Chapter 61 One Man, One Fox, Three Dishes: This Damn Wilderness Ritual
Looking at the ingredients on the counter, Su Wei said to the little guy by the fireplace, " Cotton Candy, tonight, we're having a feast."
The little fox seemed to understand, its tail tip twitching excitedly. It leaped off the blanket, ran to Su Wei's feet, rubbed its head against his trouser leg, and made expectant purring sounds in its throat.
Su Wei bent down and rubbed its fluffy head, then stood up straight and rolled up his sleeves.
He first dealt with the frozen, rock-hard red-spotted salmon.
He put the fish in cold water and let it thaw slowly on its own, which better preserves the freshness of the fish.
While waiting, he began to prepare the bone-in lamb chops.
He didn't use a complicated marinating method; he simply used kitchen paper to pat the surface of the lamb chops dry, and then used his palms to evenly pat coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper into the meat.
After doing all that, he took out a few wilted rosemary sprigs from the cabinet.
The ingredients I bought a while ago have all wilted because I haven't used them for so long.
I found half an onion in the refrigerator and sliced it into thin strips.
By this time, the red-spotted salmon had almost thawed.
Su Wei held the fish's body with his left hand and gripped a thin-bladed fish knife in his right. He pierced the fish from the tail, along the spine, and sliced off two large pieces of fish fillet in one swift motion.
The fish skin shimmered with a silvery sheen, and the flesh was an enticing orange-red.
The remaining fish head and bones were perfect for making soup.
He chopped the fish bones into several pieces and put them, along with the fish head, into a hot cast iron pot, frying them in a small piece of lard until golden brown on both sides.
With a sizzling sound, a fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.
He didn't rush to add water, but moved the fried fish bones to one side and added shredded onions to stir-fry until they were sweet.
Finally, pour in enough water to cover the ingredients.
Bring it to a boil over high heat, and the broth quickly changes from clear to milky white. Su Wei covers the pot and turns the heat to low, allowing the flavor of the bones to slowly simmer and extract.
After doing all that, he turned his attention to the piece of beef.
He cut the beef into even slices. The Cotton Candy next to him smelled the meat and impatiently tugged at his trouser leg with its paws, its little face tilted up, its blue eyes full of longing.
Su Wei glanced down at it, cut off a small piece of scrap, and waved it between his fingers.
"Glutton."
He tossed the meat strip to the Cotton Candy, which the little guy snatched in one bite and ran to a corner. He held it down with his two front paws and quickly tore into it, eating with great relish.
[You have had a friendly interaction with your pet ' Cotton Candy ', Beast Taming Module experience +2]
Su Wei ignored the prompts in her mind and began preparing the main course.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, making the cabin warm.
The fish soup in the pot was bubbling away, its rich, savory aroma mingling with the scent of pine, dispelling the chill and gasoline smell emanating from the garage.
The frying pan was scorching hot when Su Wei placed a piece of butter on it.
As the butter melted and produced fine bubbles, he carefully placed the marinated lamb chops into the pot.
"Sizzle"
The sound of meat hitting a hot iron wok is quite pleasant.
The edges of the lamb chops curled up quickly as the fat melted under the high heat, releasing a mouthwatering, caramelized aroma.
Su Wei didn't rush to flip it over, but waited patiently until that side formed a dark brown crust.
Turn it over, then add a few cloves of crushed garlic and a few sprigs of rosemary.
He repeatedly ladled hot butter mixed with the aroma of vanilla over the lamb chops, letting the fragrance permeate every strand of meat.
Just as he was placing the pan-fried lamb chops onto a plate, the system notification sounded.
[You have completed a high-quality cooking session, Life Module Skills +21]
Your dish 'Pan-fried Rosemary Lamb Chops' will grant you a temporary buff: Rapid Stamina Recovery (weak).
Next up is the beef.
No need to wash the pan; use the oil and aroma left from frying the lamb chops to stir-fry quickly over high heat.
