Leisurely Life: I Have Ten Thousand Acres of Grassland-Chapter 61 - 59: Gourmet Segment, Unpretentious Wealth!

Chapter 61: Chapter 59: Gourmet Segment, Unpretentious Wealth!

As evening approached, everyone at the ranch was busy.

Ma He was taking care of the horses, Yang Maolin was responsible for checking on the sheep, and Niu Erhu was piling up cow dung outside the courtyard.

Dried cow dung is the most natural fuel; every household among the herders burns cow dung for warmth.

Beside the stove in the courtyard, Jiang Feng was cleaning the caught pike.

It was time for the food segment of his live stream. Many people were just about to have dinner, so they watched Jiang Feng’s live stream enthusiastically, planning to whet their appetites first.

Jiang Feng took out some ingredients and introduced to the viewers:

"Tonight we are making a simple pot of fish soup. I caught a wild pike today, so we must treat it well."

"These are the ingredients, all picked from the wild, including porcini and some matsutake, along with a handful of cordyceps."

"There are cordyceps in Inner Mongolia too, and even cordyceps farms, so they’re cheap to buy."

"It’s a pity that the cordyceps farmland is contracted out. Otherwise, I would have gone to dig for cordyceps myself!"

In the camera, Jiang Feng skillfully wielded a kitchen knife, slicing the fish into strips with precise and deft knife skills.

Soon after, hot oil went into the pan, and some of the fish was fried until golden on both sides.

Jiang Feng also set up an earthenware pot on the stove. He poured clear water into the pot, then added scallions, ginger, and garlic, followed by porcini, matsutake, and finally a handful of cordyceps.

[I originally wanted to learn how to make fish soup from the ranch owner, but I didn’t expect he would use cordyceps!]

[The fish is worth a few hundred bucks, and a handful of cordyceps is likely to cost a thousand!]

[Is this what a wealthy family’s dinner looks like?]

[When can I become as excellent as the ranch owner!]

[Cordyceps in soup? I’m really envious!]

The temperature of the flame gradually rose, and Jiang Feng added some more cow dung and firewood under the stove.

As the temperature increased, the fish soup in the earthenware pot started to make bubbling sounds.

"You have to stew fish soup until the fish meat is tender, so that the flavor of the fish is fully released."

"Only then will the soup taste its best."

"I’ve also left some fish meat to make pan-fried fish."

"For the best pan-fry, use butter. It’s fragrant but not greasy, bringing out the flavor of the fish."

Next to him, the frying pan was already hot, and Jiang Feng picked up a piece of butter and placed it on the sizzling hot griddle.

"Sizzle~"

The butter quickly melted in the high heat, splashing a little oil around.

Jiang Feng placed the fish on the griddle.

The fish was enveloped in butter, quickly changing color and starting to shrink.

The camera focused on the beautifully golden fried fish, making viewers salivate just from its appearance.

"Do not fry the fish for too long. As long as it’s cooked, it’s ready to eat."

"Also, this kind of fish, cooked directly from frying, doesn’t require much seasoning — just a sprinkle of fine salt is enough to appreciate the unique flavor of wild river fish."

Jiang Feng fried both sides of the fish until golden brown, then took it out and placed it on a plate, sprinkling some fine salt over it.

Under the camera, the pan-fried fish on the plate looked exceptionally exquisite; even without other ingredients, its unique aroma seemed to waft directly to the nose.

Jiang Feng picked up a piece of fish and chewed it.

The flavor of the fish was incredibly fresh, and each bite was filled with a tender and smooth texture.

The taste that chefs find most difficult to achieve, or perhaps can’t achieve at all, is "freshness"!

To give a dish a fresh taste, it must be made from fresh ingredients.

For example, just-picked bamboo shoots quickly sauteed to a dish, maintain a crispy and slightly sweet taste.

If left overnight before stir-frying, the bamboo shoots would taste slightly bitter.

The same goes for fish; the taste of living fish differs greatly from dead fish.

This fish was cooked shortly after being brought back, yielding extremely tender and delicious meat.

In the courtyard, everyone watching Jiang Feng prepare his delicious dishes was deeply immersed in the experience.

