Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 449: Chapter 283: Typhoon Shelter Fried Chicken Skin

No one was more shocked than Old Zack. With a look of utter disbelief, he stared at the pile of crispy chicken skins in the giant strainer, then reached out and stuffed a piece into his mouth.

"CRUNCH"

The crisp sound was just like a potato chip, shattering the moment he bit down and echoing in everyone’s ears.

After it shattered, a burst of hot fat seeped out from the skin. The rich, savory aroma of the oil acted as a natural seasoning. Far from being greasy, it was incredibly addictive, creating an urge to just keep eating.

He didn’t say a word, simply reaching for a second piece in silence.

Seeing this, the landlord, Magnus, knew exactly what was happening and immediately followed suit, extending his own guilty hand.

Lin Chen was a newcomer and unfamiliar with the situation here. But the people in front of him had been neighbors for who knows how many years; they knew each other inside and out.

The second Magnus reached out, everyone else immediately followed his lead.

For a moment, a continuous series of crisp, shattering sounds rang out, and everyone wore an expression of disbelief.

"I can’t believe this is made from chicken skin! It’s incredible!"

"It’s pure fat, but after being fried, it’s not greasy at all. It’s actually quite refreshing and filled with the rich flavor of animal fat. I bet this is the most delicious snack I’ve had in the last six months!"

"Something this delicious, and you throw it in the trash every day, Old Zack? What a waste!"

"Hey! Fatty, you’ve already had three pieces! Get out of the way, it’s my turn!"

Before Lin Chen could stop them, the first batch was already more than half gone.

Both amused and exasperated, he raised his hands to quiet them. "Everyone, please, take it easy. This is just a semi-finished product. It’s not done yet, and it hasn’t been seasoned. Please, be patient."

"Huh? This is only semi-finished?"

"It’s this delicious when it’s only half-done?"

Hearing that there was something even better to come, the crowd had no choice but to forcefully restrain their impulses and pull their hands back.

"I have to get back to work. Please give us a shout when it’s ready!"

"Yeah, yeah, I agree. I’m heading back for now."

The crowd watched for a while longer, but realizing it would probably take some time for Lin Chen to fry the entire basin of chicken skins, they returned to their own stalls to work.

The market wasn’t very large, but the locals were like clockwork regulars. As long as they lived nearby, they would come to buy groceries almost every day and frequent the same few restaurants. It was a lifelong habit for them.

Lin Chen had specifically chosen this place because of its reliable customer base, deciding to rent a stall to test the waters and get a feel for the locals’ tastes.

This would save him a considerable amount of time on trial and error. Once he figured out the right cuisine and flavors, his future restaurant could get on the right track immediately, and he would even have a built-in customer base.

After all the chicken skins were double-fried, their color had changed from golden to a slightly caramelized, brownish-yellow.

To anyone who frequently ate fried food, this wasn’t a sign of it being overcooked. On the contrary, it signaled the ultimate crispiness.

He took a portion of the fried chicken skins, placed them in a stainless steel bowl, and sprinkled on a mixed mala powder from Mountain City. Then, he quickly tossed them a dozen or so times to evenly coat the surface of every piece.

The batter on the surface of the fried chicken skins had formed a thin, crispy shell. This, along with the residual oil and the uneven coating, was perfect for holding the seasoning.

The remaining chicken skins were for another flavor.

He used a food processor to crush freshly peeled garlic cloves, then chopped them into a fine paste with a knife. After rinsing and patting them dry to remove excess moisture, he threw them directly into the hot oil to fry until crisp.

After scooping out the golden garlic crisps, he fried breadcrumbs, also until they were golden brown and crispy, then removed them.

He switched to a clean wok, heated it, and drizzled in a little of the hot, garlic-infused oil. He flash-fried some garlic slices, green onions, and ginger until fragrant, then tossed in dried chili segments and stir-fried for a dozen seconds. Next, he added the garlic crisps and breadcrumbs, stir-frying to combine them evenly, sprinkled on a thin layer of savory mala powder, and turned off the heat.

He poured all of the typhoon shelter style garlic crisps over the remaining chicken skins and quickly shook the stainless steel bowl, allowing the skins to mix thoroughly with the seasoning and absorb all the aromas.

The oil used for frying the chicken skins was already incredibly fragrant. Frying garlic in it afterward produced an aroma that was devastatingly potent.

He didn’t even need to call out. Everyone passing by was curiously peeking and craning their necks toward his stall, wondering what this newcomer was making that could smell so unbelievably good.

Most importantly, Magnus stood guard in front of the stall the entire time, his soles seemingly glued to the floor, completely unable to move.

Once both flavors of chicken skins were finally ready, he immediately stood on his tiptoes and reached for the most visually stunning ones: the typhoon shelter style fried chicken skins.

He casually picked up a piece. The chicken skin, now as hard as a potato chip, acted as a perfect little spoon, scooping up a heaping pile of garlic crisps.

The chicken skin had cooled completely, but the garlic crisps were still warm. A rich, garlicky aroma washed over him.

Just from the smell, he could feel his mouth uncontrollably watering.

Compared to the appearance of what was in front of him now, the first batch of plain fried chicken skins was practically garbage.

"CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH..."

With one bite, besides the exceptionally crispy chicken skin, countless tiny garlic crisps and breadcrumbs shattered at the same time.

Every single tiny crumb was saturated with the rich flavor of chicken fat and the intense aroma of garlic, paired with a faint hint of green onion and a mildly spicy seasoning powder. Each chew was an ultimate challenge to the taste buds.

Magnus closed his eyes in ecstasy, making "OK" signs with both hands and waving them from side to side.

"Holy shit..."

Lin Chen had waited with great anticipation, only for the first word to be a curse. He couldn’t help but exchange an amused glance with Erica.

Getting a customer to swear from just one bite was undoubtedly the highest praise for a chef’s skill, far better than any flowery adjectives.

"Hey! Landlord, did you just swear?"

Zack shouted from seven or eight meters away, a sharp butcher’s knife still in his hand.

Magnus shot him a look, snorted disdainfully, and once again picked up a piece of chicken skin. He plunged it into the small mountain of garlic crisps, scooping up a full load. Then, holding it up in the air with his hand, he aimed it pointedly at Zack before slowly popping it into his mouth, shaking his head in bliss.

Zack gulped, wishing he could charge over right that second and taste the finished chicken skins for himself. Unfortunately, a customer was still standing in front of him waiting to buy chicken, and he had to finish his work before he could leave.

On the other hand, the woman buying chicken breast saw their little exchange and walked over, her curiosity piqued.

"I’ve been smelling that lovely garlic aroma for a while now. Magnus, is this a new lad you’ve signed on? What is he making? It looks like handmade potato chips."

"They are potato chips, that’s right. Chicken-flavored potato chips. This is a chef from Great Xia. Go on, try a piece. I guarantee you’ll fall in love with it."

"To get such praise from you, it must taste really good. May I try a piece, please?"

"Of course," Lin Chen said with a smile and a nod. He put on a glove, grabbed a handful of the mala chicken skins, and passed them over on a small plate. Then he grabbed a handful of the typhoon shelter style flavor as well.

The woman casually picked up a piece and held it up to her eyes for a detailed inspection. She leaned in for a sniff, feeling that something was a bit strange. It didn’t quite look like the texture of a potato chip, but she couldn’t tell what material it was.

Fortunately, the thing smelled wonderful, with a distinct, rich aroma of chicken.

While she was observing, Erica, who couldn’t hold back any longer, held her camera in one hand and used the other to grab a piece and stuff it into her mouth.

"CRUNCH, CRUNCH..."

The crispy sound was the final push the woman needed. Without further hesitation, she also popped it into her mouth.

The moment it entered her mouth, a fiery, searing spiciness hit her.

"Hiss... So spicy!"

She sucked in a sharp breath, a flush visibly spreading across her cheeks.

Luckily, the crispy ’potato chip’ was exceptionally delicious. It actually burst with juices the moment she bit through it, and the rich, mellow flavor of the fat somewhat diluted the fire-breathing heat.

Just as she was getting used to the spiciness, she suddenly noticed her lips had started to tremble uncontrollably.

"That’s the ’ma’—the numbing sensation. It’s the flavor of a unique pepper from Great Xia."

Erica, long accustomed to the mala flavor, explained as she chewed, casually picking up a piece of the typhoon shelter style and popping it into her mouth.

The breadcrumbs, mixed with garlic crisps and garlic oil, seemed to transform into tiny bits of garlic, setting off firecrackers in her mouth. The intense aroma of garlic and chicken fat, combined with a faint numbing spiciness, elevated the deliciousness of the fried chicken skin by several levels.

She had never tasted anything like it before. Her eyes widened, and she pointed at it as she spoke.

"Ma’am, if you think that one is too spicy, you should try this one. The seasoning is made from fried garlic crisps and breadcrumbs fried in garlic oil. It’s incredibly fragrant."

Although the spiciness was intense, the woman smacked her lips, finding it strangely addictive.

She had been hesitating, wondering if she could handle the heat, but after hearing Erica’s suggestion, she immediately shifted her attack to the other plate.

CRUNCH.

"OMG!!"

The woman’s exaggerated reaction didn’t escape Zack’s notice. He swallowed hard again, the movements of his hands subconsciously quickening, wishing he could just finish this order and rush over to taste what those damn chicken skins were all about.

To be honest, even the semi-finished fried chicken skin he’d tasted earlier was already incredibly delicious to him. The aroma of chicken fat still lingered in his mouth.

After two more cuts, he really couldn’t take it anymore. He raised the hand holding the knife high.

"Hey! Lin, can you bring a couple of pieces over for me to try? I’m dying of craving over here!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the response came not from Lin Chen, but from a critical hit to the back of his head.

SMACK—

He only felt his head go numb, as if he’d been hit with a baseball bat.

"Zack! How many times have I told you? Don’t hold a knife when you’re talking to people!"

Turning his head, he saw a gleaming, sharp knife pointed right at him, its blade still smeared with minced chicken.

Zack’s face went pale. He subconsciously took half a step back and dropped the knife in his hand.

"O-Okay, Mom! Uh, why don’t you put the knife down first? We can talk this out!"

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