After setting the large chicken leg aside, Mai Ge took out a box of dried shiitake mushrooms from the cabinet. The mushrooms had white cracks on their surface, resembling a blooming flower. As soon as the cabinet was opened, a unique aroma of shiitake mushrooms wafted out, instantly invigorating the senses.
Mai Ge reached out and picked one up. The mushroom surface is about the size of three coins, of moderate thickness, dry but not brittle. Almost all the shiitake mushrooms in the box were the same size, and the patterns on their surfaces were similar. The aroma was almost comparable to high quality incense, making one feel peaceful and comfortable. Mai Ge couldn't help but ask curiously, "System, what's the story behind these shiitake mushrooms?"
"Shiitake mushrooms, also known as fragrant mushrooms, are known as the king of mountain delicacies. They have a delicious taste and a refreshing aroma. They are effective in treating loss of appetite and fatigue. They are the most important flavoring ingredient in braised chicken and are indispensable."
"The shiitake mushrooms provided by this system are produced using a modified version of the ancient mushroom-making method. In the depths of the Wind Forest, a subspecies of agarwood is selected from a shady and humid climate. The trees are cut and cultivated, and the moisture in the trunk is controlled to provide the best growing conditions for the shiitake mushrooms.
Each agarwood tree can grow over a thousand shiitake mushrooms. Only the plumpest, most beautifully patterned, and best-sized mushrooms are selected as top quality ingredients. Each tree produces only a hundred or so shiitake mushrooms, all of which are of the highest quality.
These mushrooms absorb the fragrance of agarwood. Placing a few in a room will fill it with a delightful aroma that can refresh the mind. When added to dishes, the flavor remains that of mushrooms, but it's several times more delicious than ordinary shiitake mushrooms. These mushrooms were thoroughly cleaned before drying and were packaged in a sterile vacuum-sealed environment throughout the packaging and transportation process. They contain no preservatives or desiccants and can be cooked and eaten directly." the system replied earnestly.
"System, you're really serious about growing vegetables." Mai Ge nodded earnestly in admiration.
Running to the Wind Forest to grow mushrooms on agarwood—only a system could do something like that. He wondered what kind of expression the elf would have if they were suddenly attracted by a fragrance, ran over to take a look, and found a piece of agarwood covered with thousands of mushrooms.
But putting everything else aside, the ingredients produced by the system are undeniably top notch, they're the kind of things you can't always get even if you're rich.
Without Mai Ge asking, the system itself gave a detailed account of the origins of the remaining ingredients and seasonings. Although their origins weren't as significant as those of the Flaming Chickens and Shiitake Mushrooms, but they were all grown in unusual places and were of far superior quality to ordinary ingredients.
"Alright, System, you can roll away now. I'm going to start cooking seriously." After listening to the system's introduction, Mai Ge was already full of anticipation for the braised chicken. It seemed to be another nourishing delicacy. Of course, he was even more excited about how delicious it would be when made with the finest ingredients.
One large chicken leg, 20 dried shiitake mushrooms, 3 large potatoes, 3 celtuce, and 4 green peppers. Next to them are spices such as star anise, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, and ginger. The seasonings are: salt, sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and cooking wine, all of which are prepared.
After absorbing the experience package of braised chicken, how to make a delicious braised chicken has been perfectly formed in Mai Ge's mind.
"Huh? System, you've added a knife?" The first step is to process the chicken leg, but Mai Ge paused for a moment when he looked at the knife rack.
Next to the Chinese cleaver on the knife rack, there was a new cleaver with a gold trim on the back. It was similar in style to the Chinese cleaver, but the blade was slightly narrower and about three centimeters longer, and the edge looked extremely sharp.
"Host, you can try using the original cleaver first." the system calmly said.
Mai Ge did as instructed, took the original cleaver, placed the large chicken leg on the cutting board, and swung the cleaver down on the chicken leg.
"Clang!" The cleaver struck the chicken leg, easily slicing through the meat, but when it hit the bone, it sounded like striking steel bars, producing a metallic clang. The cleaver bounced upwards, almost slipping from Mai Ge's hand, the impact making his hand go numb.
"System, what kind of monster have you raised?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow as he looked at the cleaver with a chipped edge in his hand. Even a sharp cleaver has turned into this. How is he supposed to chop a chicken leg now?
"As a level one magical beast, the Flaming Chicken's bones are naturally much harder than those of an ordinary chicken. Knights spend a lot of money to buy weapons, not just for them to look nicer. Without a suitable weapon, you can't even cut a chicken leg. Back then, Mai Ge • Alex was able to slay a dragon with one sword. While he was powerful, the Dragon Slayer Sword also played a decisive role."
"As a candidate for the Chef God, how can you not have a handy knife? This gold-rimmed cleaver is forged from top grade tungsten steel, making it incredibly sharp and extremely hard. It can easily slice through the shells and bones of all magical beasts below level three, making it more than capable of handling the vast majority of ingredients at this stage. The narrower blade width reduces the bulkiness of a standard Chinese cleaver, and the slightly increased length is more suitable for your usage habits. It's a top tier cleaver tailor made for you."
"Hurry up and try out this gold-edged cleaver! Enjoy the thrill of its sharpness and the extraordinary cooking experience." the system's cheerful voice rang out.
"Why does it feel like you're trying to sell something?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow, finding the system's attitude a bit strange, but still reached out and took another knife from the knife rack.
The weight is similar to the previous Chinese cleaver. The handle has an anti-slip design, making it very comfortable to hold. The width and length do look more comfortable. Hold the chicken leg with one hand, lift the cleaver, control the force, and chop lightly.
The chicken was cut open as easily as tofu, with almost no resistance. With a soft snap, the chicken leg bone, which had previously seemed like steel bars, was easily cut open. The chicken leg meat was turned inside out, the cut was clean, and not a single bone fragment fell out. Strands of marrow were still hidden in the bone.
"What a fine knife!" Mai Ge's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but praise it. It wasn't just the sharpness, the way it felt in sync with him was unparalleled. Although it was his first time using it, but he handled it with ease, which was truly remarkable.
"Every chef needs a knife that suits them. Good knives are made by the system." the system said with considerable pride.
Mai Ge ignored the boastful system, cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes, rinsed them in a colander to remove the blood, drained them, put them in a large bowl, added seasonings, and let them marinate for a while to allow the chicken to absorb the flavors better.
Next, soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water, adding an appropriate amount of water, because the soaking water will be reserved for later use.
Cut potatoes and celtuce into chunks, scallions into sections, ginger into slices, green peppers and dried chili peppers into small pieces, and set aside all seasonings.