Chapter 266: Chopped Chili
After parting ways with the others, Qi Han returned alone to his restaurant.
"Meow~"
Greeting him was Pururu, who had been refusing to sleep while waiting for his return.
"Sorry for making you wait so long."
Qi Han skillfully scratched Pururu under the chin, his face carrying an apologetic smile.
According to their usual routine, they would close at 7 p.m. and be in bed by 8 p.m. at the latest.
However, after attending the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival, it was already 10 p.m.
Fortunately, the technologically advanced bed provided by Ru Yi ensured that even a single hour of sleep could leave them fully recharged.
After washing up, the man and the cat quickly fell into a deep sleep.
When Qi Han woke up the next morning to Ru Yi's call, the first thing he did was calm the startled Pururu, who had been disturbed by his movements. Then, he slipped into the system space.
After practicing all afternoon yesterday, Qi Han had completely familiarized himself with the characteristics of Xiang cuisine and gained significant insights into making Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers.
If all went smoothly, he should be able to master the dish this morning.
And of course, no accidents happened.
By the time Qi Han emerged from the training space before his midday opening, he had successfully mastered the Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers.
Not only that, but he had also used the remaining time to unlock a new 2 Star recipe: Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.
Both fish dishes would definitely be served!
While it wouldn't be possible to complete the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish recipe within the remaining time in the morning, he figured he could manage it before the afternoon opening with some effort.
But that wasn't Qi Han's primary focus at the moment. Right now, his attention was entirely captivated by the Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers.
Although he had already tasted it in the training space upon succeeding, the ingredients there were simulated. While they allowed him to savor the flavor, they lacked the sense of fullness, and thus, the soul of the dish.
Qi Han was accustomed to recreating each dish in the real world after mastering it in the training space to fully enjoy it.
Only when it was eaten could the experience truly be complete.
After preparing cat food for Pururu, Qi Han stepped into the kitchen, tidied up the stove, and got ready to cook the Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers.
The dish is a hallmark of Xiang cuisine.
Each regional cuisine has its unique methods and essence. For example, the fish fragrance flavor in Sichuan cuisine is unmatched by any other style.
The soul of Xiang cuisine, however, lies in its chopped chili.
As the saying goes, "Jiangxi people aren't afraid of spice, Sichuan people don't fear spiciness, but Hunan people fear food that isn't spicy."
This aptly illustrates how much Hunan locals love spicy food.
Not all Xiang dishes are spicy, but undoubtedly, many lean toward the fiery side.
Chopped chili, also known as chopped pepper, is widely used in many Xiang dishes.
It's somewhat similar to crab roe sauce, though not in terms of ingredients or flavor, but rather its role.
Chopped chili is highly flavorful on its own and can be used as a condiment for noodles or rice. It can also act as a seasoning in a variety of dishes.
In the case of Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers, the name alone reveals the necessity of using chopped chili.
Thus, Qi Han began by preparing the chopped chili.
The basic ingredients for traditional chopped chili are straightforward: fresh chili peppers and tender ginger.
For the chili, xian peppers are ideal. These peppers are long and thin, with an intense aroma and high spiciness, making them perfect for chopped chili.
If the heat is too much, you can substitute them with beauty peppers, which have thicker flesh and are slightly less spicy. While beauty peppers may result in a milder aroma, their vibrant appearance enhances the dish's presentation.
If even beauty peppers are too spicy for you… perhaps you can try Erjingtiao peppers.
For the ginger, tender young ginger—also known as ginger shoots—is preferred.
When you slice a piece of ginger, you'll notice fibrous strands in older ginger, which make it tougher and less palatable.
Young ginger, on the other hand, is almost entirely free of these fibers, making it much more tender and crisp. This is the best choice for dishes where ginger is eaten directly, like pickled ginger.
Moreover, using young ginger has another advantage…
The saying "Old ginger is spicier" holds true, as young ginger is significantly milder in spiciness compared to old ginger. In the case of chopped chili, ginger is used mainly for flavoring, while the spiciness should ideally come from the chili itself. If the ginger is too spicy, it could overpower the dish.
