I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 723 - 324: Does Professor Cui like to eat Drunken Crab? Arranged! Senior brother, are you okay? [Subscribe Please]_3

Chapter 723: Chapter 324: Does Professor Cui like to eat Drunken Crab? Arranged! Senior brother, are you okay? [Subscribe Please]_3

Crabs can’t withstand hunger—their flesh may shrink and deteriorate in just two or three days.

He brought over a large basin, filled it with water, and released the crabs into it one by one after untying their ropes.

"So many! We can’t finish them in one meal!"

Lin Xu looked at Cui Qingyuan and asked, "Professor Cui, how do you like to eat crabs?"

Cui Qingyuan smiled and said, "For live crabs, steaming is the natural choice. Steamed crab with Floral Carving Wine is perfect, especially if the wine is over ten years old. You warm the wine in hot water, then enjoy it with the steamed crab—it’s an absolute match made in heaven."

Wow, a real gourmand, Lin Xu thought.

Once it came to eating crabs, Cui Qingyuan seemed to get excited. He squatted by the basin, picked up a feisty crab waving its claws, and continued, "But the most delicious flavor of crab comes from the traditional Shanghai Drunken Crab. The live crabs are soaked for several days in seasoned brine. When you cut one open, the crab roe has congealed, and the crab meat is fresh with a hint of wine aroma—it’s indescribably delicious."

Drunken Crab?

This really piqued Lin Xu’s interest. He had thought about making Drunken Crab when he first saw the Hairy Crabs, but he was worried that Professor Cui might not like the taste of this raw, marinated delicacy, so he hadn’t brought it up. After all, the crabs were Professor Cui’s. Now that Drunken Crab was mentioned, it would be a shame not to prepare some.

Lin Xu said, "There are too many crabs today; we certainly won’t finish them all. How about I use some Floral Carving Wine to make Drunken Crab? It would also preserve their freshness for a few more days."

"You know how to make Drunken Crab?" Cui Qingyuan looked at Lin Xu with surprise and delight, as he was just craving this delicacy. He hadn’t expected Lin Xu to know how to make it. That’s right, Cui Qingyuan mused. If he can make roasted wheat gluten and large pork chops—those Shanghai local dishes—so masterfully, it’s not surprising he knows how to prepare Drunken Crab.

"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Boss Lin. What ingredients do we need? I’ll go buy them right now."

Despite growing up in Shanghai, Cui Qingyuan only knew how to enjoy local dishes, not how to make them.

Lin Xu smiled and said, "No need, no need. I’ll just have someone deliver them."

He took out his phone and called Old Huang. "Boss Huang, do you have any good Floral Carving Wine?"

"Yeah, I have some that are over ten years old, fifteen years old, you name it. Why, are you having Hairy Crabs?"

Old Huang’s nose is sharp indeed, almost like a bloodhound’s... Lin Xu thought. He then said, "A regular customer brought some Hairy Crabs to the restaurant. I’m planning to steam some tonight and also prepare Drunken Crab. Send me some Floral Carving Wine that’s over fifteen years old, and send plenty since we have a lot of crabs."

As soon as Old Huang heard there were many crabs, he got excited. "Do you need help eating them? My wife took the kids to Southern Yunnan, leaving me wondering where to eat dinner. How about this: the Floral Carving Wine is on me, in exchange for a meal. How does that sound?"

That sounds more than okay, Lin Xu thought.

He replied, "Then come on over. It’s a good opportunity for you to check the quality of these Hairy Crabs and see if you can get your hands on some yourself."

With Hairy Crabs this big, it wouldn’t do to keep them all to himself. In two days, his parents-in-law would be returning from Yinzhou, and he had to let them taste these excellent crabs. Moreover, he would send several boxes back to his hometown in Yinzhou for his family to enjoy these top-grade Hairy Crabs.

