Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me
Chapter 458 - 457: (4 more updates)

Chapter 458: Chapter 457: (4 more updates)

Ginger slices and scallion segments were also prepared.

Only after getting these ready did Xu Niannian take out the chicken.

The chicken was whole, with its belly slit open, and all the innards were to be discarded.

First, she placed the ginger slices inside, fitting them against the meat, and then laid a layer of Sichuan pepper leaves inside the belly.

After laying them out, she added the diced shiitake mushrooms and diced ham, and then evenly sprinkled the crushed jujube on top.

Next, she placed the scallion segments, and then covered everything with another layer of Sichuan pepper leaves.

When everything was in place, Xu Niannian mixed a bit of salt with water and cornstarch using stream water, not too much, and evenly sprinkled it inside the chicken belly.

Water starch could lock in the moisture of the meat, making the chicken more tender and delicious.

Luckily, when Nanny Zhao had cut open the chicken belly, she hadn’t opened it all up but had just made a large hole at the bottom.

After completing this step, Xu Niannian breathed a sigh of relief—this task was indeed complicated.

Once the chicken, stuffed with ingredients, was ready, Xu Niannian smoothed a uniform layer of water starch on the outside of the chicken.

She then took the lotus leaf that she had Nanny Zhao buy and wrapped the chicken thoroughly in it.

She wrapped several layers, worried about leaks, and tied it up with a string into a firm knot.

With that done, Xu Niannian coated the lotus leaf in the prepared mud paste and placed it at the bottom of the stove to start the fire and cook it.

Fortunately, there was still an old, disused stove in the kitchen.

By the time she was done with all these tasks, Xu Niannian was sweating profusely.

She wasn’t tired, just hot and flustered.

The most important aspect of Liurong Bao is the wrapping, but also the chicken itself.

Following the steps of the recipe, she mixed flour with eggs, poured it into the pan, and made a huge thin pancake.

Considering the many mouths in her household, Xu Niannian made two extra pancakes.

With all this done, Xu Niannian went to the living room to rest a bit, waiting for the chicken to be roasted properly.

About two hours later, as time passed, Xu Niannian went back into the kitchen.

She took out the chicken, knocked off the outer mud, and slowly unwrapped the lotus leaves.

As soon as the lotus leaves opened, an overwhelming fragrance immediately filled the air, and Xu Niannian, being the closest to it, felt it the most intensely.

The tingling scent of Sichuan pepper leaves, mixed with the umami of shiitake mushrooms and the delicate fragrance of the jujube powder, along with the aroma of the scallions—all these smells combined together, made one salivate just by smelling them.

The aroma was intoxicating.

Even Xu Niannian couldn’t stand it as she drooled with eager desire.

For someone used to cooking delicacies, to drool like this, calling it a rare and exquisite flavor would not be an exaggeration.

If the semi-finished product already had such a taste, once the whole Liurong Bao was completed...

Just thinking about it made Xu Niannian’s mouth water uncontrollably.

Yes, indeed, the chicken was the most important ingredient in Liurong Bao.

Therefore, its complex preparation process was just to turn it into seasoning for the Liurong Bao.

Nanny Zhao was still cleaning outside, but when she smelled the aroma drifting from the kitchen, she couldn’t resist swallowing her saliva.

What is that girl cooking up now?

At the same time, Jin Yu and Jin Ruiyang also walked through the front door.

The moment he entered, Jin Ruiyang was captivated by the smell.

"It smells good, who’s cooking?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Jin Yu raised an eyebrow—was there even a need to ask?

It had to be his wife.

The disobedient girl, she just couldn’t stay idle and had run off to the kitchen again.

Jin Ruiyang also immediately realized that apart from Xu Niannian, no one else in the house could create such delicious dishes.

Shortly afterward, the old master and Jin Nanxi also returned home.

Smelling the aroma, they didn’t even bother to ask why Xu Niannian had gone to the kitchen again.

Each of them sat on the living room sofa, eagerly anticipating the busy figure in the kitchen.

Xu Niannian was unaware that they had all returned.

She was taking the ingredients out of the chicken belly, placing them into a large bowl.

The steaming process had created a delicious broth in the chicken belly, which Xu Niannian couldn’t bear to discard and included it in the large bowl.

The skinless chicken, coated on both sides with water starch, was tender and mouthwatering, soaked in the broth.

Xu Niannian couldn’t resist cutting a small piece and putting it in her mouth.

"Hmm~"

The chicken was lusciously fresh, with a subtle numbing flavor from the pepper leaves, the umami of the mushrooms, and upon biting into it, a rich savoury broth instantaneously burst from within the meat.

