RBCT Chapter 66 Chicken Popcorn
Chapter 66 Chicken Popcorn
For a child from a rural area, there are very few activities they can participate in.
Today's banquet is more like a youth activity than a meal.
The children were reluctant to leave, and the children with cleft lips carefully packed away their invitations.
Lu Yuan finally had time to sit down and rest.
Taking care of children is indeed the most tiring thing in the world. Lu Yuan didn't have children in his previous life, and now he understands it for himself.
Lu Yuan drank two cups of lemon iced tea in a row before his throat regained its moisture.
Just then, a little boy tugged at Lu Yuan's sleeve and said in a soft, sweet voice:
"Grandpa Yuan, I'd like another piece of fried chicken!"
"Wait a minute? What did you call me?" Lu Yuan almost broke his back.
"Grandpa!" the little boy repeated in his sweet, soft voice.
"He didn't call me wrong, come here for a hug, Grandma!" Wei Yinghong picked up the little boy and wiped his oily little mouth.
"This is your army comrade's granddaughter, isn't it normal for her to call you grandpa? If Xiaoxue were here, she'd have to call her grandma!"
Lu Yuan felt a headache coming on. He was already an adult, so there was nothing wrong with him being a grandfather.
But Xiaoxue herself can't even speak properly, yet she's already a grandmother?
This is the problem caused by having too many children in that era.
If a family has 7 or 8 children, it is quite normal for the eldest child's child to be born at the same time as the youngest child.
Over the course of a few years, some rather absurd issues regarding generational distinctions have emerged in rural areas.
However, this kind of "super-generation" is still relatively acceptable to people.
The most troublesome thing is when an old man comes over and calls you "Grandpa," leaving an indelible impression on a young person's mind.
Most of the Lu family's children didn't go back; this place is much more fun than home.
They gathered in small groups to study the comics on the wall, and every now and then they would imitate Lu Yuan's earlier actions and make a Rasengan.
Lu Yuan gave the little boy a few more pieces of fried chicken and made himself a hamburger.
I have to say my mom's cooking skills are really good; the freshly baked bread has a great texture.
Grandpa Xu was about to leave with his family when Lu Yuan immediately stood up and said:
"Sir, please forgive us for any shortcomings in our hospitality!"
"What are you saying, Boss Lu? Your event today is far more meaningful than a fancy meal," said Grandpa Xu with a smile.
"Please bring Manman if there are similar events in the future."
Lu Yuandao: "Definitely, definitely!"
Just as the Xu family was leaving, Xu Jianhua ran over and warmly shook hands with Lu Yuan, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
Dr. Huang then approached Lu Yuan with a notebook in hand:
"Boss Lu, this is the schedule for today's event. Could you please take a look and see if there's anything I can add?"
Lu Yuan took it and looked through it, discovering that Dr. Huang had memorized every word he said, so he asked:
"Does Dr. Huang want to add this event to the future free clinic program?"
Dr. Huang asked somewhat embarrassedly, "Mr. Lu, do you agree?"
Lu Yuan nodded and said, "Whatever, do whatever you want. But what are you going to treat the kids to then?"
Dr. Huang hadn't considered this question before and was suddenly stunned.
Taking the kids to a regular restaurant for a meal seems like an option, but it doesn't have the same atmosphere.
After much thought, fried chicken seemed to be the most suitable snack, but they didn't know how to make it.
Lu Yuan noticed his concerns and simply suggested, "I'll teach you how to make fried chicken. You can find a few people who know how to cook to learn from me."
"Huh?" Dr. Huang was somewhat surprised. "Boss Lu, is this appropriate? I know that your chefs don't easily share their secret recipes."
"What's wrong with that? I'll wait for you in the kitchen!" Lu Yuan said, and walked towards the kitchen first.
Actually, the recipe for fried chicken was still a bit of a secret before social media became popular.
In the era of short videos, there are no secrets left when it comes to cooking.
If someone wants his formula to do business, he should think twice.
But for a doctor like Dr. Huang, who is so sincere, giving him the prescription would only bring benefits to the children.
By this time, there was no one left in the kitchen. After serving the children, the adults who had been working there couldn't contain their excitement any longer and went to the courtyard to feast on the fried chicken.
Before long, Dr. Huang led Dr. Wang and Xiao Zhang to the kitchen.
"They're all roughnecks, only Doctor Wang and Xiao Zhang know how to cook." Doctor Huang chuckled, then added instructions to them:
"This is Boss Lu's secret recipe; we can only use it during our free clinics, and it must never be revealed!"
Lu Yuan smiled and said lightly, "Dr. Huang, don't be so serious. It's just a snack."
"Listen to the vision of Boss Lu!" Doctor Huang gave a thumbs up and showered him with compliments.
Lu Yuan ignored him and instead took out a piece of chicken breast:
"Let me teach you a simple way to make fried chicken popcorn. Just buy this kind of chicken breast at the market."
Lu Yuan picked up the knife and gently used the back of the knife to loosen the chicken breast meat, creating some gaps in the meat to make it easier for the flavors to penetrate.
He moved very slowly so that Dr. Huang and the others could see clearly.
Then cut the chicken breast into strips 1 cm wide, and then into small pieces the size of a coin.
"You can cut the meat like this. Pay attention to the grain of the meat; there will be some gaps." Lu Yuan picked up a piece and showed it to them:
"Next is the marinating part; you can take notes."
Salt, MSG, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder, curry powder, baking soda, sugar.
Curry powder is not only used in northern China for making curry rice; it is also used in some special yellow broth ramen dishes.
In some places, people also like to add curry when stewing beef or mutton.
Lu Yuan added, "These are all seasonings that are easy to buy at the wholesale market. They can be stored for a long time even if you don't use them all. Just keep some in your car."
The three doctors were very serious, each holding a notebook and scribbling notes.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "We don't have a scale, so we can't give you the exact proportions. Just remember the approximate proportions of a piece of chicken breast, and adjust accordingly based on that."
"Pour the prepared marinade into a bowl, add some water, and stir with your hands to let the chicken absorb the water."
Lu Yuan scooped the bottom of the basin with both hands from both sides, then lifted his fingers while kneading, repeating this action until there was no water left in the basin.
Lu Yuan picked up another piece of chicken and showed it to them: "It's fine if you cut it like this, then marinate it for 4 hours."
Then Lu Yuan took out a plate of marinated meat, which was originally intended as a snack for the later part of the meal, but the children couldn't eat it, so it wasn't served.
This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate it to Dr. Huang and his team.
"Now let's add the coating flour." Lu Yuan took out the ingredients in advance and pointed to each one, introducing them one by one:
"Just mix together flour, corn flour, potato starch, corn starch, and rice flour until it's well combined."
"Find a large bowl to put the breading in, and another large bowl to fill with water. Watch my movements carefully!"
Lu Yuan emphasized that the most technically demanding step in making fried chicken is actually coating it with flour and rubbing it to create the scales.
Lu Yuan poured the marinated chicken into the coating powder and rubbed it vigorously with both hands.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop it up, shake off the excess starch, lightly dip it in water, and then pour it into the coating.
Repeat this process several times until a powdery, scale-like layer appears on the chicken.
"These are called scales. You have to rub them out. You guys try it."
Lu Yuan took out another portion of chicken and cleared the center of the stove.