Chapter 80: Chapter 69: Stir-fried Chicken with Dipping Noodles, This Is Divine

At this point, Su Chen wasn’t using any fancy techniques. He was simply stir-frying with a spatula, making sure every piece of chicken was coated in the rich sauce.

After about three or four minutes, the initial fragrance of the spices began to fade, replaced by a distinct, meaty aroma.

This meaty scent, mingled with the fragrances of various seasonings, was so potent that Ling Shuyu found herself unconsciously swallowing.

’Who doesn’t love meat?!’

"When the meat becomes fragrant, add hot water. It has to be hot water!"

The chicken pieces in the wok were rapidly absorbing the flavorful aroma. Adding cold water would cause the skin to seize up, preventing the flavor from penetrating the meat.

The hot water in the wok quickly turned a deep, saucy brown, rising to almost cover the chicken. Su Chen put on the lid and finally, unhurriedly, began prepping the other ingredients.

"Cut the potatoes into small, irregular chunks and toss them right in."

A layer of small potato chunks was added to the pot.

"Smash the green and red peppers a couple of times and chop them roughly. We’ll use them later."

With that, the bulk of the work for the stir-fried chicken was done. But of course, Su Chen wouldn’t forget the most important step.

"Who can get some noodle dough from the freezer?"

Aunt Fang was quick to respond. "I’ll do it."

The current bestseller at Delicious was its Aromatic Noodles. They were delicious, inexpensive, and a great value—a perfect fit for the noodle-loving locals of Jingzhou.

That’s why the freezer was always stocked with noodle dough.

Aunt Fang’s pastry skills were actually quite impressive; Su Chen considered her much better at it than he was.

In just a few movements, she rolled the dough into a thin sheet, sprinkled it with dry flour, folded it over, and swiftly sliced it into long noodles.

Aunt Fang brought a separate pot of water to a boil and was just about to add the noodles when Su Chen stopped her.

"Hold on, it’s not time to cook the noodles yet."

The noodles are best within a minute of being cooked and rinsed in cold water. That’s when they’re cool on the outside, hot on the inside, and have the perfect chewy texture.

So for now, they just needed to be ready to go.

The wok with the chicken let out a GURGLING BUBBLE, accompanied by an ever-intensifying meaty aroma.

Su Chen’s creation combined the style of Jiang Province’s Big Plate Chicken with the "wet fry" method from Linyi’s stir-fried chicken.

As for the seasoning, he used the classic savory soy-sauce base common in Lu Province.

Jiang Province’s Big Plate Chicken tends to be spicy, with seasonings similar to Sichuan cuisine, which doesn’t suit the palates of Jingzhou’s locals.

The savory chicken aroma now filling the air was so intense it made the onlookers’ eyes practically bulge out of their heads. They couldn’t stop swallowing.

"This dish is going to be a hit! Just from the smell, I could eat three bowls of rice!"

That was He Shuting for you—the girl who could eat anything and never gain weight.

Although Sister Shengnan was just as eager to eat the chicken, her mind was on business. "Boss, how are we going to price this dish?"

Su Chen had already decided on the price.

"88 yuan a serving. The first portion of noodles is free, and an extra one is 5 yuan. Use that medium-sized bowl... you know, the one He Shuting always uses for her noodles."

"Boss!!!" He Shuting stomped her foot in frustration. "I only ever have two bowls! Is that really so much?"

The silence that followed was deafening.

"88 a serving. That’s not too high, but not too low either. I think it’s reasonable." Ling Shuyu stepped forward to offer her opinion. "One person could never finish a pot this big. Two people sharing with the free portion of noodles should be more than satisfied."

"Nonono~" Su Chen wagged his finger. "I only used a whole chicken today because it’s a staff meal. I’m planning to make two servings out of one chicken, at 88 yuan each."

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.

’Half a chicken for 88 yuan?’

Hearing this, Ling Shuyu frowned slightly.

At a mid- to high-end restaurant, that price wouldn’t be outrageous; in fact, it would be about right.

After all, dishes with chicken, duck, or fish are considered major entrées, so a slightly higher price is understandable.

But for a place like Delicious, given its location and atmosphere, selling half a chicken for 88 yuan... that price was a little ridiculous.

Never mind other people; Ling Shuyu, a "little rich girl" herself, figured she wouldn’t order it after hearing the price.

"Let’s not discuss the price anymore. I know what I’m doing." With that, Su Chen lifted the lid of the wok.

In that short time, the sauce in the pot had reduced significantly and thickened slightly.

"Alright, time to add all the green and red peppers. Then a bit of scallion oil and a ladleful of chicken broth."

The chicken broth was to enhance the umami—much more effective than MSG powder.

He poured out half of the sauce from the pot before turning the heat to high to reduce what was left. At the same time, he used the freshly added scallion oil to stir-fry the peppers until they were just cooked through.

This was the second part of Su Chen’s plan.

Noodles needed a broth, but a proper plate of stir-fried chicken couldn’t be too soupy. After thickening the remaining sauce in the wok, he sprinkled in some toasted white sesame seeds and gave it another stir.

While the heat was still high, he drizzled a splash of vinegar around the rim of the wok. The sharp, vinegary scent vanished in an instant, leaving behind only an even richer, meatier aroma.

He poured the entire contents of the wok—chicken and potatoes—into a large, wide bowl. He then sprinkled it with finely chopped cilantro and poured the sauce he had set aside earlier around the edges of the dish.

"Done!" Su Chen clapped his hands together.

This dish, the result of sixteen hours of repeated trials and refinement, combined the culinary methods of two provinces and was adapted to suit the local tastes of Jingzhou.

System Rating: A Level.

"Boss, what about the noodles..."

Su Chen shook his head. "No rush. We’ll eat the chicken first and cook the noodles at the end."

Jiang Province’s Big Plate Chicken is often served over a bed of wide, belt-like noodles. In some parts of Lu Province, people eat stir-fried chicken by dipping noodles into the sauce. The styles vary.