The flavor so delicious, Xu Niannian had the urge to suck on her fingers, and despite herself, she ended up doing just that.

Not only was the chicken tender, but it had also absorbed the essence of the ingredients within its belly.

And there was also the aroma of the lotus leaf on the outside.

Apart from describing it as delicious, Xu Niannian couldn’t think of any other words to do it justice.

She cut half the chicken into small cubes.

As she cut through, the juices spilled out from the tender meat, covering the cutting board, and Xu Niannian felt a pang of heartache.

After dicing the chicken, Xu Niannian proceeded to the next step.

She beat the eggs, added salt, a bit of lard, then added cold water to dilute it, put the diced chicken into it, and sprinkled with green onions.

After mixing evenly, she placed the previously prepared egg crepe in a large bowl, standing upright like a pot, and poured the well-mixed bowl of egg and chicken mixture into it.

She quickly sealed the egg crepe together; Xu Niannian used high-gluten flour for its elasticity, making it less likely to break.

She finished the Liurong Bao, shaped like a large bowl, and put it in the steamer to cook.

Since most of the mixture was egg liquid at first, it wasn’t easy to hold its shape.

Xu Niannian first steamed it inside the large bowl, taking the bowl out only when the form was mostly set.

Xu Niannian made three Liurong Baos of identical size.

With the remaining half of the chicken, Xu Niannian cut it into chunks and put it into a soup bowl.

After finishing these tasks, Xu Niannian was sweating profusely.

Turning around, she saw Jin Yu standing at the doorway watching her.

One hand propped against the doorway, his dark eyes cradled a faint smile.

Xu Niannian blinked, "Are you posing?"

"Pose?" Jin Yu walked over to her, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Didn’t I tell you to rest well? Why work so hard?"

Despite his words, Jin Yu didn’t stop her.

"I wanted to do it," Xu Niannian stuck out her tongue at him, showing a finger as white as a scallion, "just this once."

Jin Yu held her slender finger, asking, "Do you need my help?"

He had already come over when she started cutting the chicken.

Seeing her suck on her fingertips to taste the juices, Jin Yu found the sight of her little greedy cat expression incredibly precious.

In the kitchen, she was as joyful as a naïve young girl, her face radiant with a dazzling smile.

At this moment, she was more enchanting than ever.

Despite the sweat on her face, the light in her eyes was more stunning than at any other time.

Undoubtedly, his little wife truly adored good food.

Cooking made her happy.

Looking at her rosy cheeks, laughter began to twinkle in Jin Yu’s eyes.

"What delicious thing did you make?"

"A new experiment, you’ll know once you try it in a bit," Xu Niannian said with a smile.

As she spoke, an enticing aroma wafted from the steamer, making Xu Niannian’s mouth water.

Those who often cook gourmet food are rarely tempted by their creations.

Xu Niannian discovered that the recipes in her space were absolute treasures.

Not just Xu Niannian, even Jin Yu couldn’t resist the scent, thinking that his wife’s cooking was indeed delicious.

After waiting a while, the Liurong Baos were finally steamed to perfection.

Xu Niannian quickly heated the oil in the wok.

Once the oil was hot, she fried the just-steamed Liurong Baos, quickly removing them after pouring some spicy oil over them, a process lasting not even three seconds.

The purpose of this brief frying was to crisp the outside without letting the oil seep into the contents.

With the oil temperature at its highest, a fast enough speed guaranteed the outer crust would crisp while keeping the inside untouched by oil.

Xu Niannian was clearly an expert in this regard.

She had performed this operation countless times in her previous life.

It was a technique that tested one’s skill, usually managed only by top chefs.

Moreover, the process was dangerous; a careless person could easily get scalded by the hot oil.

Jin Yu watched her dip them in and scoop them out quickly and deftly, his eyes brightening for a moment.

His gaze fell on her fair, unscathed hands, without a single mark from the hot oil.

This frying process sealed all the fragrance inside the Liurong Bao.

Now, she drizzled a bit of the sauce from the chicken onto the Liurong Bao.

Instantly, three hefty Liurong Baos were completed.

"Jin Yu, help me bring these out," Xu Niannian said excitedly as she fetched a ladle and took out a thermal lunch box, placing one of the Liurong Baos in it.

Those who were in the kitchen were craving it, but those outside the kitchen were even more so, stretching their necks longer than giraffes.

Their eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, as if they were about to pop out.

Jin Yu carried two plates of Liurong Bao out, one on each plate.

By then, the living room was already full of people.

Looking at the row of eager faces, Jin Yu’s forehead was covered in metaphorical black lines.

These gluttonous spirits.