Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 328 - 329: Three-Cup Chicken with Glossy Sauce and Shine

Chapter 328: Chapter 329: Three-Cup Chicken with Glossy Sauce and Shine

However, adjusting ingredients and seasonings isn’t something just anyone can do on a whim.

One needs to have a deep understanding of these ingredients and seasonings, and it takes repeated and extensive practice to truly master them. Does this young man, barely in his early twenties, really have this kind of skill?

Moreover, what he’s cooking isn’t a regular amount. This massive pot, five feet in diameter, can serve at least four to five hundred people, right?

Can he really get the seasoning ratio right? Luo Yongduo felt skeptical about it.

Wang Fan was generous with his ingredients, not even adding water to the stewed chicken. Hakka Cuisine is known for being rich in flavor, with heavy use of oil and a salty taste. Adding water might actually not fit the taste preferences of these locals.

As the chicken stewed, its savory aroma wafted continuously, and the original yellowish-white chicken was stained a saucy red.

Wang Fan kept turning the meat with a large iron shovel, ensuring the color of the chicken evened out.

After just five minutes of cooking, Wang Fan added scallions and red chili peppers to the pot, finally tossing in a large basin of baby bok choy.

The usual method is to add basil or perilla leaves at the end. These additions can give the San Bei Chicken different flavors, but since he didn’t have those on hand, he opted for some baby bok choy instead.

Just by smelling the continuous aroma, Luo Yongduo knew the dish was bound to be delicious, but he was quite curious about the actual taste in the mouth.

"Young man, do you mind if an old man like me takes a bite first to try it?"

Luo Yongduo was eager to try the skills of this junior chef.

Having just brought over a lot of supplies, such a small request wasn’t a problem for Wang Fan. He immediately grabbed a porcelain bowl and served a portion of San Bei Chicken for him.

After thanking Wang Fan, Luo Yongduo couldn’t resist bringing the bowl to his nose, first smelling it and then examining the color, nodding with approval to both.

The aroma had a noticeable soy sauce and rice wine scent, yet neither overwhelmed the dish. These flavors subdued the slight gaminess of the chicken and perfectly highlighted its fresh aroma.

The color was even more exceptional. He had watched Wang Fan’s every move closely, certain that the young man hadn’t used starch, yet the chicken in the bowl had the typical glossiness of being coated in oil.

A layer of oil perfectly enveloped the glossy chicken pieces, giving off an enticing sheen that was far from greasy, instead making one’s mouth water at the sight.

Unable to help himself, Luo Yongduo gave a thumbs up and praised, "This San Bei Chicken of yours seems different from the traditional method, but the aroma is truly incredible, and the ratio of rice wine to soy sauce is just right.

Most importantly, you’ve mastered the heat perfectly. The proteins in the chicken and skin have been fully released, resulting in such perfect color and glossy sauce. I’m almost drooling, hahaha."

In response to Luo Yongduo’s praise, Wang Fan smiled and said, "Thank you, Master Luo, for your kind words. Please taste it first. Honestly, this is my first time making this dish, and I’m not sure if it’ll suit everyone’s taste."

Luo Yongduo picked up two pieces of chicken, with the glossy fat pooling beneath them, just reluctant to drip down, which left him silently impressed.

Was this young one practicing from the womb?

This effect without using starch, and the final state, almost rivaled his own skill. Unfortunately, none of his disciples had reached this level!

As soon as the chicken went into his mouth, the rich aroma filled his entire mouth. The salty soy sauce, the richness of rice wine, and other seasonings harmonized, creating a flavor that’s layered and rich without being overwhelming, richer than just the aroma smelled by his nose.

Luo Yongduo gently bit into it. The chicken was the San Huang variety he had brought, known for its tender meat. The perfect heat made the chicken tender and springy, the skin melting upon entry, yet the chicken retained a slight chew.

The tender chicken fibers were fine, allowing one to feel the elasticity and smoothness with each chew, providing a pleasant and satisfying taste sensation with every bite.

As Luo Yongduo savored the various changes in the chicken, the more he savored, the more he discovered its endless complexity.

"I have to say, this San Bei Chicken is incredibly tasty, almost on par with my own."

Luo Yongduo genuinely admired the dish, though he wasn’t being stingy about sharing with Wang Fan. In reality, Wang Fan was busy with Cheng Dong and others, preparing to serve the dish from the pot, with no time to hear his commentary.

Compared to Luo Yongduo, Wang Fan was more eager to ensure that these fellow villagers, who had suffered from the flood, could quickly have a hot meal. After all, Master Luo certainly wouldn’t go hungry, and his home had not been flooded.

The call for mealtime was the happiest moment of the day for these affected villagers. Having a bite of a hot meal could erase all the day’s fatigue, especially since today was chicken. They had already smelled the chicken aroma while working.

Tears could only be held back with great effort to stop them from rolling down the cheeks, a difficult task!

The bowls filled with chicken chunks boasted a bright color and enticing aroma; they couldn’t wait to eat together and immediately started devouring from their bowls.

The rich and extremely tender chicken chunks were a delight to chew; it could be called "Meat of Forgetting Troubles." Regardless of the floodwaters, even if the sky fell, nothing could stop them from enjoying this meal.

"Wow, this San Bei Chicken looks like it’s been lacquered, hahaha."

"This is my first time eating San Bei Chicken this delicious."

"Is this young man one of us Hakka? Otherwise, how could he make Hakka Cuisine so delicious?"

"Unbeatable, this young man’s skill is simply unbeatable. I just walked past the other chefs and their dishes don’t compare at all."

After Wang Fan finished the San Bei Chicken, Luo Yongduo’s apprentices had mostly completed their dishes too, from making Mui Choy Pork Belly to White Cut Chicken, and brought them to the unified serving area.

These dishes were ones the Hakka people regularly enjoyed, but now, next to Wang Fan’s San Bei Chicken, they appeared to be mere accompaniments and side dishes.

"More San Bei Chicken, just a slice of Mui Choy Pork Belly for me."

"I’ll have the same, but give me a piece of White Cut Chicken."

"Can I only have San Bei Chicken?"

Luo Yongduo’s top disciples had already earned a top-tier reputation within the Cantonese cuisine scene, but noticing that their dishes were less favored compared to those made by a young man in his twenties, they felt slightly embarrassed.

Gathering around Luo Yongduo, the only one who had tasted the San Bei Chicken, they started inquiring, "Master, how would you rate this young man’s San Bei Chicken? What do you think?"