Chapter 193: Glass-Skinned Crispy Squab

Li Xiao’s actions sparked a heated discussion in the livestream chat.

He gently pinched the pigeon’s ankle. At just this light touch, the bird’s crisp skin let out a distinct CRACK, as if heralding the wonderful flavors to come.

He swallowed, said no more, and popped a piece of the glass-skinned pigeon into his mouth.

His expectations for this dish had already been high, but it wasn’t until the pigeon was actually in his mouth that he realized he hadn’t set them nearly high enough.

The pigeon’s skin was crispy and dry, with a texture like biting into a crispy seaweed snack, not at all greasy.

Because honey was used in the marinade, the skin had a faint sweetness that perfectly balanced the savory flavor of the meat.

After biting through the crispy outer layer, a gush of meat juices followed.

The unique flavor of the honey cut through the richness of the rendered fat, while the pigeon meat itself was so delicate and tender you could barely feel any fibers.

With this glass-skinned pigeon, the sweet, crispy skin and the savory meat complemented each other perfectly. Every bite, from the outside in, was a smooth, delicate delight.

This was precisely why Li Garden used smaller pigeons—to ensure the meat cooked evenly, avoiding the problem of it being cooked on the outside but raw inside, or tough on the outside and tender within.

At the same time, a system notification sounded in Li Xiao’s ear.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the 68th entry in your Almanac.]

[The culinary entry you unlocked is: Glass-Skinned Pigeon]

[Dish Rating: 98/100 [Excellent]]

[Due to the Excellent rating, your reward is quadrupled.]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations! You have received a recipe reward: Glass-Skinned Pigeon Recipe]

After finishing the pigeon thigh, Li Xiao didn’t rush to share his thoughts but instead continued to savor the other parts of the bird.

The viewers in the livestream exploded with excited comments:

"That pigeon must be absolutely delicious!"

"Is that even a question? Just look at the streamer, he can’t stop!"

"FedEx me one, streamer! I’m licking my screen!"

"That pigeon looks incredible!"

"I’ve made up my mind, I have to go to Yangcheng to try it!"

"As a Yangcheng local, I’m going to try it tomorrow. Any interested young ladies can slide into my DMs!"

············

Setting down the skeleton, picked clean of every last shred of meat, Li Xiao took a sip of chrysanthemum tea and nodded in satisfaction.

"Delicious. This glass-skinned pigeon may be 180 a bird, but it’s truly worth every penny."

"It can be described in four words: crispy skin, tender meat."

"To achieve such tender meat through roasting is simply unbeatable."

"The only downside is that the pigeon is too small. It’s not nearly enough to eat."

Li Xiao didn’t say much more to his audience, because the pigeon was just too good. He couldn’t stop eating.

Soon, he had stuffed the remaining few pieces of pigeon into his mouth.

Li Xiao didn’t have to wait long before the waitress brought over the next dish.

"Hello, for the three of you, this is the Lobster Puffed Rice."

The Lobster Puffed Rice was served in two parts: one was an aromatic, orange-red lobster broth, and the other was rice that had been stir-fried to a golden yellow.

"Hello, for the Lobster Puffed Rice, would you like me to pour the fried rice in for you?"

"I can do it myself."

"Alright then. Please handle it gently and don’t pour from too high up. The soup is very hot."

"Okay."

As Li Xiao accepted the dish, he began explaining to his viewers.

"Strictly speaking, this Lobster Puffed Rice can’t be called a traditional Cantonese dish."

"After all, lobsters can only be caught in the deep sea, and deep-sea fishing is a relatively recent development."

"So, puffed rice is traditional Cantonese cuisine, but putting them together makes Lobster Puffed Rice a new-style Cantonese dish."

"Of course, this particular version in front of me also incorporates some Western-style elements, making it look even richer."

As he spoke, he leaned closer to take a sniff, and a rich, savory aroma of lobster rushed out.

"The aroma is deep and full-bodied. You can tell it’s been simmered for a long time. I’ll take a taste for you all."

Li Xiao scooped up a small spoonful of the orange-red lobster broth.

The droplets of oil on the surface glistened, shimmering with an inviting luster.

When the piping hot lobster broth entered his mouth, Li Xiao instantly felt an indescribable umami flavor.

The umami was incredibly intense, and the various ingredients were perfectly balanced.

The lobster broth was savory and rich with a smooth texture that left a lasting impression.

The complex ingredients didn’t overpower the main attraction; instead, they enhanced the sweetness of the lobster meat, making it stand out even more.

The richness of the broth came not only from the lobster itself but also from the sweetness of various vegetables and the unique flavor of the ocean.

A system notification immediately sounded in his ear:

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the 69th entry in your Almanac.]

[The culinary entry you unlocked is: Lobster Puffed Rice]

[Dish Rating: 91/100 [Excellent]]

[Due to the Excellent rating, your reward is quadrupled.]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000]

[Congratulations! You have received an Experience Reward: Tips on Choosing a Lobster]

[Congratulations! You have received a recipe reward: Lobster Puffed Rice Recipe]

Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.

"Delicious. This lobster broth is rich but not greasy, savory but not fishy. It’s perfectly cooked."

In the livestream chat:

"That soup just looks so good!"

"I can’t afford lobster. I’ll just watch the streamer eat."

"Boston lobsters aren’t that expensive nowadays. You can get a small one for a little over a hundred."

"If you can get one for just over 100, I might consider trying to make it at home."

"Streamer, is that lobster soup hard to make?"

········

Seeing the questions from his viewers, Li Xiao smiled and began to explain:

"Actually, this lobster soup is very simple to make, but it’s not easy to make it well."

"First, make the lobster urinate, then place it in boiling water with salt and cooking wine for one minute. This is just to kill it."

"At this point, the outermost layer of the lobster meat is cooked and has separated from the shell."

"This makes it very convenient to remove the shell. Crush all the lobster shells."

"Add a small piece of butter to a pan. Once the butter has melted, add the lobster shells and turn the heat to high for a quick stir-fry."

"The heat must be high. This will give the lobster shells a charred, fragrant flavor."

"Once the inner layer of the shells turns a toasty brown, remove them all. To the bottom of the pan, add olive oil."

"Add diced celery, diced carrots, diced onions, and diced tomatoes. Once all the vegetables have softened and started to brown on the surface, you can add a small amount of white wine."

"Finally, return the fragrant lobster shells to the pot, add an appropriate amount of water, cover with a lid, and simmer for an hour. Before serving, just add salt and sugar to taste."

"Of course, if you don’t have lobster at home, you can use the shells of other shrimp, or even crab shells, with the same method."

"That way, you’ll get a Western-style mantis shrimp soup or a Western-style crab soup."

"Alright, everyone, take out your notebooks. Try this out after class. Now, let me try this rice soup!"