I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 685 - 312: Wow, isn’t this Spicy Chicken way too delicious? Director Shen’s first production meeting! [Please subscribe]_2

Chapter 685: Chapter 312: Wow, isn’t this Spicy Chicken way too delicious? Director Shen’s first production meeting! [Please subscribe]_2

Wei Qian leaned in to take a look, his enthusiasm for pork giving way for the first time to anticipation for the chicken.

Even just making the Seasoning Oil was so complex. How could the resulting Spicy Chicken taste anything but amazing?

When the chili had simmered until its surface was somewhat crispy, Lin Xu scooped chicken broth from a pot nearby, adding four spoonfuls of the yellow-fat-laced broth to the simmering seasoning.

When the chicken broth was added, the aroma in the pot climbed to a new level.

He brought the sauce to a boil, then added a small spoonful of salt for seasoning.

The chicken broth already contained salt, so not much more was needed. After adding salt, he added some pepper powder to enhance the sauce’s flavor.

In commercial approaches, this step would also include Chicken Powder, chicken juice, and Flavoring to enhance umami.

But today, as it was just for themselves, he decided to skip these ingredients.

Lin Xu sprinkled in some white sugar to enhance the flavor.

After simmering for a bit to mix the seasonings uniformly, he added a small spoonful of Sichuan peppercorn oil to further enrich the numbing and oily mouthfeel.

Then, he poured the sauce into a basin to start cooling.

As soon as he poured it out, Zhuang Yizhou and the others gathered around:

"A basin of sauce, half of it oil, no wonder Spicy Chicken isn’t cheap."

"That fragrance is truly tantalizing. I can’t help but want a bite right now."

"Boss, you’d better put plenty of belt noodles today, even if there’s no chicken. Just mixing this sauce with noodles would have me down two big bowls."

The sauce being too hot would affect the texture of the Spicy Chicken, so Lin Xu planned to cool it in the cold storage, as oil cools down too slowly naturally.

However, the sauce shouldn’t be completely cooled. It needed to be warm. Otherwise, the chicken fat would solidify, giving it a pasty texture.

He picked up the basin of sauce and said,

"The high price outside doesn’t have much to do with the Seasoning Oil, right? Master Ma, you’re more experienced. How do restaurants usually make Spicy Chicken?"

In the distance, busy with prep, Ma Zhiqiang replied:

"Chili essence, Sichuan peppercorn essence, chicken flavor additives, flavor enhancers... a whole bunch of stuff. It’s like a chemistry experiment."

Lin Xu, turning to the few top chefs who hadn’t worked in regular restaurants, said with a smile,

"The endgame of cooking is chemical engineering, also a way for regular restaurants to cut costs."

Once the Seasoning Oil was ready, Lin Xu started preparing the sides for the Spicy Chicken.

This was quite simple: onions, green onions, and cilantro stems.

He sliced the purple onions, cut the green onions into strips, and chopped the cilantro stems into segments.

When lunchtime arrived, Lin Xu took the thoroughly chilled chicken from the cold storage and began to tear it into strips by hand.

With the chilling, the chicken flesh had firmed up again, and the skin became much chewier. He started by tearing the Chicken Thigh, followed by the Chicken Breast, stripping all the meat from the carcass and setting the bones and carcass aside.

Later, they could be added to a stew to enhance its flavor.

He placed the torn chicken in a basin, then added the prepared onions, green onions, and cilantro stems.

He ladled some of the oil from the sauce over it, mixed it well with the chicken to ensure the meat was well coated in oil for a better texture.

Then, with a spoon, he scooped a large spoonful of sauce, straining it through a sieve into the basin.

When scooping sauce, he reached to the bottom to scoop it up to ensure he got the broth—scooping directly from the top would just pick up oil, making it too greasy.

Having mixed the chicken with the sides, he garnished with a few of the dried chilies from the sauce for a better presentation—the Spicy Chicken was ready.

"Lunchtime!"

At Lin Xu’s call, all the chefs in the kitchen, who had been tantalized by the aroma for half the day, showed excited expressions on their faces.

At the front of the service counter downstairs, Shu Yun tagged Zeng Xiaoqi and the newly added Geng Lele in the group:

"Lunch is starting. Hurry up, you two. Today, the boss made Spicy Chicken, and if you’re late, you might miss out."

Still in bed, playing on her phone and reluctant to get up, Zeng Xiaoqi suddenly sat up: 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Why are we having lunch at this hour? It’s only just past ten!"

Shu Yun replied with resignation,

"That’s basically how it is in catering; meal times are really irregular."

"I’m coming right now. Just make sure to save some for me!"

Geng Lele arrived quickly. She had been nearby queuing for Shengjian Buns but dropped that plan upon seeing the message, scanned a shared bike, and reached the store’s doorstep.

Her fondness for food almost matched her thirst for knowledge.

After Shu Yun sent the message, the staff from upstairs delivered that day’s lunch.

A basin of Spicy Chicken, a basin of belt noodles seasoned with the Spicy Chicken’s broth, and two side dishes to complement the meal.

"If we run out of noodles, there’s plenty more in the kitchen. Just ask for more."

The waitstaff gathered around and started their meal.

Taking a clean bowl, they scooped up almost half a bowl of noodles and topped it off with some chicken.

Taking a bite of chicken, the delicious, numbing, and spicy flavor, along with its firm and chewy texture, immediately whet their appetites. The smooth and springy noodles, once dressed in the Spicy Chicken’s sauce, also ascended a notch in flavor.

Even without the chicken, these noodles were incredibly satisfying to eat.

"This is so delicious!"

"The boss’s skills are incredible. It’s just a pity that as it gets colder, we probably won’t have new dishes this year."

"Then we’ll just wait for next year; there are plenty of other delicious things anyway."

"Right, just now, I heard the boss asked Chef Zhu to make Lotus Root stew with Pork Ribs in a couple of days. As someone from Hubei, I’m really looking forward to tasting my hometown cuisine here."

"Me too, me too, eating Pork Ribs and drinking soup at the same time, oh my, what a feeling."

"..."

Listening to the chattering of the waitstaff, Shu Yun scooped up a bowl of noodles, topped it with some Spicy Chicken, and headed upstairs while eating. She needed to confirm the filming schedule with the owner’s wife.