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xu said to Zhu Yong and Zhuang Yizhou, "You two are skilled at handling seafood, so please take care of these Hairy Crabs. Besides those we’re steaming tonight, make the rest into Drunken Crabs." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

If they were just ordinary crabs, they could be steamed to extract the roe and meat to make Crab Yellow Sauce. But it would be a waste to turn such large Hairy Crabs into sauce; it’s better to eat them as they are. As for Crab Yellow Sauce, he could always make some later with smaller crabs.

Zhu Yong and Zhuang Yizhou carried the large basin back to the kitchen. They planned to soak the Hairy Crabs for a while, changing the water frequently to help them settle before cleaning.

Lin Xu placed the lotus cakes and Doodle Cakes he had made earlier on a plate and brought them to Cui Qingyuan with a smile. "Professor Cui, please try these two new snacks I made today."

"Wow, they look absolutely fantastic!"

Although Cui Qingyuan had seen the pictures Geng Lele had posted in her Moments, the real things were much more impressive than the photos. He took out his phone, snapped a picture of the exquisite snacks on the plate, and immediately shared it in his Moments, writing: "Came to Lin Ji for a meal with Hairy Crabs, just in time to catch Boss Lin making snacks. Lucky me!"

After posting, he picked up a Doodle Cake, took a bite, and was instantly enchanted by its crispy texture and sweet flavor, exclaiming, "Hey, these snacks are really something special! Delicious!"

"Professor Cui, you flatter me; they’re just simple snacks," Lin Xu said modestly.

Lin Xu chatted with Cui Qingyuan for a few more moments before heading back to the kitchen to get busy.

He had originally intended to make Dry Pot Cauliflower, but now that there were so many Hairy Crabs, he decided to wait. It was best not to have too many dishes at once, which might overshadow the fresh, delicious taste of the Hairy Crabs.

On the kitchen workbench, Zhu Yong and Zhuang Yizhou changed the water for the Hairy Crabs several times before starting to clean them with a brush. Cleaning the Hairy Crabs primarily involved scrubbing the shell, joints, and belly to ensure all mud was removed, making the steamed crabs delicious. During cleaning, they also needed to lift the abdominal flap on each crab and squeeze out any waste. After a thorough cleaning and a couple more rinses, they also washed the ropes used to tie the Hairy Crabs. They then retied the crabs neatly, placed them belly-up on a steaming tray, and laid a piece of ginger on each belly. Then, they put them in the steamer to begin steaming.

After closing the steamer door, Zhuang Yizhou took some ginger to make the indispensable dipping sauce for Hairy Crabs—ginger vinegar. He cleaned and peeled the ginger, then placed it on the chopping board. He smashed it a few times with the flat side of his knife to spread it out. Then, flipping the knife, he used its spine to chop the smashed ginger into a fine mince, discarding the fibers to achieve the perfect texture. Whether eating Plain Chicken in Cantonese cuisine or shrimp and crab in the Yangtze River Delta region, minced ginger is an essential accompaniment.

Lin Xu made a round in the kitchen and decided to go downstairs to check on the marinated foods section.

At the stairway entrance, he saw his senior apprentice-brother Xie Baomin limping in, supported by Da Chun. Following them were Xie Yufei and Xie Yuhang, trying to suppress their laughter, and Su Peipei, who wore a look of helpless resignation.

"Brother-in-law, you need to grit your teeth and bear it..."

"Shut your mouth! I asked you for a fitness recommendation, not a suicide method!"

"But swinging the heavy ropes is genuinely for body conditioning..."

"Don’t talk to me about heavy ropes! I don’t want to see any kind of rope today!"

Lin Xu watched the scene in astonishment. "Senior Brother," he asked, "are you... are you okay?"

Double Monthly Ticket event has started, brothers, asking for your Monthly Tickets! Also, thanks to reader [Mr. Cat cerys] for donating fifty thousand Book Coins, our first Alliance Hierarch has officially emerged, a joyous and congratulatory occasion. I’ll post an additional Chapter later to discuss the details of the added updates. Don’t forget to cast your Monthly Tickets, brothers!