Siheyuan: I am different He Yuzhu

After careful planning and close deployment, and after handing over the relevant matters regarding the establishment of the Red Star Engine Manufacturing Plant, He Yuzhu was able to breathe a sigh of relief. However, he soon began to think about another thing - the upcoming graduation banquet to be held by his younger sister, He Yushui.

He sat on the chair, frowned slightly, and thought carefully. First of all, there was his cousin Cai Quanwu's family. According to the number of people, they had to arrange a special table for them; and naturally, there would be a table for his family as well.

Next was Master Wu Baotian. As his family was large, it was estimated that at least two tables would be needed to accommodate all the relatives and friends. Adding the married sister Xiangxiu's family, at least five tables would be needed to meet everyone's needs.

Moreover, He Yuzhu is well aware of the living conditions of people in this era, and their fat intake is generally low, so their appetite is relatively large. Therefore, he must focus on the dishes and prepare more solid "hard dishes".

Fortunately, he has a magical plug-in called Fudi Dongtian. Those materials that are difficult for others to obtain are just a piece of cake for him. This time, he must treat everyone to a good meal.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu had an idea in mind. When the time was right, he planned to place five plump hens, five fresh big fish, twenty kilograms of eggs, half a large pork loin, thirty kilograms of high-quality flour, and twenty kilograms of fragrant camellia seed oil in the house in Qudeng Hutong.

Then, I asked my uncle Cai Quanwu to send these ingredients to the master's home. As for why so much pork was prepared, it was actually a well-thought-out decision. When friends and relatives come to congratulate, they will surely give red envelopes to my sister He Yushui to express their gratitude.

In addition to making sumptuous dishes out of so much pork, the extra part can be shared among everyone, so that each family can take a piece of pork home when they leave. It can be seen as a disguised form of return for everyone’s red envelopes!

Not only that, He Yuzhu already had a more detailed plan in mind. He decided to carefully braise 20 fragrant and mouth-watering roast chickens in advance in this mysterious and charming blessed land.

When the banquet comes, a tempting roast chicken will be placed on each table for the guests to enjoy. Moreover, each family can take a delicious roast chicken home and share this rare delicacy with their family.

Thinking of this, He Yuzhu couldn't help but smile, but then frowned again, as if he suddenly remembered something important. Oh! It turned out that the fine wine had not been prepared yet! With such rich and delicious dishes, how could there be no mellow and rich wine to go with it?

At that time, I had to bring out the whole jar of aged Erguotou that I had asked my uncle to buy. It was an old wine with a mellow taste and a long aftertaste, which would surely make everyone present drink happily and enjoy a happy time.

In this way, time quickly came to the night of the 13th. After a busy day, He Yuzhu finally found a moment of leisure, and he couldn't wait to flash into the blessed land cave.

He carefully selected hens of similar size with his sharp eyes, and soon he had selected 20 of them. These hens had bright feathers and were full of energy, obviously of high quality.

After deciding on the hens for making roast chicken, He Yuzhu took a deep breath, held the kitchen knife tightly in his left hand, and gently stroked the feathers of one of the hens with his right hand, muttering to himself, "Little chicken, little chicken, don't blame me. You were born to be a dish. Go early this year and come back early next year."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his knife and cut the hen's slender neck with a clean and neat movement. In an instant, the bright red chicken blood gushed out like a fountain and fell accurately into the basin that had been prepared below.

In this way, before each hen was sent to reincarnation, He Yuzhu would solemnly chant something in his mouth. With this chanting over and over again, the twenty hens completed their final mission in this life one by one.

When the twentieth hen died, the water in the big iron pot was about to boil, and the rolling water kept hitting the edge of the pot, making a series of gurgling sounds. He Yuzhu threw all the hens into the huge wooden basin without hesitation, and then quickly picked up the ladle and poured the boiling water from the pot into the wooden basin.

The moment the boiling water touched the hen, a white mist rose up and filled the entire kitchen. However, He Yuzhu seemed to be completely unaffected by the hot water. His rough and powerful hands reached into the water without hesitation and began to tear the chicken feathers skillfully. His movements were as smooth as flowing water, his hands flying up and down, as if he could not feel the heat of the water at all.

Before long, the twenty hens that were originally covered with thick feathers had become bald, without a single feather left on their bodies. They lay naked on the chopping board, like souls that had lost their cover.

Next, He Yuzhu picked up a sharp knife and carefully cut open the hen's belly, removing the internal organs one by one. The chicken heart, chicken liver, chicken intestines and other internal organs were neatly placed on a plate beside him.

After doing all this, he did not stop what he was doing. Instead, he picked up a pair of small tweezers in the dim light of the oil lamp, carefully searched for the fine hairs remaining on the hen's body, and pulled them out one by one.

After a meticulous process, He Yuzhu finally determined that the twenty hens were thoroughly clean. So he gently placed them in another large wooden basin filled with clean water for a final thorough cleaning.

The clear water rushed over the hen's body, taking away the last trace of dirt and blood. The cleaned hens were neatly placed on the rack, waiting quietly for the surface water to dry naturally.

Evenly apply a layer of golden, sweet and rich honey water to the carefully dried chicken body, and then carefully put it into a hot pot kept at a temperature between 150c and 160c. With a "sizzle" sound, the chicken is quickly fried to an attractive pink color. At this time, use long chopsticks or a slotted spoon to gently pick up the fried chicken and set it aside for later use.

Next, transfer the pink fried chicken that is still steaming hot from the pan to another pan. This pan has already been prepared with a rich and fragrant old marinade and various spices, which are quietly waiting to blend perfectly with the fried chicken. At the same time, slowly dissolve the appropriate amount of salt water and pour it into the pan to make the taste more layered.

Once these steps are complete, a sturdy bamboo grate is laid over the surface of the brine, and a heavy stone is placed securely on top of the grate, ensuring that each hen is fully submerged in the brine, thereby absorbing the intoxicating aroma from all sides.

When all the preliminary work is ready, the simplest but also most important step in the whole production process comes - lighting the fire and boiling the pot! With the crisp sound of dry firewood being lit and thrown into the furnace, the bamboo poles burn happily in the blazing fire, bursting out crackling cheerful notes. The sound is like a wonderful symphony, lingering in the ears, making people feel happy.

It is worth mentioning that the method He Yuzhu used to make roast chicken was borrowed from the traditional process of Daokou roast chicken, which is famous throughout the country. However, out of consideration for food safety, he decisively abandoned the last step of adding saltpeter powder in the original recipe and cleverly replaced it with a more reliable method.

Cook for four hours. When the heat is just right, slowly turn off the fire, but don't rush to take the fragrant roast chicken out of the pot. Instead, let them continue to soak in the marinade overnight. This way, the roast chicken can fully absorb the essence of the marinade, making its flavor penetrate deep into the bone marrow and leave you with an endless aftertaste.