Chapter 53 Lamb Soup: The hunt is over, time to make lamb soup.
Just as the rams began to raise their alarms, Reese's arrow whistled through the air and struck one of the rams in the rump.
The sheep scattered and fled, and Lai shot a ewe. The four of them chased after the two wounded wild sheep.
The wild sheep ran extremely fast because they were frightened, but the injured parts pulled at them, and the rapid running made the wounds bigger and bigger.
After struggling for a long time, it was finally caught. Its hooves were tightly bound with hemp rope, and it lay down on the ground.
The four met up, and there were two bleating wild sheep on the ground.
Slaughtering prey in the wild leaves a lot of blood, which easily attracts predators. Therefore, people usually bring their prey home to process it.
Ray and Lamb carried one bird, while Brian and Reese carried another. After hunting, the four followed their footprints back and found another brightly colored wild bird near the trap.
With the good weather, many people went out for some fresh air, and they all cast curious glances at the group carrying their prey home.
“Rhys, where did you hunt this sheep? It’s so plump and looks quite heavy.”
"It's just south of the forest. If you want to go, go early, or it will probably have moved away."
"Alright, I'll take my bow and arrows and try my luck too."
After saying that, the person hurriedly left.
When other acquaintances approached to chat, Rhys said the same thing.
Wild sheep are wary and not easily caught. After their sneak attack, it's estimated that the flock won't return there anytime soon.
Furthermore, a large flock of sheep is not good for the trees and plants in the forest, so it is very important to control their numbers in a timely manner.
The four men carried their prey back to Hagrid's house.
Killing one sheep and keeping the other is a waste of food; they'll have to eat them sooner or later anyway. Hagrid and Brian each took one sheep and went outside to kill them, skin them, and clean them.
Lamb pulled Rae to sit outside and watch the two slaughter a sheep.
"The wild sheep you hunted this time are quite plump. This ram must weigh 110 pounds, and the female is only about 90 pounds."
Hagrid chatted with several people as he carefully removed the sheepskin.
"What's the situation in the forest? Have you encountered any magical beasts?"
Hagrid then asked.
"It's good that the animals still have food to eat, and we haven't encountered any."
Lamb answered them one by one.
"That's good. This year's harvest is good, and there's enough food in the forest for the animals and monsters, so they won't come out and harm the surrounding villages."
Hagrid then went on to talk about many other things, from the monsters that came out and ruined the crops to the environment around the village, and how everyone survived during years when the harvest was bad.
Lamb couldn't sit still for long and went back inside to get food for Rye. Rye, however, was a very good listener, echoing Hagrid's words and asking him all sorts of questions.
From Hagrid's words, Ray's understanding of the world became more comprehensive.
It's not just a few cold sentences in a book, such as "The continent of Casa is the largest known landmass" or "The Great Forest of Eaton is fraught with danger; ordinary people should not approach it lightly."
It's about real people living earnestly, and how they strive to survive in this dangerous world.
Hagrid's family was preparing to make stewed lamb, and Linda wanted Ray to stay for dinner, but Ray refused.
No matter what, it's still more comfortable at home. Neil would worry if he didn't see him when he got home from school, and there were also various small animals at home that needed to be fed.
Not wanting to delay Hagrid's family from having dinner together, Ray made up an excuse and left.
Rye deserves a lot of credit for catching two sheep today. Hagrid gave him a whole ewe.
Hagrid is the undisputed head of the household; no one dares to object to his decisions. Even if Kelly has reservations, she wouldn't dare provoke the patriarch unless she's incredibly foolish.
"Now that the weather is cold, leftover mutton can be preserved for a long time if left outside. But be careful not to let animals carry it away."
"good."
Lai didn't take the sheep's head, but only half a sheep and a small portion of its internal organs.
Hagrid didn't say anything after hearing this, and simply packed up the whole sheep and the wild bird and had Lamb take them home to Rye.
Lamb carried the prepared wild sheep with great speed, and Ray thanked Hagrid and hurriedly followed Lamb back home.
"Brother, where should we put the sheep?"
"Put it on the ground first."
Lamb placed the bag containing the sheep on the ground by the door.
"Brother, what are you planning to cook later?"
"In winter, of course you have to drink hot mutton soup!" Lai answered Lamb directly.
"Lamb soup."
"Brother, can I eat here?"
Lamb asked, shamelessly.
Lamb was a little embarrassed as this was the first time he had ever offered to invite someone to stay for dinner.
But just thinking about Lei's amazing cooking skills made my stomach rumble with urges to eat.
Normally, this would be considered extremely impolite in other people's homes, but in Ray's case, Lamb's question was no big deal at all.
"Okay. It will take me quite a while to finish. You can wait here or come back when it's time."
"Okay, bro!"
Lamb happily helped Ray with his work.
A whole sheep is definitely not enough for three people to finish.
Ray found a cleaver and used it to cut the sheep into different parts, packing them in oil paper and bags and leaving them outside, keeping only the parts for tonight's meal.
The key to good mutton soup is its freshness; you shouldn't add spices like cinnamon and star anise, as they will mask the natural flavor of the mutton. Simple seasoning is all you need.
Especially freshly slaughtered mutton, stewed directly, tastes absolutely amazing, and even the gamey smell is much milder.
First, soak the mutton in clean water to remove the blood. After about one or two hours, most of the blood will be completely removed.
Now, blanch the mutton in cold water, and then you can prepare to make soup.
Lai cut out the necessary ingredients.
Onions, ginger, and garlic are essential, especially ginger. The gamey smell of mutton is entirely removed by these ginger slices, which he cuts into large chunks for easy consumption later.
After stir-frying the mutton, remove it from the water and set it aside. Clean the pot and dry it. Add oil, scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the mutton back in and stir-fry a few times. Finally, add water and start simmering the mutton soup.
Only add a suitable amount of salt for seasoning; do not add any other seasonings such as soy sauce.
Simmering over low heat for over an hour, the aroma of the lamb filled the entire living room.
It needs to simmer for another half hour or so. Lai put the prepared radish chunks into the pot.
There's no need to add potatoes at this point. If you stew them for too long, they will become mushy. While this won't affect the original flavor of the mutton soup, the soup will become less clear and have a thicker texture.
When Neil got home from school, he just happened to see Lai putting vermicelli into the pot. Once the vermicelli was cooked, the mutton soup was ready to eat.
Lamb was already sitting obediently at the table, waiting.
"Brother, what's that?"
Lamb, being a native of the region, had never seen or eaten rice noodles before.
"These are glass noodles, made by my brother from sweet potatoes and potatoes."
Neil put down his schoolbag, went to check on An'an who was still sleeping, washed his hands, and set the bowl and chopsticks on the table.
"Vermicelli?"
Lamb was extremely curious.
With a hint of anticipation, the mutton soup was finally ready.
Lai filled a large basin with lamb, bones and all.
"Eat as much as you like, there's more in the pot."
After nearly two hours of cooking, the mutton becomes very tender, and a large piece can be easily picked up with chopsticks.
Lamb's target was the transparent vermicelli in the basin. The vermicelli was transparent and unusually chewy, which aroused all his curiosity.
"Take a bite and have a taste."
Lei offered a word of advice.
Lamb slurped the rice noodles into his mouth, and his eyes began to sparkle.
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