Inside the small shop, Jiang Feng returned with ingredients and began preparing the braised meat. The broth was ready, the spices were prepared, and the meat also required special treatment. All the pork trotters were cleaned and set to stew. Jiang Feng then began to prepare the chicken for braising.
The whole chickens were cleaned in warm water, and their nails needed to be trimmed. Then, he took the cleaned chickens out, placed them on the cutting board, and began trussing them. The so-called trussing involved securing the chicken legs and wings. The chicken legs were secured from the back into the chicken's cavity, and the wings were tucked close to the body, near the beak area. The reason for trussing was to maintain the chicken's form while braising. Jiang Feng trussed ten whole chickens in a row. Their shapes fixed, they were neatly placed in iron pans.
Next, Jiang Feng took out a blowtorch. The torch produced a fine flame, aimed at removing the downy feathers from the chicken's skin. During cleaning, these downy feathers could not be completely removed, especially around the neck, wings, and ear areas. If the braised chicken still had these small feathers, it would certainly affect one's appetite. Jiang Feng turned on the blowtorch, sweeping it over the whole chickens, giving them a high-temperature "spa." As the fine flame made contact, the tiny hairs on the chicken were completely singed off. The chicken then had to be washed again and drained thoroughly.
Little Black sat obediently beside Jiang Feng, not running around. The little guy was very well-behaved.
The broth was already stewing in the pot. Nearby, the spice bag, filled with spices, had also been rinsed to remove any strong medicinal notes. He just needed to caramelize some brown sugar for color and pour it into the pot. He added the spice bag and a little salt. Then, he placed the whole chickens one by one into the rich broth. Because he was braising many at once, he had to arrange them precisely, ensuring all ten chickens would fit.
These cooked white chickens, bathing in the rich and savory broth, would be thoroughly infused with flavor, even into the bones. Inside and out, they would become fragrant and delicious. They just needed to be braised for two and a half hours, then soaked for more than five hours.
After braising, the chicken, once placed on a plate, could be easily torn apart by hand. The chicken deboned perfectly; only a light pull was needed to completely tear the meat apart. Jiang Feng, however, didn't plan to tear the chicken apart; he intended to keep it whole. This was the new specialty dish for tomorrow: "Braised Chicken." It was far more delicious than braised chicken feet or gizzards alone.
Stewing one pot of chicken obviously wasn't enough, so Jiang Feng began preparing a second pot. A total of twenty whole chickens were braised. Then, he also busied himself braising other meats. Inside the small shop, the stove was lined with tall stockpots, each containing different braised products. He would have to come back tomorrow morning to braise a second batch.
Running his stall at the resort might look easy, but the preparatory work was quite tiring. The day passed in a flurry of activity.
「Day five of running the stall at the resort.」
That day, the queue was still a lively scene. Customers of all sorts waited at the food street. Seeing Jiang Feng arrive, they all smiled, ready to line up. Jiang Feng parked his cart, hung up the sign, opened the side window, and began service. He lifted the lid of the braised meat pot, and instantly, the fragrance spread in all directions. Smelling this aroma, the patrons became even more eager.
At the front of the line was a middle-aged man, who looked at Jiang Feng and smiled. "Boss, give me ten pork trotters and two pounds of duck intestines."
"I'm the owner of Happy Ranch. For the past few days, I've been sending my daughter here to buy your braised meats."
"Your braised meats are too delicious. If I don't eat a couple each day, I don't feel right."
"We can collaborate long-term in the future. I'll order more from you."
The man before him was Zhang Dashan, the owner of Happy Ranch. His skin was somewhat dark and rough. It was hard to believe he was Zhang Xinya's father.To put it kindly, the father and daughter bore no resemblance to each other. Zhang Xinya was youthful and pretty, whereas Zhang Dashan appeared much more rugged.
"Yeah, I remember her. She buys quite a lot of braised meat here every day," Jiang Feng said this while weighing the pork trotters for Zhang Dashan.
At that moment, Zhang Dashan looked at the signboard. He noticed the "Spicy Braised Chicken" added to today's menu, which immediately piqued his interest.
"Boss, give me three of those Spicy Braised Chickens."
A ranch owner, after all, has deep pockets. Jiang Feng chuckled and said, "Alright." He ladled out three thoroughly braised chickens from the pot, wrapped each in aluminum foil, and then placed them into a plastic bag.
Seeing the glistening, reddish-brown braised chicken, Zhang Dashan immediately felt his mouth water. This braised meat looks so appetizing!
He then took the purchased braised meat from Jiang Feng. Carrying several white plastic bags, he walked back to his car and drove to Happy Ranch. The first thing he did upon returning was to put on disposable gloves and eat one of the braised chickens.
The chicken meat was stewed until exceptionally tender. He pressed his hands on the chicken and, with a slight effort, split it in half. Then, he grabbed a chicken leg and gently pulled. The meat came off easily with the skin. The well-braised chicken, stained with the color of the broth, looked immensely appetizing. The chicken was succulent, already separating from the bone in some places.
Zhang Dashan opened his mouth wide, stuffed all the chicken leg meat inside, and with a gentle tug, the leg bone slid out of his mouth. Instantly, the wonderful flavor of the meat juices exploded in his mouth. Jiang Feng had added a touch of chili to the chicken's braising broth to achieve a fragrant and spicy taste when eaten. The braised chicken needed a bit of spice to be truly flavorful.
That bite of chicken was incredibly satisfying for Zhang Dashan! The texture was simply divine! The chicken meat was springy in his mouth; the rich broth from seven hours of braising burst forth, mixing with his saliva and becoming more delicious with every chew. "Awesome! Absolutely awesome!"
Zhang Dashan's eyes brightened a bit. He was completely won over by the braised meat Jiang Feng made. Zhang Dashan hoped that Jiang Feng would continue his stall here indefinitely. He had heard from Zhang Xinya yesterday that Jiang Feng might leave in a couple of days. This news deeply dismayed Zhang Dashan.
Executive Chef Jiang, how could I live without you! If I can't eat braised meat like this in the future, the cravings will kill me!
This braised meat is really good, and it's handled so well. It shows this young man at the stall is very meticulous. You can judge a person's character by their ingredients. His character is impeccable. It would be great if I could hire him as a chef for the ranch. I'd willingly pay 20,000 a month. Zhang Dashan thought to himself.
Wearing disposable gloves, he grabbed the chicken directly, pinched a piece between his thumb and forefinger, and tore it off. The meat, along with the skin, came away easily. This chicken was perfectly tender and delicious. All the seasonings served the final flavor, with nothing adversely affecting the texture. He put the torn-off meat into his mouth, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed it down with the broth.
One word: exhilarating. Next, Zhang Dashan tore off another piece of chicken and ate it directly.
For meat lovers, this braised chicken was simply too perfect!
Delicious! It wouldn't be out of the question to offer a 30,000 monthly salary to bring him over. Zhang Dashan indulged in his delightful calculations. Of course, he knew Jiang Feng would be hard to recruit. It was just a pleasant thought.
After finishing one chicken, his mouth was coated with oil. The spicy aftertaste crept up on him, making him draw in several breaths of air uncontrollably. His mouth was filled with a fragrant spiciness; it was an irresistible delight.
Zhang Dashan removed the disposable gloves and downed half a cup of hot tea from his thermos, which somewhat eased the spiciness. But the delightful sensation continued to spread through his mouth.
Now that was a spicy delight! PHEW! PHEW!
"Fantastic!" I originally thought braised pork trotters were unbeatable, but I never imagined braised chicken could be this delicious! Zhang Dashan sighed, still savoring the taste.