I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 725 - 325 Hurry, help me up to try it! Super Simple Drunken Crab Recipe! [Request Monthly Ticket]_2

Chapter 725: Chapter 325 Hurry, help me up to try it! Super Simple Drunken Crab Recipe! [Request Monthly Ticket]_2

Old Huang greeted Zeng Xiaoqi. He then looked at Xie Baomin, who had just emerged from the kitchen, and asked, "Why are you limping?"

"Twisted my foot... Didn’t you say you were out of Floral Carving Wine? How come there’s more now? Damn it, not a single truthful word comes out of your mouth."

Old Huang was probably wary of his senior brother and Dai Jianli freeloading all the time. So he declared some of the sought-after ingredients as unavailable.

"I found them while rummaging through the warehouse. I was planning to keep them to savor slowly myself, but since your junior brother wanted them, I brought the whole lot over."

"Tsk, ’the whole lot’ is a fine choice of words."

Xie Baomin patted Old Huang’s shoulder and pointed to Cui Qingyuan, who was sitting not far away chatting with Geng Lele. "That’s Professor Cui from Tsinghua University. Go and say hello; today’s Hairy Crabs are all sponsored by Professor Cui."

Upon hearing this, Old Huang knew this was an opportunity to expand his connections. He knew Professor Cui; the refined professor had even spoken at Geng Lele’s university entrance celebration previously. But it had been crowded then, and they hadn’t had a chance to chat. Since today presented such a great opportunity, he definitely needed to get acquainted.

Old Huang was in the business of high-end ingredients. This field was one where connections mattered immensely, as his clients were all people of considerable social standing, and regular advertising had little effect. Only introductions between acquaintances could connect him with potential clients.

While Old Huang went to greet them, Lin Xu and Che Zai moved the Floral Carving Wine to the kitchen.

Opening the cardboard box, they found black ceramic jars inside, each sealed with sealing wax. The packaging alone indicated that this Floral Carving Wine wasn’t cheap; otherwise, the cost of the packaging itself wouldn’t be recouped. The sealing wax was stamped with a date: brewed in ’06. Although he wasn’t sure if the stamp was genuine, the packaging itself was quite impressive.

Using a knife to scrape off the sealing wax, they opened the lid, and the distinctive, delicate fragrance of Floral Carving Wine drifted out.

"Boss, this wine doesn’t smell much different from ordinary Rice Wine," Che Zai sniffed, a little suspicious they might have been ripped off by Old Huang. He was now in charge of purchasing. With a kitchen full of knowledgeable head chefs and master chefs, he was terrified of buying subpar ingredients and earning their disdain.

"Rice Wine needs to be warmed," Lin Xu explained. "This allows the wine’s aroma to fully develop and any off-flavors to dissipate."

The crabs in the steamer were almost done. Perfect timing to warm some wine and get ready to eat.

He filled a pot halfway with water, placed it on the stove, and heated it to just over fifty degrees Celsius. Then, he turned the flame down low and placed the ceramic jar of Floral Carving Wine into the pot to warm.

Normally, one would heat a pot of water to seventy degrees Celsius, turn off the heat, and then place the wine container inside. However, today’s black ceramic jar was quite thick and a poor conductor of heat. Coupled with the substantial quantity of wine, it needed to be gently heated in a water bath for a while.

Compared to Liquor, the production process for Rice Wine is somewhat cruder, which can result in some off-flavors. Warming it before drinking helps these dissipate and intensifies the wine’s true aroma. Additionally, a small amount of methanol is unavoidably produced during the winemaking process. Gently heating the wine allows the highly volatile methanol to evaporate, making it healthier to drink. Actually, decanting red wine serves a similar purpose.

As the temperature inside the ceramic jar rose, the rich aroma of the Rice Wine soon began to permeate the kitchen.

Once the wine was warmed, Zhu Yong opened the steamer and brought out the crabs, which had turned a vibrant red.

"Dinner’s ready!"

The crowd, eagerly awaiting the crabs, gathered immediately at the call. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

A basin of shredded ginger and vinegar dip was ready. Those who liked ginger could scoop from the bottom, while those who didn’t could simply take some vinegar from the top. Either way, the potent, ginger-infused vinegar was the perfect dipping sauce for the crabs.

The men who were drinking set up a separate table to avoid disturbing the ladies enjoying their crabs.

Lin Xu brought over the warmed Rice Wine, set out several wine bowls, and, holding the ceramic jar, began to pour.

Sitting beside him, Cui Qingyuan took a deep breath and said, "This Floral Carving Wine has such a rich aroma! Excellent wine, Boss Huang."

Old Huang picked up a crab and lifted its carapace. The rich roe and fat immediately began to ooze out. He slurped it up and said, "Professor Cui, if you like it, I can drop off a case for you next time I’m passing Tsinghua University."

Xie Baomin kicked him. "Damn it, didn’t you say you were out?"

Old Huang chuckled awkwardly. "There’s just a tiny bit left in the warehouse. I’ll get you a case too, but you absolutely mustn’t mention it at Fishing Platform. Those head chefs there are like wolves; they even try to snatch the purple sweet potatoes I buy..."

Cui Qingyuan asked curiously, "What’s so special about them that they’d fight over them? Is the quality that good?"

Xie Baomin shook his head. "It’s because free food always tastes better."

With that, he picked up a crab. Just as he was about to untie the string binding it, he suddenly remembered his earlier declaration about not wanting to see any more string today and couldn’t help but chuckle.

I really shouldn’t make such absolute statements in the future. Otherwise, they come back to bite you in an instant.

Luckily, Da Chun wasn’t at this table; otherwise, who knows what that guy might blurt out.

Everyone ate crabs and chatted, occasionally taking a sip from their bowls of aromatic Floral Carving Wine, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After eating several crabs, Lin Xu had satisfied his craving.

He returned to the kitchen and made himself a plate of Yangzhou Fried Rice. Just as he was about to dig in, a certain young lady with the surname Shen hijacked it, lamenting, "Why is it that they all get to eat with such relish, while I can’t get any meat out of these crabs?"

Lin Xu was speechless. Could it be, he thought, that you just don’t know how to eat a crab?

He asked curiously, "I saw there are also swimming crabs in the villa’s fridge. How do you eat them at home?"

"Aunt Liu picks out the meat for me," she said. "She just pokes it with a crab leg, and the meat comes right out. I tried that earlier... but the crab leg broke off inside the meat."