I Belong to Zane

Congee has a history of over 4,000 years. As people's lifestyles and needs have changed, various types and flavors of congee have evolved. In the Chaozhou and Shantou regions, known as the "kingdom of the sea," locals love drinking congee, often combining it with seafood to create a famous dish known worldwide: clay pot congee.

Regarding congee, Qing Dynasty gourmet Yuan Mei once said, "When water and rice are perfectly mixed, soft and smooth, it is called congee."

First, add enough water in one go. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then add soaked rice and a little peanut oil. The oil prevents the congee from boiling over. Stir constantly to release the heat from the rice grains, so the congee doesn't become mushy or sticky. Once the rice blooms, reduce to medium heat and add dried scallops, crab, ginger shreds, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.

Then, turn to low heat and add shrimp, abalone slices, lard, fish sauce, and preserved vegetables. During this process, reduce stirring to avoid breaking the rice grains and making the congee too thick. Before serving, sprinkle a bit of cilantro.

...

"Erina."

"Come down quickly and have breakfast."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard hurried footsteps. Sleepy-eyed Erina walked down the stairs in a hurry. Her hair was a bit messy, indicating she didn't have time to style it. She was only wearing a thin silk nightgown, but her whole body exuded a youthful vitality, looking more charming than usual.

"Here, for you."

Zane handed her a bowl of steaming hot clay pot congee. Erina stared blankly at it for a moment, still a bit dazed, but her stomach was probably really hungry, so she didn't think much and quickly took a spoonful, blowing on it before slowly tasting it.

Unlike ordinary iron pots, congee cooked in a clay pot had a unique rich aroma. At first taste, a fragrance lingered in her mouth. Various seafood ingredients mixed with mushrooms and preserved vegetables in the white congee, making it soft, refreshing, and melt-in-the-mouth.

Of course, the fresh flavor of the shrimp and crab was perfectly retained and infused into every grain of rice and every drop of congee. She never thought congee could be this delicious.

Not exaggerating to say, it's easy to eat three bowls in a row!

...

Different occasions bring different experiences, and the mood of a person drinking congee naturally varies. Eating this freshly made clay pot congee was certainly hot enough to burn the mouth. But savoring it, the smooth white congee intertwined with tender crab and shrimp, bubbling away, its taste was truly wonderful!

"Using a clay pot and cooking to order."

"Stir constantly while cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom."

"Especially when making congee, stirring the raw rice before adding fresh shrimp. Clearly, there are two critical points in making this clay pot congee."

"One is the heat control, and the other is maintaining a consistent perfect taste."

"Though it looks simple, the details are key. Oh, what's happening… my eyes are getting blurry, I feel like crying!"

As she spoke, Erina, with her God's Tongue, couldn't help but shed tears again because of Zane's cooking.

Ever since Mana left home, for over ten years, her breakfasts were mostly handled by her secretary Hisako. Although she occasionally received invitations to taste other chefs' breakfast dishes in her role as a judge, those breakfasts always lacked a certain feeling of "love."

But Zane? He was the first person, after Hisako, to sincerely make her breakfast. No! His breakfasts made her more satisfied than Hisako's!

Therefore, she was deeply moved and knew she couldn't live without Zane anymore.

...

"What's wrong?"

"Who knew the noble Erina would cry?"

"Look, you're almost a crying kitten!"

Seeing this, Zane was taken aback. He thought it was just a simple clay pot congee, nothing special, and it had made her cry? He had no choice but to gently wipe her tears, comforting her in his way.

"I'm not a crying kitten; there was just something in my eye."

Erina held back her tears, looking at him with sparkling eyes. Then, she suddenly held Zane's hand on her face, not wanting him to take it away.

"Huh?"

"You… you are…"

Zane tried to pull away, but seeing Erina's flushed face, he quickly realized what was happening. Erina's complex gaze softened, and after releasing his hand, she didn't have the courage to respond to Zane but instead asked, "Chaozhou clay pot congee usually tastes similar, but why does yours taste so much better?"

"I used Wuchang rice from northern China."

Knowing Erina was deliberately avoiding certain feelings, Zane didn't push further, smiling as he answered her question.

"Wuchang rice?"

"Isn't clay pot congee usually made with this kind of rice?"

Erina was puzzled.

Wuchang rice, named for "three principles and five virtues" (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness), was once the imperial tribute rice of ancient China. It required very high standards for growing conditions, sunlight, temperature, rainfall, and soil.

This rice is soft, slightly sticky, slightly sweet, and retains a good texture even when cooled. It's perfect for making clay pot congee.

"Congee should be thick, but you should still feel the rice grains, so Wuchang rice is the best choice."

"And it's best to soak it for half an hour before cooking. Although using a clay pot prevents sticking, to make good congee, you need to stir it thirty-six times during cooking."

"I see."

"The key is constant stirring during cooking!"

Erina understood instantly.

...

Congee, like the relationship between Chinese people and food, is as thick and sticky as the congee itself, inseparable. Just one spoonful can evoke waves of flavor, revealing delicious crab meat, fresh shrimp, small scallops, and sweet, soft rice grains…

In the past, Erina had eaten these seafood delicacies to the point of nausea, finding them mundane.

