Huayu Chef

016 I ate my fill

Zhang Jinxuan placed the purchased ingredients, spices, and seasonings on the kitchen counter, took off his navy coat and handed it to Nazha, and began to cook Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles and Xinjiang-style braised chicken.

He rolled up the sleeves of his undershirt and said with a hint of regret, "I couldn't buy any Anjihai chili peppers from Xinjiang tonight, and I didn't have time to make rice noodle sauce. I bought some dried chili peppers from Northwest China and some chili sauce from Guizhou at the supermarket to use as substitutes. The taste may be different."

"I'll have someone buy some Xinjiang Anjihai chili peppers and Xinjiang rice noodles another day, and I'll make you authentic Xinjiang fried rice noodles and Xinjiang big plate chicken again."

Naza hugged Zhang Jinxuan's clothes, her beautiful eyes fixed on his strong upper body, and giggled as she offered emotional support: "Senior brother, you're so good at cooking! The dried chilies we have back home aren't called 'dried chilies' or 'red chilies,' we just call them 'spicy skins.' Anjihai spicy skins are also a specialty of our western Xinjiang region, and these chilies make dishes especially fragrant."

Anjihai chili peppers are the soul of Xinjiang cuisine. Famous dishes such as Xinjiang fried rice noodles, Xinjiang big plate chicken, and Xinjiang spicy chicken all contain Anjihai chili peppers.

"Tonight I made fried rice noodles with dried chili peppers from the Northwest and Guizhou chili sauce. It should taste pretty good, since fried rice noodles from Xinjiang were passed down from Guizhou."

Naza got the joke and giggled, "I've heard that before."

"Nazha, let me make you a bowl of Xinjiang fried rice to tide you over. Would you like it mildly spicy, medium spicy, or extra spicy?"

Naza declared confidently, "I want it super spicy, the spicier the better."

"Okay, I'll make it for you."

Zhang Jinxuan readily agreed, but his expression was somewhat unnatural. In his previous life, he had traveled to Xinjiang and had eaten a bowl of extremely spicy Xinjiang fried rice noodles, which made his groin ache.

People from Northwest China also have a strong preference for dried chili peppers.

Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles, also known as "rice noodles soaked in chili sauce" or "rice noodles picked up from chili sauce," are served with a generous amount of chili sauce.

Naza's kitchen uses an induction cooker, and a pot of water is boiling on it, which is what Zhang Jinxuan told her to do before he came.

"Nazha, where do you put the bowls and plates?"

"I'll hang your clothes up in the cabinet downstairs and then I'll come help you."

Naza went out for a while, tied her long hair into a neat high ponytail with a rubber band, pulled up her sleeves to reveal two sections of fair and delicate arms, and said in a soft and sweet voice, "Senior brother, let me help you wash the vegetables."

"So gentle and virtuous?"

Naza boasted, "I am especially gentle and understanding."

"She's also exceptionally beautiful, mature, and tolerant."

Naza covered her face shyly, giggling and pouting with delight, "Senior brother, please praise me again!"

"Hey beautiful, get to work!"

The compliment "great beauty" satisfied Nazha. She took a small basin and washed vegetables next to Zhang Jinxuan, occasionally stealing glances at him while smiling.

Zhang Jinxuan was able to multitask, managing to deal with Nazha and cook at the same time.

He soaked the rice noodles in hot water and then cooled them. Next, he poured dried chili peppers and hot water into a small bowl, soaking a whole small bowl of dried chili peppers from Northwest China and a small amount of chili peppers to enhance the spiciness.

Slice the beef and marinate it. Prepare the celery, greens, scallions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and other ingredients by chopping them. Reserve half of the soaked dried chilies for Xinjiang-style braised chicken, and chop the rest into small pieces.

Actually, when making Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles, you also need to add some naan bread, but Zhang Jinxuan couldn't buy any, so he didn't add it.

Before he started frying, he tasted the Guizhou chili sauce and found that it was similar to the complex flavor on the ingredient list, so it would be perfectly fine for making fried rice noodles.

Heat oil in a wok, then add beef slices, scallions, ginger, garlic, diced tomatoes, Guizhou chili sauce, chopped chili peppers, onions, greens, celery, and rice noodles in that order. Pour in hot water to season, then add soy sauce, salt, Sichuan peppercorn powder, white pepper powder, and MSG. Stir-fry for two minutes to allow the rice noodles to absorb the spicy broth, then remove from heat and plate.

After preparing a plate of Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles, Zhang Jinxuan picked it up and handed it to the smiling Nazha, saying, "Eat up, I'll make you another one if you're not full."

"I'll share half with you, let's eat together."

"No need, we still have plenty of rice noodles left, we'll make more later."

Zhang Jinxuan can't handle the extreme spiciness, there's no need to force himself to endure it.

Naza glanced tenderly at Zhang Jinxuan, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and put some rice noodles into her mouth. The spiciness was indeed intense, and the heat exploded instantly. Naza paused slightly in her chewing, puffing out her cheeks to forcefully chew the rice noodles until they were completely broken down.

The rice noodles soaked up the broth, becoming oily, smooth, and chewy – a truly wonderful texture. One bite wasn't enough; Naza picked up more beef, celery, and rice noodles, stuffing them into her mouth.

With eyes slightly narrowed, he shook his head and mumbled a praise that was difficult to understand: "It's so delicious."