Once both ingredients were prepared, Qi Han first soaked the chili peppers in a bowl of water, carefully washing them clean before drying their surfaces thoroughly.
This step was crucial because any remaining moisture could lead to the chopped chili spoiling.
The cleaned and dried xian peppers gleamed slightly under the light. Their vibrant red color, with a hint of orange, was incredibly enticing. Moving closer, one could catch a whiff of their strong and slightly pungent aroma.
For someone like Qi Han, who had made Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers countless times in the training space, this level of spiciness was negligible.
He knew that the spicy scent from these intact, uncut xian peppers was just the tip of the iceberg.
After drying, Qi Han removed the stems from the peppers, took a deep breath, and swiftly sliced them into evenly sized pieces.
As soon as the peppers were cut, an intense, pungent spiciness flooded the kitchen.
In an instant, Qi Han's eyes began to water slightly, and his nose felt a sharp tingle.
"Wow, that's potent!"
Meanwhile, Pururu, who had been happily munching on his cat food while perched on a nearby partition, suddenly froze. He twitched his nose, then let out a distressed yowl.
"Meow!"
This place is uninhabitable. I'm out!
With that, Pururu grabbed his food bowl and, in a flash, teleported to the farthest corner of the dining area.
Seeing Pururu's predicament, Qi Han chuckled and used his spirit power to soothe the irritation in his nose and eyes caused by the spiciness.
Good thing I'm a spirit master now.
Spirit power wasn't just for creating powerful attacks. Over time, Qi Han had developed several practical tricks for using it.
Slicing the peppers was just the beginning. After chopping them into small pieces, Qi Han gathered the pieces on the cutting board and finely minced them with his knife.
In chopped chili, the word "chopped" is the essence of the dish.
Once the peppers were thoroughly minced, Qi Han transferred them into a large porcelain bowl with a wide rim, making it easier to mix them later. Then, he started preparing the young ginger.
The young ginger was sliced thinly and then minced finely, much like the peppers.
While ginger also has a strong aroma, it was much milder compared to the peppers. Moreover, the scent of young ginger was fresher and more subtle, making it less aggressive on Qi Han's nose.
After mincing the ginger, he added it to the bowl with the minced peppers. The vibrant red of the peppers, the golden yellow of the seeds, and the pale yellow of the young ginger created a visually striking combination.
Next, Qi Han added fine salt at a ratio of 10:1 (chili to salt) and carefully mixed the minced ginger and chili together.
Yes, you heard that right—salt was added at a 10:1 ratio.
Unlike the vague "a pinch" or "to taste" usually associated with salt, chopped chili required a generous amount. The salt played a crucial role in the dish's flavor and longevity by maintaining a high salt concentration in the liquid, which inhibited yeast fermentation.
If too little salt was added, the chopped chili would spoil quickly and develop an overly sour taste.
Although this made the chopped chili too salty to eat directly, it didn't affect its use as a topping for rice or noodles.
Qi Han then carefully added high-proof white liquor to the mixture, which served both as a preservative and to enhance the aroma.
After mixing the alcohol thoroughly with the chili and ginger, Qi Han used a large spoon to scoop up a vibrant red portion of the mixture.
He gently tilted the spoon against the edge of the bowl, allowing the excess liquid to drain back into the bowl before bringing the spoonful of chopped chili closer to his nose.
By this point, the overpowering pungency of the freshly cut peppers had dissipated, leaving behind a rich, fragrant chili aroma intertwined with a hint of the liquor's smooth scent.
The enticing smell was so mouthwatering that Qi Han couldn't help but start salivating.
This smells amazing…
After indulging in another deep sniff, Qi Han reluctantly set the spoon aside and grabbed an empty ceramic jar. Carefully, he began transferring the mixture, spoonful by spoonful, into the jar, ensuring as much moisture as possible was drained from each scoop.
When the bowl was nearly empty, leaving behind only a bit of reddish liquid, Qi Han sealed the jar and placed it into a time-acceleration device nearby.
Normally, chopped chili would need about a month to ferment and reach perfection.
For Qi Han, however, five minutes was enough.
As expected, the system futuristic technology was truly terrifying.
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