Quickly stir-fry the beef slices in the pan until they are separated and the edges start to curl slightly, then remove them from the pan immediately.
Next up was the pan-fried fish fillet.
Finally, the fish soup was ready.
The soup was milky white and so thick that the bottom was invisible.
Su Wei the sliced fish and a few pieces of frozen tofu, sprinkled with salt and white pepper, brought it to a boil again, and then immediately turned off the heat.
He placed the three dishes and one soup on the low table in front of the fireplace.
Pan-fried lamb chops, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, steaming hot; stir-fried beef slices, glistening with oil, tender and delicious; pan-fried fish fillets, brown and fragrant; fish head and tofu soup, served in a large earthenware bowl, milky white and incredibly fragrant.
There was also a special dish for the Cotton Candy, consisting of cooked and shredded beef and fish mince.
Su Wei sat cross-legged on the thick carpet, facing the impatient little fox.
He didn't pick up his chopsticks first; he just watched the flickering flames in the fireplace, listened to the howling wind and snow outside, and felt the warmth and peace inside.
This feeling almost made him forget the dangers of this wilderness.
He picked up a lamb chop and took a big bite.
Beneath the crispy crust lies tender and juicy lamb, with the aroma of rosemary and garlic bursting in your mouth.
That's fucking awesome.
He ate the meat with gusto, then scooped up a spoonful of piping hot fish soup.
The broth melts in your mouth, a burst of delicious flavor instantly enveloping your taste buds, Warm Current sliding down your throat to your stomach, leaving you feeling completely comfortable.
The Cotton Candy was also engrossed in its bowl, eating without even looking up.
A man and a fox, trapped in a wooden cabin by a blizzard, are enjoying a belated victory celebration.
[Temporary Buff: Satiety: Your stomach is greatly satisfied, your mood is pleasant, and the speed of mental fatigue elimination is slightly increased.]
[Temporary Buff: Happy Dopamine: You will feel happy for 30 minutes and resist negative emotions.]
After eating and drinking his fill, Su Wei leaned back on the sofa and let out a satisfied burp.
Cotton Candy lay sprawled on the carpet, her round belly exposed, looking like she had eaten too much.
He rested for a moment, then stood up and cleaned up the dishes.
The simple cleaning work also gave him a few more Life Module lessons.
After doing all this, he felt sticky all over, smelling of cooking fumes and engine oil from repairing the engine.
He took out some clean clothes from the closet and went into the bathroom.
The hot water has been boiled in advance.
Hot water was ladled from the iron bucket, washing over his tired body and taking away the grease and grime.
A dozen minutes later, Su Wei came out of the bathroom, drying her wet hair.
He suddenly felt that the room seemed unusually quiet.
The howling wind that had lasted for several days disappeared.
The crackling sound of wind and snow hitting the window also stopped.
Su Wei paused, then walked to the window. A thick layer of condensation had formed on the window, blurring the view outside.
He reached out and rubbed a clear area across the cold glass with his palm.
Through that area, the outside world came into view.
The snow has stopped.
The snowflakes that had been swirling in the air had disappeared, and the leaden clouds seemed to have thinned considerably, revealing a faint glimmer of moonlight.
The snow in the yard was thick, covering everything, and the whole world was quiet.
Tomorrow... if it doesn't snow again by daybreak tomorrow...
Su Wei turned away from the window, his bare feet barely making a sound on the warm wooden floor.
He walked to the wall, to the unfolded map of Kodiak Island.
Her fingertips first landed on the U-shaped valley he had circled in red pen, lingering for a moment.
Then, the finger slowly moved, following the winding road on the map, all the way to the marker representing a human town.
Kodiak Town.
Finally, his finger stopped on the name of that small town.
Chapter 62 Carrying a Little Fox, Heading for Kodiak Town!
Su Wei removed his finger from the marker on the map that represented the Kodiak Town.
He didn't get up immediately, but remained in a half-squatting position, listening quietly.