But now, she didn't want to waste a single spoonful of the congee that had absorbed all the seafood's essence. Each slightly hot spoonful, melting in her mouth, made her fully appreciate the magic of clay pot congee!

Finally, in the warm atmosphere, she and Zane finished the entire pot of congee.

Feeling slightly full, Erina was satisfied and happy. She realized that as long as she stayed at the tavern during the vacation after the training camp, she could continue enjoying Zane's breakfasts like this.

She felt a sense of joy in her heart.

Sorry, Hisako.

During this time, I don't need you to make my breakfast because I already belong to Zane!

...

Visiting the tavern, ordering a few side dishes is a must. With Zane's ever-expanding repertoire of dishes, diners now have more choices.

But no matter how the menu changes, for a foodie like Rindo, she always seeks one thing:

Meat!

The chicken leg with skin was cut into large pieces, bigger than a ping-pong ball, which helped retain more juice. The high temperature couldn't fully penetrate the core, creating a crispy outside and tender inside. A small bite released an aroma, with juices flowing.

Even the marinade had a hint of lemon juice, adding a subtle acidity to cut through the richness.

"Ah!"

"So satisfying."

Rindo closed her eyes, satisfied.

Then she blushed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zane: "Hey, Zane, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it?"

Zane, wiping his kitchen knife with a cloth, looked up and calmly asked.

"It's not a big deal. I just want you to handle this crocodile like you did with the bear paw last time!"

With that, Rindo quickly pulled a crocodile out of a sack.

Zane: ???

...

The crocodile in front of him was less than a meter long, clearly still a juvenile, so it didn't seem very threatening.

Moreover, its mouth and feet were tied with wire, and its mouth was sealed with tape, rendering it almost immobile.

But even small crocodiles, with their fearsome appearance, sharp teeth, and tough skin like armor, can leave a terrifying impression on ordinary people!

Unsurprisingly, the appearance of this live crocodile caused a commotion in the tavern.

"Last time it was a dead bear paw, now you've brought a live crocodile. Do you think this is a slaughterhouse? If I help you with this, what next, a venomous snake for snake soup?"

Zane said helplessly, looking at her.

"Great idea! Next time, I'll bring some snakes for you to cook!"

Rindo's eyes sparkled as she seemed to decide on her next move.

"Don't mess around. This is a tavern."

Seeing her excitement, Zane glared at her: "I'll help you with this crocodile, but this is the last time. Don't bring anything dangerous again!"

"Okay, okay!"

"I'll listen to you."

Rindo agreed happily, knowing Zane was willing to handle the crocodile.

...

Crocodiles are not fish!

They have existed since ancient times, earning titles like "living fossil" and "soft gold."

In his famous work, Compendium of Materia Medica, Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen recorded: "The meat is beneficial, treating breathlessness, inability to stand, dampness, evil qi, and various other conditions

."

In other words, crocodile meat is not only delicious but also has medicinal benefits, such as nourishing blood, strengthening bones, and dispelling dampness.

Of course.

The price is naturally high.

And not many people are willing or daring to eat it.

At the tavern, despite the rule of allowing customers to order any dish, Zane rarely used such rare ingredients to serve customers.

Even in a food-centric era, many people still had reservations about crocodile meat.

Regarding cooking methods, after years of exploration by Chinese chefs, crocodile meat can be prepared using almost all Chinese culinary techniques, such as:

Stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, hotpot, red-cooking, boiling, steaming, stewing...

With any culinary skill and cooking technique, crocodile meat can be handled.

As for the taste, it's not mysterious. It's about 70% like chicken, mixed with 20% pork, and 10% firm fish.

If you remove the tough crocodile skin, eating the meat is like a slightly tougher chicken breast.

In short, it's not bad!

...

Zane grabbed the small crocodile and slammed it onto the cutting board.

Then, he prepared a bowl, filled it with 80% fragrant rice.

Holding the crocodile down, he swiftly used a sharp kitchen knife to cut its windpipe, letting the blood flow into the bowl, mixing it with the rice.

"Ah... Is he killing it directly?"

The sight of the bloody scene shocked the nearby French cuisine expert Sonoka.

Not just her, everyone in the tavern was stunned.

"Huh?"

"What a decisive technique."

Even Rindo, standing nearby, was equally astonished.

Once the blood drained, Zane hung the crocodile head down to drain the remaining blood, then gutted it from the abdomen.

Slice, slice, slice!

The tavern was deathly quiet.

Only the sound of Zane's knife cutting the crocodile meat was heard.

He skillfully removed the internal organs and fat, then cut off the tail and head.

He prepared another bowl with hot water and scraped the scales off the belly.

In just a few minutes, under everyone's watchful eyes, Zane finished processing the entire small crocodile.

"So fast, less than five minutes?"

Rindo's eyes nearly popped out.

Though she was skilled with rare ingredients and knew the structure and handling of crocodiles well, she had to admit Zane's knife skills and decisiveness far surpassed hers!

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