great-warnovel Chapter 81 What kind of divine thing is this?
Chapter 81 What kind of divine thing is this?
As the temperature of the two large pots rose, the air in the kitchen gradually became humid and hot.
Xingruo gripped the strainer tightly in her hand, staring intently at the water's surface.
"Plop—"
As the water splashed in the center of the pot, the clear surface of the water was quickly covered with a layer of grayish-brown foam.
A fishy smell wafted out, causing Su Chen, who was helping to peel potatoes, to frown.
"撇" (piě).
Chen Feng gave a low shout, his voice steady.
Xingruo immediately took action.
Her movements, though not very skillful, were quite delicate.
The strainer gently glides across the water's surface, scraping away the annoying scum little by little into the waste bin beside it.
"Master, why is there more and more foam the more I skim it off?" Xingruo asked anxiously, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"That's the result of blood and impurities being forced out under high temperatures." Chen Feng walked to her side, his gaze fixed on the pot.
"Don't rush, take your time. This step is like giving this pot of meat a 'bath'; if it's not clean, the spices won't be able to penetrate it later."
Remember, the heat shouldn't be too high; maintain a gentle simmer. High heat will overcook the surface of the meat, preventing the meaty parts inside from coming out.
Five full minutes passed, until the water in the pot became clear again and the fishy smell completely dissipated, before Chen Feng nodded.
"Alright, turn off the heat. Su Chen, bring a colander and scoop the meat out to drain."
Su Chen quickly put down the peeler in his hand, held the colander and went over.
Large chunks of blanched beef brisket were scooped out of the water. The surface of the meat had turned grayish-white, but because the cooking time was well controlled, the meat still retained excellent elasticity.
"Now for the main event."
Chen Feng unbuttoned one button on his collar and took a wet towel, draping it over his shoulder.
He walked to the largest iron pot, turned on the fire, and heated the pot until it was slightly smoky.
"Xing Ruo Su Chen, watch closely, this is called 'hot pan, cold oil'."
The pan needs to be thoroughly heated, and the oil should be cooled slightly; otherwise, the meat will stick to the bottom.
Chen Feng scooped a spoonful of clear oil and slid it across the bottom of the pot. Then, instead of adding the meat directly, he grabbed a small handful of rock sugar and threw it in.
"Brother Chen, isn't caramelizing sugar something you only do when making braised pork?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.
"Beef brisket is needed too." Chen Feng quickly stirred the rock sugar with his spatula.
The rock sugar melts rapidly at high temperatures, turning from white to yellow, then to a deep amber color, and finally forming a layer of fine sesame-like bubbles.
"Now!"
Chen Feng moved with lightning speed, pouring the large basin of drained beef brisket into the pot with a "whoosh".
"Sizzle—!!!"
The cracking sound instantly echoed throughout the kitchen.
The high temperature instantly evaporates the moisture on the surface of the beef brisket, and the caramel aroma produced by the caramelizing sugar mixes with the aroma of the meat, intensely assaulting everyone's sense of smell.
Chen Feng gripped the long-handled iron shovel with both hands.
He stirs the beef brisket with great force each time, ensuring that every piece is evenly coated with that tempting bright red color.
"Look at the surface of the meat!" Chen Feng shouted as he tossed the wok, his voice drowning out the deafening sizzling of the oil.
"When the edges of the meat become slightly charred, or even a little curled, it means it has released excess oil."
At this point, the piece of meat truly "woke up."
Su Ruo and Su Chen watched in stunned silence.
"Next, add the spices!"
Chen Feng freed one hand and grabbed a handful of pre-mixed star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, dried chili peppers, and a few peppercorns from the spice box beside him, scattering them into the pot like a shower of flowers. Next came a large handful of crushed ginger and scallions.
"boom!"
When spices come into contact with hot oil, they are instantly released to produce a rich and complex aroma.
The overpowering fragrance hits you right in the head.
"It smells so good..."
Xingruo couldn't help but sniff.
Mengmeng even dropped the little brush in her hand, ran to the stove, and stood on tiptoe to try to see into the pot.
"Dad, this tastes like magic potion!"
"It's not over yet." Chen Feng's lips curled into a smug smile. He grabbed half a bowl of strong liquor and poured it down the edge of the pot.
"call--!"
A ball of blue and red flames suddenly shot up from the bottom of the pot, engulfing the entire large iron pot.
Su Chen was so frightened that he took half a step back, but he soon discovered that under the scorching heat of the flame, the last trace of odor in the air was completely burned away.
What remains is only pure, mellow aroma.
"Turn off the heat and add water!"
Chen Feng issued another order. Su Chen quickly handed over a large kettle of water that had been boiled in advance.
"Remember, be sure to add boiling water," Chen Feng instructed as he poured the water.
"The meat was already heated up. If you add cold water now, the meat fibers will contract instantly. Even if you stew it for a day and a night, the meat will still be tough to chew."
Only by adding boiling water can it remain in a relaxed state.
Once the boiling water submerged the beef brisket, the broth in the pot instantly turned a rich, dark reddish-brown.
