Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 355 - 356: Encountering a Fan and Dapan Chicken

Chapter 355: Chapter 356: Encountering a Fan and Dapan Chicken

"Hiss... Why does this guy look so out of place?"

"It feels like Boss Wang and the lady boss aren’t even on the same layer as this guy."

"Boss Wang and the lady boss blend perfectly with the scenery behind them, but when this guy stands there, it feels like there’s a scenic photo hanging behind him."

"Your background looks too fake!"

The ever-resourceful group members quickly summed up the issue.

The blue sky, white clouds, and crystal-clear lake water, surrounded by lush green grass and blooming flowers, created a harmonious scene with the swans, making it feel like a fairytale world. Boss Wang and the lady boss sat quietly by the lake, appreciating the grace of the swans and the gifts of nature, merging perfectly into this beautiful scenery.

But this group member, well, seemed like he was singled out and just couldn’t blend in with the beautiful backdrop.

Originally, they wanted to continue with more complaints, but upon second thought, they realized the situation was not that simple.

The group member might not be ugly, just an average person, but the scenery was too beautiful, and the two sitting on the ground had high attractiveness. Comparisons can be the worst; in this case, he became a supporting green leaf to the beautiful flowers.

The guy was wearing all black, making him even more out of place.

Seeing this, every group member had one thought in their minds — never appear in the same frame with Boss Wang and the lady boss!

Chen Kai wasn’t thinking much about it; seeing Wang Fan genuinely made him a bit excited.

Wang Fan smiled and said, "As I promised before, if we bump into each other, I’d treat you to a dish. I’ll keep my word. What do you want to eat?"

Chen Kai smacked his lips, reminiscing about the perfect taste of various grilled dishes from back in the day, making him unconsciously lick his lips again.

What to eat?

Skewered lamb was out of the question. Although the chefs at Great Border might not be as skilled as Boss Wang, they are still a solid seventy to eighty percent there, so having their food just to satisfy a craving is fine.

As for what he truly wanted to eat...

Chen Kai’s eyes lit up as he said, "Boss Wang, could you make me a big plate of chicken? Honestly, I really enjoy chicken, and I’ve been yearning for Great Border’s big plate chicken. But the one I ate a couple of days ago cost a lot and tasted quite average. I want to see if yours is any different from theirs."

He was indeed looking forward to the Great Border big plate chicken, but ever since he landed in Urumqi, he had tried it at three different places, and the taste was terribly disappointing — he barely touched the huge platter of chicken.

Wang Fan was somewhat surprised. This big plate chicken is a specialty here; although he hadn’t tried it himself, it shouldn’t be that bad, right?

"Where did you eat it?"

When Chen Kai thought about it, he got angry and said indignantly, "I found them online; they were all those viral internet-famous restaurants, but when I went, it turned out to be nothing like that. The food was appallingly bad, the chicken tasted like rubber tires."

Wang Fan shook his head speechlessly: "You dared to go to those internet-famous restaurants? Most of their budget is spent on advertising; how much money can they truly spend on quality ingredients?"

Chen Kai was even more speechless: "Isn’t it because of you? You’re also an internet-famous restaurant, so I thought all internet-famous restaurants would be that delicious."

Wang Fan couldn’t help but laugh, this situation boomeranged back onto him.

"I’m not an internet-famous restaurant, don’t talk nonsense."

But as it turned out, Wang Fan was planning to make big plate chicken for dinner today; the ingredients were already bought in the afternoon.

"Alright, big plate chicken it is. I was just planning to make it tonight. Let’s stroll around first, and at around 5 o’clock, we’ll start cooking."

Chen Kai, with his keen perception, didn’t stick around as a third wheel. He was quite accustomed to wandering around on his own.

Setting up a meet at 5 o’clock, Chen Kai then trekked up the mountain by himself.

Wang Fan, along with Zhuo Qianqian, wandered to the lakeside, removed their shoes and socks, and dipped their feet into the chilly lake water. Through the water’s surface, they could clearly see their feet in the lake, living up to Jing Lake’s visibility, which can reach up to 12 meters.

The Sayram Lake highway stretches for 92 kilometers, and taking time to leisurely drive around and enjoy the scenery takes about four to five hours, so when Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian arrived, it was already three o’clock, making it impossible to complete a full circle that day.

The two had planned to camp at Keler Yongzhu.

About twenty other people had the same idea, with various tents already set up.

When it seemed time, Wang Fan returned to the motorhome to begin preparing the big plate chicken.

The authentic Great Border cuisine naturally requires a Great Border specialty chicken, and Wang Fan had purchased a kind that’s a local specialty called Jimusa’er chicken.

This kind of chicken is raised under very stringent conditions locally, which corresponds to superior meat quality admired by the people of Guangfu, perfecting the dream chicken that "grows with time, running carefree in mountain forests, drinking spring water when thirsty, and eating grasshoppers when hungry."

The "line chicken," or castrated rooster, not only has a large size but also particularly tender and delicious meat with a good chew.

Open flames are prohibited at Sayram Lake, but Wang Fan’s RV is equipped with everything, so this rule didn’t bother him.

The peppers were soaked first, and then the whole chicken was chopped into chunks and carefully cleaned with flour; blanching such a delicacy would be a sheer waste.

The soaked and chopped peppers were stir-fried to release red oil and set aside, while potatoes were peeled and cut into large chunks for later.

Next came the moment to show some skill.

Wang Fan had recently grown fond of using brown sugar to caramelize, as it has a unique aroma other sugars lack. As long as the amount is controlled, it can add a unique caramel scent to the food.

The brown sugar in the pot quickly melted and bubbled, and the cleaned chicken pieces were all thrown into the pot to stir-fry.

The white chicken skin was coated with caramel and quickly turned into a tempting bright red color.

The preparation method and ingredients of the big plate chicken have much in common with other chicken stir-fries, and the effectiveness of the flavors probably depends on the quality of the ingredients.

The Jimusa’er chicken indeed lived up to its 180-yuan price; once slightly stir-fried, its unique aroma wafted through the air.

Under high heat, the chicken skin quickly tightened, moisture evaporating, and then the pre-fried peppers were tossed into the pot, followed by a generous amount of ginger and onions.

While stir-frying, other seasonings were added, and finally, a light sprinkle of cumin was followed by some water for simmering.

This free-range chicken is different from a young tender chicken; without a bit of simmering, the meat would be too tight, affecting the texture.

Simmering not only enhances the savory taste of the chicken but guarantees it will be irresistible to whoever eats it.

Zhuo Qianqian was not idle either; big plate chicken requires noodles. She took the cut noodles, pulling and snapping them, the pure white noodles slapping onto the board just like when Wang Fan previously made oil-sprinkled noodles.

The two were bustling away feverishly, while the campers outside were having a tough time.

The food within the scenic spots is generally not tasty, so everyone brought their own food; some took the easy route with braised goods and bread, while the more meticulous ones brought pans or grills for hot pot or barbecue.

But even for those who came prepared, they couldn’t compete with the aroma wafting from the motorhome.

The rich scent of chicken that made one gulp was swept everywhere by the breeze from the lake.

And the worst part was, despite the lake wind hitting levels four to five, it barely diluted the aroma.

After a tiresome day, they were already hungry; suddenly catching a whiff of such an irresistible fragrance, they could only struggle to endure.

Many people, eyes green with envy, were fixated on the motorhome, eager to know what delectable dish would emerge from it soon.