Alas!
Hisako, I'm truly sorry.
During this period, you won't need to make breakfast for me, because I am already Sosuke's shape!
...
When visiting an Izakaya, a few small dishes are definitely a must-order.
And currently, at the Izakaya, as Sosuke knows how to make more and more dishes, the diners also have more choices.
But no matter how it changes, and no matter how many dishes are added, for the food-loving Kobayashi Rindo, what she always wants to pursue is always inseparable from one thing:
Meat!
Upon closer inspection, the chicken thigh with skin was cut into a very large piece.
It looked even bigger than a billiard ball; the advantage of this size is that it can lock in more meat juices.
At the same time, high temperatures have difficulty fully penetrating the core, making it easy to achieve a crispy outside and tender inside texture. Taking a small bite, the aroma filled the air, and the juices overflowed.
Even, the fried chicken marinade was mixed with a little lemon juice.
It subtly added a hint of sourness, which perfectly cut through the greasiness from within.
"Whew!"
"Truly satisfying."
Afterward, Kobayashi Rindo closed her eyes and said contentedly.
Immediately after, her cheeks flushed slightly, and upon reopening her bright eyes, she looked at Sosuke with watery eyes: "Hey, Zhang's Restaurant, can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
Sosuke, who was wiping a kitchen knife with a cloth, paused slightly, then replied calmly.
"It's not a big deal, I just hope you can handle this alligator for me, just like you helped me process the bear paw last time!"
With that, Kobayashi Rindo hurriedly dragged an alligator out of a sack.
Sosuke:???
...
The alligator in front of him was less than 1 meter long.
It was clearly still in its juvenile stage, so it didn't appear to be dangerous.
Moreover, the small alligator's mouth and feet were already tightly bound with wire, and its mouth was sealed with tape, almost completely incapacitating it.
However, an alligator, merely by its appearance, is enough to leave a terrifying impression on ordinary people. They not only possess a gaping maw full of sharp teeth, but their skin also resembles hard armor!
Evidently, the appearance of this live alligator.
Instantly caused a sensation throughout the entire Izakaya.
"Last time, the bear paw was at least dead, but you actually went overboard and brought me such a live creature."
"What, do you think this place is a slaughterhouse? This time I help you process a live alligator, next time I'll have to help you process venomous snakes, and then make you snake soup?"
Withdrawing his gaze, Sosuke could only say to her, speechless.
"What a great idea! Next time I'll bring some snakes for you to cook!"
Hearing this, the food-loving Kobayashi Rindo blinked her bright eyes, seemingly having truly made up her mind.
"Don't mess around, this is an Izakaya."
Seeing that she still wanted to do that, Sosuke could only glare at her fiercely and then said: "I'll help you process this small alligator, because keeping it here would only affect the diners, but this is a one-time thing."
"No matter what, you absolutely cannot bring such dangerous things again!"
"Mhm, mhm!"
"I… I'll listen to you."
Kobayashi Rindo, knowing that Sosuke was willing to help her cook the alligator, happily agreed.
...
An alligator is not a fish!
It has existed since ancient times, and in addition to being called a "living fossil," it also has the title of "soft gold."
Li Shizhen, a Ming Dynasty pharmacologist, had already recorded alligators in his famous work "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Its meat is highly nourishing, primarily treating shortness of breath, inability to stand, dampness and evil qi, and various internal abdominal masses and sores."
In other words, alligator meat is not only delicious but also capable of nourishing blood, strengthening bones and muscles, and dispelling dampness and evil qi.
Of course.
As for the price, it is naturally not cheap.
At the same time, there aren't many people willing to eat it or daring enough to eat it.
At the Izakaya, even though there's a rule that diners can order whatever they want, Sosuke basically never uses such rare ingredients to entertain customers.
After all, although this is an era where gourmet food reigns supreme, most people are still relatively resistant to alligator as an ingredient.
As for the cooking methods for alligator meat, after years of exploration by numerous Chinese cuisine chefs, they can almost cover all the techniques of Chinese cuisine, for example:
Sautéing, frying, stir-frying, blanching, braising, quick-boiling, steaming, stewing, simmering...
As long as one is willing, no matter what kind of culinary skill or cooking technique, alligators can be processed.
As for the texture of alligator meat, it's actually not very mysterious; it's roughly like 70% chicken, mixed with 20% pork, and 10% firm fish meat.
If the alligator skin is removed, then there aren't many tendons when eating the meat, it's like eating a slightly chewier piece of chicken breast.
In short, it's very plain, just not hard to eat!
...
At this moment, Sosuke directly grabbed the slightly smaller alligator and then slammed it heavily onto the cutting board.
Next, he prepared a basin, filling it 80% full with fragrant rice.
Pressing down on the alligator's body, without any hesitation, he swiftly wielded his sharp kitchen knife, severing the alligator's trachea, allowing the blood to flow into the basin, and continuously stirring the fragrant rice and alligator blood until well mixed.
"Ah… Is this direct bleeding and slaughter?"
Such a bloody scene made Kikuchi, who specialized in French cuisine, watching nearby, tremble with fear.
In fact, it wasn't just her; all the diners present were also shocked by this.
"Hmm?"
"What decisive cooking technique."
Beside him, Kobayashi Rindo, who was close by, was also stunned.
Once the blood had drained, Sosuke continued to hold the alligator with its head down and tail up, continuing to drain the blood from its body until it was completely drained, then he opened its abdomen.
Swish, swish, swish!
Swish, swish, swish!
The entire Izakaya was silent, like death.
Only the sound of Sosuke's kitchen knife cutting the alligator meat could be heard.
First, he skillfully peeled off all the internal organs and internal fat, then cut off the alligator's tail and head.
Then, he prepared another basin, poured hot water into it, and used a knife to scrape the scales from the abdomen.
Just like that, the entire small alligator was processed by Sosuke right before everyone's eyes.
"So fast, it seemed like less than 5 minutes, right?"
Kobayashi Rindo's eyes almost popped out.
Even though she specialized in rare ingredients and was well-versed in the structure and processing of alligators, when it came to knife skills and this level of ruthlessness, she had to admit her inferiority to Sosuke! (End of Chapter)
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