Her Food Livestream Broke the Galaxy-Chapter 47: Classic Chinese Delicacy: Roast Duck 1
#Juju’s cute little hands and the things she does with them are such a stark contrast.#
"We’ve already prepped the duck’s body, and now it’s time to inflate it. Before blowing air into it, the skin and meat are stuck together. To make the skin crispy and the meat tender during the roasting process, we need to pump air between the skin and the flesh."
Jiang Qiuqiu had previously bought a retro, sentimental push-pump online, which was perfect for this occasion.
The audience didn’t really understand this step, but that didn’t matter! So what if they didn’t get it? As long as they knew how to eat it, that was enough!
"Once you’ve pumped in enough air to create a small gap between the skin and the meat, like this, you can move on to the next step."
Jiang Qiuqiu prepared a large pot of hot water.
"We’re not boiling the duck. Today is a roasting special, you know."
"This is hot water at about 75 degrees. We’ll hold the duck by the neck and use a metal ladle to pour the hot water evenly over it."
"Pouring hot water over it makes the skin tighten and removes any gamey smell."
After she finished pouring the water, Jiang Qiuqiu didn’t immediately move on to the next step.
Someone in the comments asked why she hadn’t started yet, saying they were looking forward to the roasting part. Jiang Qiuqiu tsked. "When I was setting up the stream, I forgot that the duck needs to air-dry for a few hours after being scalded..."
Hearing that, everyone’s hearts sank. ’No way, no way... Does that mean we won’t get to eat it today?’
But soon after, Jiang Qiuqiu drew out her words in a playful tone, "Oh no, what ever shall I do?"
She didn’t sound like she was in any real trouble at all.
#I bet Juju was prepared all along!#
#There’s no way a thoughtful girl like Juju would forget something so important!#
#Juju never makes her fans wait for nothing! If we’re here, we’re eating!#
’Alright, so no one fell for it.’
"To make sure the stream could go on smoothly, I’ve already prepared a duck that was air-dried in advance."
Jiang Qiuqiu casually grabbed it. "It looks something like this. It’s already quite dry, and the skin and meat have taken on a faint yellow hue."
"Before roasting, we need to brush on the secret to crispy skin: the glaze."
At this point, the honey everyone had seen earlier made an appearance. "This is the key to a crispy skin, but you can’t add too much, or it’ll be *too* crispy."
"To create a richer flavor profile, we can add a bit of vinegar and wine to the honey water~"
The crispy-skin glaze was brushed evenly over the duck. For now, the duck was still pale and didn’t look particularly appetizing. Jiang Qiuqiu turned on a dryer, briefly drying the moisture on its skin, and repeated the process of brushing on the glaze several times. Then, she opened the oven.
#The steps are so complicated...#
#Is this the birth of a gourmet dish? I feel so honored to be able to witness this moment.#
#To the commenter above, I don’t feel honored just witnessing it, but if I could eat it, WAHHH, I might cry tears of joy!#
#Cry from where?#
#!! Innuendo alert!#
#What innuendo? I don’t get it?#
As the discussion in the comments started to drift, Jiang Qiuqiu responded to the first person’s comment. "It’s not complicated, I promise. Roast duck is only complex during the prep work. Once it goes into the oven, we can just sit back and wait for the deliciousness to happen."
"And as for the prep work, I’m sure all of you can handle it."
Jiang Qiuqiu opened the oven. "Set the temperature to 170 degrees. The high heat and the duck will have a very mysterious reaction. Look here." She pointed a delicate, pale finger at the roast duck inside the glass door. "Time and temperature will ripen its skin into an alluring, deep reddish-brown. The fresh juices will slowly drip down the rack."
"The fat will SIZZLE, and then the whole kitchen will fill with the unique sweet aroma of roasted food and the savory fragrance of meat. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water."