Zhang Jinxuan swallowed hard, and suddenly he had a clear understanding of Nazha's spicy taste.

Spicy girl.

"Eat more if it's delicious."

"Senior brother, try it, it's really delicious. The taste and spiciness are just right for me." Naza picked up a few strands of rice noodles with her chopsticks and brought them to Zhang Jinxuan's mouth, her eyes shining with anticipation.

Zhang Jinxuan hesitated and said, "You've already used the chopsticks."

Upon hearing this, Nazha looked embarrassed and said shyly, "Senior brother, you're so particular. My saliva isn't dirty. Let me get you a new pair of chopsticks."

Before she could put the rice noodles back in the bowl, Zhang Jinxuan lowered his head and slurped the rice noodles into his mouth, chewing them slowly with a slurping sound.

Seeing his disheveled state, Naza was both surprised and astonished, and said with a charming smile, "Senior brother, can't you eat spicy food?"

"It's alright, usually mildly spicy, occasionally a bit too spicy."

Naza said apologetically, "I didn't know you couldn't eat spicy food. Let me get you a bottle of water..."

"No need to take it." Zhang Jinxuan grabbed her wrist, picked up a piece of green vegetable from her hand and put it in his mouth, teasingly saying, "The sweetness of the food fed by the beautiful Nazha herself can already neutralize the spiciness. You eat slowly, I'll start making Xinjiang-style braised chicken."

When Zhang Jinxuan grabbed Nazha's wrist and held her hand, her body suddenly went weak and she could hardly stand. She subconsciously leaned closer to Zhang Jinxuan, very close yet not quite.

The occasional physical contact between the two created an intimate and ambiguous atmosphere.

Zhang Jinxuan glanced at Nazha, who was happily slurping noodles, and smiled slightly as he prepared the chicken legs and wings with a cheerful expression.

There are many ways to make Dapanji (Big Plate Chicken), and in Northwest China alone, each ethnic group has its own way of making it. Zhang Jinxuan's version is a simplified Dapanji that mainly features chicken.

Generally speaking, if the chicken is fresh enough, it's best not to blanch it when making Dapanji (Big Plate Chicken). However, if the chicken is not fresh enough, it should be blanched. If the flavor is not strong enough, chicken oil and chicken broth can compensate.

Wash chicken legs and wings thoroughly with salt, air dry and cut them into pieces. Stir-fry them in a pan until the moisture evaporates, the chicken meat shrinks and the skin is slightly browned, and the oil becomes clear. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Next, caramelize the sugar.

The restaurant's wok has a high heat output, allowing for simultaneous caramelizing of sugar and stir-frying of chicken. The induction cooker is less effective; it's best to cook them separately.

Then add the chicken, chopped dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and other spices, along with scallions, ginger, and garlic.

Add a little Shaoxing wine along the edge of the pot to remove any unpleasant odors, then add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings. Add boiling water, potato chunks, onions, green peppers, and leafy greens, then cover the pot and simmer.

After making the braised chicken, Zhang Jinxuan used the leftover rice noodles to make a small portion of Xinjiang-style fried rice noodles and a large portion of egg fried rice noodles.

That's it, dinner is ready for tonight.

Well, at this hour, we should say it's a late-night snack.

Zhang Jinxuan and Nazha served fried rice noodles and braised chicken on the table and began to enjoy the meal.

Naza first picked up a piece of potato and put it in her mouth, exclaiming softly, "Wow, this potato stew is so delicious! It's so flavorful, soft and tender, and it even has a slightly grainy texture. Senior brother, you should try some!"

"Don't just focus on the potatoes, the chicken is much tastier."

Upon hearing this, Naza decisively picked up a piece of chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth, exclaiming, "It smells so good, and it's so chewy!"

Zhang Jinxuan ate a piece of potato, then a piece of chicken. His professional instincts as a food enthusiast kicked in, and he couldn't help but comment, "The potato should be fried in chicken oil. That way, the surface will be crispy, and it will taste even better."

"You should use chicken fat to caramelize the sugar, but I forgot to bring it. I was afraid that the cooked chicken fat sold in the supermarket was too technically advanced, so I didn't dare to buy it. Also, adding some chicken broth when stewing would make it perfect."

Naza chuckled and said, "Senior brother, you're so particular about cooking! I think what you made is already super delicious. This braised chicken is better than my mom's. Her potatoes and chicken don't have this amazing taste."

"I believe you."

"Haha, I'm not lying to you, it's all the truth."

"Come on, eat more."

"Uh-huh."

The consequence of overeating is feeling stuffed.

Naza put down her chopsticks, propped herself up on the table, moved to the living room sofa, and sat down in an elegant, relaxed pose, completely unwilling to move.

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhang Jinxuan wiped his mouth with a tissue, then sat down next to Nazha to digest his food quietly.

After a while, Zhang Jinxuan turned to look at Nazha first, and then Nazha looked over as well. Their mouths slowly met like two magnets.

"This kiss tasted a bit strong, like hot sauce."

Naza chuckled and said, "Haha, is it spicy?"

"It's both spicy and scorching."

Zhang Jinxuan pressed one hand against the back of Nazha's head, and with the other hand pulled the hem of her sweater out of her jeans, filling the gap with his five fingers.