it's not enough, remember to come up for more. We probably won't finish all of ours."

"All right, all right, thank you, Master Wei."

"Nothing to thank me for. Once you're at Lin Ji, you're family. Hurry up and go eat."

Although Wei Qian was also a big man, he carried a lot of flab, almost the complete opposite of Song Tiantian, who was muscular and trim with no excess fat.

So, seeing Song Tiantian, Wei Qian's face filled with envy.

When will I ever be able to get that muscular?

Once the kitchen was sorted, they also began their dinner.

By now, Shen Guofu's family of three and Chen Yan were already waiting in a booth on the second floor. Seeing Lin Xu arrive with a small pot of Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms, Shen Guofu couldn't help but sniff. "They used to say, 'When a son-in-law visits, the chickens meet their doom.' Our family is the opposite. We've never fed our son-in-law our home-raised chickens; instead, we're always here freeloading off his meals."

Lin Xu smiled. "Please don't say that, Dad. It's my honor to have you all here for meals. If you didn't come, other customers might think the food is so bad that even my own family won't eat it."

As soon as Lin Xu said this, Shen Guofu was so pleased he immediately wanted a cup of Liquor.

Unfortunately, he had driven there today and had been scolded by Director Han just last night for drinking. So, Old Shen reluctantly smacked his lips and started on his rice.

"Wow, this vermicelli is delicious!"

Shen Jiayue loved eating vermicelli. The moment Lin Xu put down the pot, she picked up a chopstick-full of vermicelli, placed it on her rice, and slurped it down as if it were noodles.

After that, she took a couple more mouthfuls of rice.

That was truly satisfying!

The dish, stewed in the iron pot, was richly aromatic. After the vermicelli were added, they absorbed much of the sauce. Thus, when she slurped the vermicelli, the savory chicken flavor and the fresh taste of the Hazel Mushrooms went right down with them, making her exclaim in enjoyment.

Chen Yan initially wasn't very interested in this dark-looking stewed dish.

But seeing her cousin enjoying it so much, she decided to try a few pieces herself.

The moment she tasted it, she immediately felt she hadn't gotten enough rice.

With such fragrant chicken, such smooth vermicelli, and such flavorful Hazel Mushrooms, how could one bowl of rice possibly be enough? If people from the Northeast saw me eating so little, they might think I look down on Northeastern cuisine! Right, I need to get another big bowl later, lest people accuse me of regional bias.

Downstairs, Song Tiantian was heartily eating her meal, taking large mouthfuls of rice.

The boss's skills are amazing! The young chicken and Hazel Mushrooms are stewed perfectly, and the potato vermicelli are delicious too, having absorbed the sauce while remaining smooth and tender. It really feels like I'm back in my hometown! But this place is home too. Didn't Master Wei just say it? Once you're at Lin Ji, you're family. And family should support and take care of each other! So, how should we take care of each other?

Thinking of Wei Qian's flab and then of the grueling physical training she had endured at the sports school, Song Tiantian's eyes suddenly lit up. What if I supervise Wei Qian's weight loss?

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I originally wrote 6,000 words but felt a 1,000-word plot section wasn't suitable, so I deleted it. Consequently, this chapter is only 5,000 words. Brothers, I humbly request your Monthly Tickets!