Chen Feng turned down the heat and put the heavy wooden lid on the pot.
"Alright." Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief, put down the shovel in his hand, and turned around to look at the two large pots that were making a low "bubbling" sound.
"That's it?" Su Chen checked the time. This extremely intense operation had only taken a dozen minutes in total.
"The foreplay is over." Chen Feng walked to the sink next to him and washed his hands.
"Now, this pot can cook on its own. For the next fifty minutes, no one is allowed to lift the lid."
"Fifty minutes without opening the lid?" Xingruo asked, somewhat surprised. "Master, aren't you going to flip it over? Aren't you worried it will burn?"
Chen Feng smiled:
"That's why I chose that thick-bottomed cast iron pot."
It has excellent heat retention and sealing properties. Simmering over low heat relies not on the fire itself, but on the pressure generated by the circulation of steam inside the pot.
If you lift the lid halfway through cooking, the aroma will dissipate, and half the flavor of the meat will be lost.
Chen Feng turned to Su Chen and said, "Su Chen, the current fifty minutes are what I called the 'vacuum period'."
Go ahead and cut those potatoes into chunks with Xingruo.
Remember, make sure the pieces are large; if they're too small, they'll all dissolve in the soup.
Su Chen nodded. He now fully understood the significance of Chen Feng's picture.
During these fifty minutes, Chen Feng and his team could prepare the materials at their leisure without needing to intervene.
Time was ticking away, second by second.
Outside the shop, the sunlight had completely bathed the bluestone slabs of the old street.
It was nine o'clock, and no customers had yet arrived.
But Chen Feng and Su Chen had already wiped the tables and chairs in front of them spotless, and even arranged the chopstick holders neatly.
In the kitchen, Xingruo had already chopped a large bowl of golden potato chunks and soaked them in water to prevent them from oxidizing and turning black.
The two large pots made a regular "plop, plop" sound.
As time went by, the rich, mouthwatering aroma of meat seeped out through the cracks, gradually filling the entire restaurant and even drifting into the street.
"Brother Chen, fifty minutes are up."
Su Chen looked at his watch, his tone a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Chen Feng walked to the stove, and his expression became serious.
"Add potatoes."
As soon as Chen Feng finished speaking, he yanked open the wooden lid.
In that instant, a rich, dark red steam shot into the sky, accompanied by an extremely powerful and mellow meaty aroma, instantly filling the entire kitchen.
"Oh My God……"
Su Chen swore that this was the most appetizing smell he had ever ever encountered in his life.
"Quick! Xingruo, drain the potatoes and put them in!"
Chen Feng didn't linger and began giving loud instructions.
Xingruo carried the large basin and poured all the potato chunks into the boiling meat broth.
"Next, seasoning."
Chen Feng held a large iron ladle and began adding light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and a suitable amount of salt to the pot.
"Potatoes absorb salt, so you need to add half a spoonful more salt than usual," Chen Feng explained while stirring.
"These last fifteen minutes are the soul-fusion period of this dish."
The starch in the potatoes will slowly dissolve into the soup, making the broth thicker.
The potatoes themselves, like a sponge, absorb all the essence extracted from the stewed beef brisket.
Chen Feng put the lid back on the pot and turned the heat up a little.
"Now, this is the real countdown."
The final fifteen minutes of waiting were agonizing for everyone.
The flavor, a blend of the fresh aroma of potatoes and the rich taste of beef brisket, grew stronger and more penetrating.
Even though Mengmeng was sitting obediently outside, she couldn't help but keep peeking into the kitchen, her little tummy constantly protesting.
Outside the shop, passersby had already stopped and looked at the small shop with the "Closed" sign in confusion. Some even couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"Time's up."
Chen Feng pressed the stop button on the timer hanging on the wall.
He took a deep breath and gripped the two scalding hot pot lid handles with both hands.
"Su Chen, Xing Ruo, get your plates ready."
Chen Feng suddenly lifted the lid of the pot.
This time, there was no glaring steam; instead, there was a pot of perfectly reddish-brown liquid bubbling softly.
The broth had thickened to an extremely rich consistency, resembling a layer of reddish-brown amber, evenly coating every piece of meat and potato.
The beef brisket has a deep, enticing color and a tempting sheen on the surface. The areas with tendons and fascia have a translucent, gelatinous texture.
The potato chunks, their edges slightly melted and absorbed into the broth, still retained their overall shape, their surfaces, soaked in the meat juices, displaying an extremely tempting golden-yellow color.
Chen Feng picked up a large soup ladle and gently stirred the bottom of the pot.
"This broth...this color..." Su Chen stared blankly at the pot of potato and beef stew that was a work of art, and couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
Chen Feng scooped up a full spoonful and poured the glistening beef brisket and soft potatoes into a large white porcelain bowl that had been prepared beforehand.
As the rich broth was poured over the food, an exquisite aroma instantly filled the entire restaurant, dispelling the morning chill.
Just then, the wooden door, which had been half-closed, was suddenly pushed open anxiously by a pair of fair hands.
"Brother Chen, Brother Chen, what kind of amazing stuff are you guys making today?"