NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: The Temptation of Oil Residue
Qi Han set aside the skeleton of the torso and carefully removed the meat from the Honey Badger’s head. Then, he opened the skull and took out the brain flower of the Honey Badger.
The size of the brain flower was similar to that of a pig’s brain flower and looked quite good.
Hmm… I can try grilling the brain flower with aluminum foil later.
Although the brain flower could also be added to hot pot, Qi Han believed it would be more delicious to grill it separately.
Oh, by the way!
Speaking of which… What star recipe does hot pot belong to?
“System? Is hot pot included in the recipe?”
【This system has recorded eighteen classic hot pot base ingredients, collectively forming a 2 Star Recipe: Complete Hot Pot Base. If the host obtains this recipe, they can acquire the corresponding basic ingredients.】
Does this mean that by obtaining this 2 Star Recipe, everything related to hot pot will be packaged and given to oneself?
“Wow, this is a big profit, isn’t it?” Qi Han sighed lightly, teasingly looking at the system, “Guess what I’m thinking now?”
【For all questions from the host, this system must tell the truth. It’s the rule.】
After a pause, the system spoke again.
【Based on the system’s understanding of the host, the host is currently thinking about how to obtain the final fragment of the 2 Star Optional Recipe Fragment.】
“Huh?” Qi Han laughed, “System, you really understand me.”
Yes, Qi Han only needed one more fragment of the 2 Star Optional Recipe to exchange it for any 2 Star Recipe he desired.
He hadn’t had the chance to think about which 2 Star Recipes to choose yet since he hadn’t seen the compilation of 2 Star Recipes.
But now, regardless of what recipes were in the 2 Star Recipe collection, nothing could stop him from exchanging it for hot pot!
【This system does not believe that the host can complete “Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb” in the short term. Without completing “Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb,” the host will not be able to obtain new recipes. Please prioritize your Quests, host.】
Huh?
It seems that’s true.
Oh well, “Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb” will take a long time. Let’s focus on the promotion Quest at hand.
Qi Han shook his head, discarded the completely removed bones of the Honey Badger, leaving only the spinal bones, which he placed next to the meat.
The “Yang Xiezi” in Shandong cuisine was actually the complete spinal bone of a sheep. Since the spinal bone of a sheep could be used for cooking, Qi Han thought that perhaps the spinal bone of the Honey Badger could be worth a try.
Unfortunately, the Honey Badger didn’t have a tail. If it had a small tail like a pig’s, he could have cut it into small sections and braised it, which would have made for a great appetizer.
Honey Badger: Please, spare me!
The Honey Badger’s skin, subcutaneous fat, various cuts of meat, internal organs, spinal bones, and brain flower.
These were probably all the ingredients that Qi Han could think of for cooking.
After pondering for a moment, Qi Han first focused his attention on the subcutaneous fat of the Honey Badger. If he rendered the fat into oil, perhaps he could use it to cook other parts.
He cut the subcutaneous fat into small pieces, washed off the blood with warm water, and poured it all into a pot. Adding about half a cup of water, Qi Han turned on the cooking stove, set the heat to low, and began to slowly stir the fat in the pot with a spatula.
Soon, the water in the pot evaporated, and the fat developed a light yellow color with a shiny surface. The pot gradually accumulated a clear layer of oil, bubbling slightly.
There were crisp “gulugulu” sounds in the pot, which were the sound of the water in the fat boiling due to the hot oil. With the appearance of this sound, the fat in the pot also began to undergo more noticeable changes.
The fat visibly reduced in size, and the light yellow color on the surface gradually deepened.
The oil in the pot increased more and more, gradually filling up half of the cooking pot from the initially thin layer at the bottom.
The fat floated on top of the oil, making a crisp and pleasant sound. Bubbles constantly appeared on the surface, and the fat shrank faster and faster, gradually turning golden yellow.
The oil fumes were completely absorbed by the advanced technology range hood, but the rich scent of Honey Badger oil remained intact. Qi Han greedily took a deep breath, looking at the oil residue floating on the oil with a glimmer in his eyes.
Seeing that the heat was about right, Qi Han carefully used a sieve to scoop up the oil residue, drained the oil, and placed it on a plate.
The golden oil residue looked particularly enticing under the light. When you got closer, you could smell the rich aroma, with a hint of a faint honey flavor, giving it a refreshing feeling without feeling greasy.
Qi Han couldn’t help but pick up a small piece and put it in his mouth.
Crunch
The cooking time was probably just right. The freshly cooked oil residue was crispy when bitten, making a crunchy sound. It wasn’t too hard, and as the oil residue crumbled in his mouth, the rich aroma instantly burst forth, filling his mouth and nose.
‘So good’
He couldn’t help but make a small plate of it, sprinkled with the prepared chili powder. He shook the plate a few times to fully coat the chili powder on the golden oil residue, and then picked up a piece to taste again.
Without chili powder and salt, the oil residue didn’t have much flavor, only a pure aroma. But with the addition of chili powder, the aroma mixed with the spiciness of the chili powder, creating a rich and spicy sensation.
“System, can this be rated as a 1 Star recipe? I think it would be great as a snack.” Qi Han enjoyed eating while discussing with the system, “Consider it? I already have a name in mind, let’s call it Qi’s Crispy Oil Residue.”
【This system feels like the host is talking nonsense.】
“Okay.” Qi Han shrugged. He didn’t have high expectations anyway. If a 1 Star recipe was that easy, what would it be worth?
After eating a small portion of spicy crispy oil residue, Qi Han rubbed his stomach and looked at the remaining ingredients on the table, feeling a bit troubled. “System, if I keep tasting dishes, how can I eat all of this? There’s so much.”
To create a 1 Star recipe using Honey Badger, it would probably require at least a hundred Honey Badgers, right? Qi Han couldn’t possibly eat all that Honey Badger meat, no matter how long he ate.
【In the training space, the host won’t get full, and the food you eat will be digested by the system.】
The system unexpectedly came in handy at this moment and quickly found a solution for him.
Upon hearing this, Qi Han nodded in satisfaction.
Well, now he could enjoy eating the oil residue without worries! The volume of the oil residue was much smaller compared to the fat of the Honey Badger. Even the entire fat of a Honey Badger could only be made into one plate of oil residue. Qi Han carefully stored the refined Honey Badger oil and began to feast.
“Burp.”
He couldn’t help it. He finished a whole plate of oil residue.
Surprisingly, if you ate the oil residue directly, it would definitely feel greasy, but with the addition of chili powder, that feeling completely disappeared.
Is chili powder really that amazing?
“System, if you help me digest, it won’t make me gain weight, right?”
Qi Han touched his handsome face and started to worry about his appearance.
【No, it won’t.】
Hmm, that’s good then.
Qi Han was satisfied and turned his hungry gaze to the remaining ingredients.
What should he eat next?