Chapter 75 Clay Pot Rice (Part 2)
In a reddish-brown ceramic pot - or rather, a casserole, crystal white rice is neatly arranged with red and white sausages, juicy green vegetables, and half-cooked eggs that are white with a hint of yellow, and then drizzled with two drops of brown soy sauce. The appearance alone is enough to make one's mouth water.
But this is not the most perfect state of clay pot rice.
Jiangyou picked up a large spoon and skillfully inserted it into the bottom of the casserole along the edge, prying it up and stirring it. A large piece of golden and crispy rice crust was turned over to the surface. After a slight stirring, the neat and beautiful clay pot rice was transformed.
The half-cooked egg liquid and soy sauce are mixed into the rice, which lacks clear boundaries but adds an indescribable beauty of fusion.
Jiangyou brought a few empty bowls and expertly distributed the food. Each bowl was evenly filled with rice, topped with a few slices of Chinese sausage and small greens, and then covered with a layer of crispy rice crust.
A bowl of 'clay rice' was quickly stuffed into Andre's hands.
He held the spoon and studied the bowl in his hands.
Crystal clear white rice grains and brown soy sauce-stained rice grains were evenly mixed together, and crispy and fragrant "rice crust" covered the surface like a thin biscuit. He curiously picked up the "biscuit" and put it into his mouth. With a "crunch", an indescribable aroma of burnt rice and a crispy texture suddenly burst into his mouth, with the aroma of scorching fire, just like -
—Whoosh! Bang!
A firework exploded in the night sky, and everyone looked up. The colorful flames lit up the night sky. Those were the witches testing the fireworks they would use in the festival tomorrow night.
"Fireworks on a summer night..." Andre muttered, and took another big mouthful of rice crust.
The rice grains in the rice crust have been roasted dry and crispy by the heat from the bottom of the pot. When drizzled with sweet and salty soy sauce, the crispy texture is given a whole new flavor. The aroma of fireworks is mixed with the joy of the world. He seemed to taste the bitterness after hard work, the salty and fresh taste of sweat, and the sweet sense of accomplishment.
"Rice crust is not only delicious eaten alone, it is also delicious when mixed with rice~" said Jiangyou.
Andre did as he was told. He scooped up a large spoonful of rice with a spoon. The egg liquid, which had slightly solidified under the heat of the rice, wrapped around the reddish-brown sausage. The white fat in the sausage had already melted under the heat and dissolved into the lean meat and rice.
Andrei opened his mouth wide and swallowed it in one gulp. He felt like he'd swallowed a world, the complex textures and varied flavors stimulating all his senses. The rice was soft and glutinous, mixed with the crispy aroma of rice crust. It was light yet had a hint of soy sauce. The combination of the two was neither too salty nor too bland, a perfect balance.
Chew a little longer and you'll be rewarded with the sweetness of the sausage. The fat explodes in your mouth, exuding a sweet aroma of orange peel and licorice. Just when the fat starts to feel greasy, you'll find the refreshing texture of the vegetables.
If you taste it carefully, you can also smell the faint aroma of eggs.
Andrei couldn't help but close his eyes. For a moment, he felt like he was wandering along a country road, surrounded by rice fields about to harvest. The evening breeze carried the rich fragrance of rice and grass, and not far away were cattle, sheep, piglets, chickens and ducks...
"Delicious." Thousands of adjectives finally turned into these two words. He couldn't wait to stuff another big mouthful into his mouth, almost wanting to swallow his tongue.
The fatigue from a whole day's busy run was soothed at this moment. His hungry stomach, which had been ravaged by dry and hard black bread and cold water just half a day ago, made a comfortable hum. Andre took two more mouthfuls of rice, and then scooped a spoonful of the stir-fried beef with green onions on the table.
The tender beef soaked in the sauce and slid smoothly down his throat. Andre smacked his lips and couldn't help but scoop another spoonful, and then another.
He had eaten the stir-fried lamb with green onions made by Jiangyou before, but now with real soy sauce, the flavors of the two dishes were obviously worlds apart... No, it's not that the stir-fried lamb with green onions was not delicious before, but this stir-fried beef with green onions was the ultimate delicacy!
Everyone at the table was eating quietly without even looking up, which made the craftsmen, merchants and helpers around who had smelled the aroma confused and eager to eat. The nearest merchant just came over and saw that the casserole and the plate were empty... To be precise, there was only a thin layer of sauce left on the plate, and on the entire table, there was only a bowl of rice in front of the skeleton.
Before the merchant could even ask for food, he watched helplessly as the bowl of rice was brought to him by the black-haired, green-eyed knight. The knight picked up the plate smoothly, poured all the remaining sauce into the bowl, stirred it, and ate it in big mouthfuls.
"...I've already eaten the soul fire energy in this bowl. It has no taste anymore." The skeleton muttered.
However, the poor knight who invested most of his fortune in Jiangyou didn't care about this. He had a big appetite and would eat as many mouthfuls as he could... Even if the taste was bland, it would still be delicious when mixed with the soup of stir-fried beef with green onions!
"Are you going to sell this at the carnival?" Andre asked after wiping his mouth after eating and drinking.
"Well, we can make some clay pot rice to attract customers," Jiang You pondered. "We probably don't have that much rice, so it's best to find other cheap and delicious ingredients. Hey, speaking of beer, snails and crayfish are the best pairings..."
"Crayfish?" Aunt Wolf repeated curiously. "What are they? Shrimp related to dragons?"
"No, no, it's a kind of shrimp with a hard shell," Jiang You raised his hands to imitate claws and performed a few snapping movements. "It's finger-sized and rich in protein. You'll usually find it in paddy fields, ponds, and rivers, right? It's a popular night market dish that goes perfectly with beer!"
"Hmm? Why does it sound a bit like crayfish?" Aunt Wolf said. "Speaking of which, I heard from the witches today that the crayfish are overrunning the beaver dam upstream. They almost tore down the dam the beavers worked so hard to build. The witches are worried about whether it will affect the Midsummer Carnival!"
Jiang You's eyes flickered. "Beaver? Dam? Crayfish? That sounds interesting!"
"Shall we go check it out together after daybreak?" Aunt Wolf's gossipy spirit burned brightly. "There won't be many customers during the day anyway. The carnival usually starts around dusk."
"I don't have to be on duty during the day," Andre said. "Do you mind if I go along?"
"I don't mind," Jiang You said, "but if there's work to do, you have to help."
She smiled cunningly: "This is for our common business!"
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