Chapter 74: Taste Bud Bomb

Li Xiao tossed all the garlic cloves into the food processor without hesitation, then poured in some fresh water.

After the machine whirred for a moment, he filtered out the pale yellow garlic water, leaving behind the moist minced garlic.

He rinsed the minced garlic repeatedly until the water ran clear. Only then did a satisfied Li Xiao slow down. He spread the minced garlic onto paper towels, letting them quickly soak up the moisture.

While waiting for the minced garlic to dry completely, Li Xiao turned and walked over to the stove.

With a soft clank, he placed the wok on the stove and poured in the peanut oil.

The peanut oil heated up in the iron wok, and the high flame quickly brought it to a scorching temperature.

Tiny bubbles began to rise slowly from the bottom of the wok.

Li Xiao advised:

"If you want to fry minced garlic until it’s golden brown, controlling the oil temperature is crucial."

"If you put the garlic in when the oil temperature is too low, it will absorb a lot of oil, and the finished product will be soft and soggy."

"To get a good fry on the garlic, the oil temperature must be above 180 degrees."

"Peanut oil at this temperature will instantly form a golden-brown crust on the surface of the garlic. This crust prevents the oil from seeping inside and also keeps the garlic from sticking to the bottom."

Live Chat:

"I thought oil temperature couldn’t go over 100 degrees?"

"Found the guy who slept through science class. It’s WATER temperature that can’t go over 100 degrees!!! Not oil!"

"Technically, water can go above 100 degrees, too. You just have to put it under pressure."

"How are you supposed to measure 180 degrees?"

"Frying garlic is this complicated? Don’t tell me I have to go out and buy a thermometer just for this?"

While waiting for the peanut oil to heat up, Li Xiao noticed some of the viewers’ questions:

"You don’t need to go to all that trouble."

"Most home kitchens in Xia Country don’t have oil thermometers."

"Let me show you all a little trick for deep-frying."

Li Xiao adjusted the camera angle, pointing it at the wok of oil.

He then took out a wooden chopstick and dipped its tip in water.

Next, he inserted the chopstick into the wok of oil. Instantly, a small number of fine bubbles began to form around it.

"When you put a wet chopstick into the oil and a few small bubbles appear, it means the temperature is between 150 and 160 degrees."

After waiting a moment, Li Xiao put the wooden chopstick into the oil again.

This time, there were noticeably more bubbles around the chopstick, with a number of large ones mixed in.

He quickly explained:

"When you see the bubbles around the chopstick become noticeably more numerous and larger, that means the oil temperature is between 170 and 180 degrees."

"If you’re only frying a small amount of food, you can start adding your ingredients at this temperature."

"Of course, since we’re frying a rather large amount of garlic this time, we need to wait a bit longer."

After another half-minute, Li Xiao judged that the heat was about right and inserted the chopstick once more.

This time, a huge amount of bubbles erupted around the wooden chopstick, making it look as if the entire wok was boiling.

Seeing this, Li Xiao quickly withdrew the chopstick and said to the audience:

"When you see a large amount of bubbles like this, it proves the oil temperature has reached 190 degrees."

"You have to add the minced garlic immediately at this temperature. Otherwise, if it keeps getting hotter, the garlic will easily get a burnt taste."

As he spoke, Li Xiao was already slowly pouring the minced garlic into the wok.

He poured with his left hand while stirring constantly with a ladle in his right to break up the garlic.

"Whatever you do, don’t dump all the garlic in at once. Adding too much food at one time will cause the oil temperature to drop very quickly."

"Pouring it in small batches while stirring, like this, allows every bit of garlic to be fried thoroughly."

By the time he finished speaking, all the minced garlic was in the wok.

In no time at all, the once pale, tender minced garlic had transformed into golden-fried garlic.

He scooped all of the golden-brown garlic out with a mesh strainer.

Once most of the oil had dripped off, he spread the garlic on paper towels to absorb any excess grease.

"After you’re done frying the garlic, don’t throw away the oil, because we’re going to fry the breadcrumbs in it next."

"However, as you can probably see, there are a lot of little garlic bits at the bottom of the wok."

"Remember, you have to get all these bits out before you fry the breadcrumbs."

"Otherwise, the hot oil will definitely burn these little pieces of garlic."

As he talked, Li Xiao picked up the wok. Huang Zhiyuan, who was nearby, quickly came closer and asked in a low voice,

"Brother Li, is there anything I can do to help?"

Li Xiao:

"Go put that iron pot from the counter over the sink, then get me the finest mesh strainer you can find. I need to strain this oil."

With Huang Zhiyuan’s help, the two of them quickly finished straining the oil.

While the oil was still hot, Li Xiao placed the new wok with the strained oil back on the stove to heat it.

Since the oil was still hot, its temperature quickly returned to 190 degrees.

The iron wok shimmered against the flames, and droplets of oil danced in the air.

The breadcrumbs quickly fried to an enticing golden-brown, releasing a crispy fragrance.

Li Xiao’s movements were deft and quick, and he completed each step with the grace of flowing water.

Although he had drained the Pine Needle Crabs beforehand, they still held plenty of moisture inside.

The moment the Pine Needle Crabs hit the wok, hot oil splattered everywhere, but he deftly used the lid as a shield to block it.

The Pine Needle Crabs were fried to a golden crisp, releasing a fragrance that belonged only to the sea.

The remaining oil in the wok was used to perfection, stir-frying minced scallions, ginger, and garlic, fermented black beans, and red chilis until their rich, pungent aromas were released.

The Pine Needle Crabs in the wok quickly absorbed the seasonings, making an enticing sizzling sound.

A pour of light soy sauce instantly stained the golden crab shells a brilliant orange, adding a gorgeous hue to the dish.

Once the timing was perfect, Li Xiao poured all of the prepared golden garlic and breadcrumbs into the wok.

Once the three were thoroughly mixed, he sprinkled a handful of salt and pepper into the wok.

As he added the cooking wine, the high heat caused a bright flame to erupt, enveloping the entire kitchen in a rich, fragrant aroma of wine.

The kitchen filled with the aroma of Pine Needle Crab and spices mingling together, like a beautiful symphony of scents.

Flames danced in the wok, toasting the golden garlic and breadcrumbs to an irresistible crispness and adding a mouth-watering texture to the dish.

Li Xiao deftly tossed the ingredients with his spatula, making sure every piece of Pine Needle Crab was evenly coated with sauce and crispy garlic.

As the cooking wine reduced, an alluring aroma washed over them, hinting at the dish’s unique flavor.

The entire kitchen seemed to become a magical stage, the flames reflecting on Li Xiao’s focused, smiling face.

Before long, a platter of golden, alluring Pine Needle Crab sat beside the stove, giving off an irresistible fragrance. Each leg glistened with an orange-yellow sheen.

The crispy golden garlic and breadcrumbs were woven throughout, painting a delicious picture.

"This is my secret-recipe Windbreak Pine Needle Crab. The flavor is absolutely on par with what you’d find at a professional food stall."

Li Xiao’s tone was filled with confidence in his creation.

’After all, he had a recipe that the System had drilled into his mind.’

Putting down his spatula, Li Xiao eagerly picked up a pair of chopsticks. He didn’t forget to call over the four people around him:

"Hurry, try a bite while it’s hot."