After nibbling some pan-fried fish, Jiang Feng opened the pot lid to check on the fish soup.

Instantly, white steam wafted up.

The fish soup in the pot had already turned white from the stewing, with mushrooms and cordyceps mingling with the fish, constantly releasing nutrients.

Jiang Feng stirred the fish soup a few times to blend the flavors more perfectly.

Watching him cook was such a delight.

The dishes he prepared lack the distance of a high-end restaurant, grounded in the open space of the courtyard’s stove, featuring familiar ingredients everyone is used to.

However, the result was far better than what ordinary folks could achieve.

While Jiang Feng was busy, the Border Collie and the Golden Retriever ran up and wagged their tails, awaiting treats.

It’s just that today it was fish, and there wasn’t much of it, so Jiang Feng saved some for the two cats but didn’t prepare any for the dogs.

But he would soon make some corn porridge mixed with meat for dog food, more than enough to fill these dogs to their hearts’ content.

At this time, Cat Boss and Big Orange also came over.

Jiang Feng knew that Cat Boss had a keen nose, and whenever fish was cooked, Cat Boss would come.

The Orange Cat would show up at mealtime.

He placed the prepared pan-fried fish on a dish, and the two cats immediately gathered around to eat together.

They didn’t fight, quietly leaning against each other.

Looking at the cats and dogs in the yard, and then at the fish soup in the pot.

Viewers of the live stream felt a rare sense of relaxation.

[The host’s live stream is really comforting!]

[The life on a wealthy person’s ranch really is different!]

[There are many rich people, but they either like to gather for drinks or enjoy baths and massages. The host is outstanding on his own, which is why his life feels exciting to watch!]

[Exactly, in this day and age, people like him are rare!]

[Does everyone feel so much from just cooking a meal?]

[He’s really amazing! Can you cook? Live stream one for us to see!]

The chat was continuously scrolling.

Jiang Feng didn’t pay attention to the live stream chat, and after feeding the cats, he prepared to feed the dogs.

On farms, it’s rare to buy dog food; it’s either leftovers or specially made feed.

While it may not be as fancy as the packaged premium dog food, dogs raised on farm feed are much healthier.

Moreover, dogs prefer the homemade farm feed.

These two sheepdogs are veteran employees of the ranch, and Jiang Feng certainly wouldn’t treat them poorly.

Besides, for herders, they feed their dogs with a highly nutritious, yet not widely accepted, food.

That item is the sheep’s placenta.

It’s because of this that the Border Collies are so strong and have such smooth fur.

The fish soup was still simmering in the pot, needing some more time.

Jiang Feng went to prepare the evening meal for the Border Collie and Golden Retriever.

He added many meat pieces to the corn mush, mixing it well before pouring it into the dogs’ food bowls, and they immediately dug in, eating with great enjoyment.

These things are much better for the dogs than regular dog food.

After feeding the Border Collies, Jiang Feng said to the viewers in the live stream:

"The pan-fried fish earlier was just an appetizer. We’ll officially eat once the fish soup is ready."

"There are also big buns, mixed cold dishes, and milk tea."

"On the way back, everyone can see several herder families picking on the desolate grassland."

"They are gathering wild greens, only a small tip of which is edible. Once collected in large amounts, they can be made into cold dishes or quickly stir-fried, and they taste quite good."

"We don’t have a market here, so everyone gathers local ingredients, finding whatever is edible."

"I go to fish in the lake for the same reason."

Jiang Feng narrated without haste.

The cats and dogs accompanied him in the yard.

For him, daily work is simply taking care of the ranch animals and managing the ranch environment, without much pressure.

[Was that pan-fried fish just an appetizer? So extravagant!]

[Say he’s wealthy, yet they gather wild veggies; say he’s poor, and, wow, that soup alone costs over a thousand bucks!]

[Unpretentious wealth!]

[Herders aren’t as wealthy as people think, but this host is truly rich!]

[Host, I really want to join the ranch family.]

Then, Jiang Feng went to the cultivated fields to check on the crops he planted.

The watermelon seedlings hadn’t sprouted yet, but the carrot seeds had some tender shoots peeking through.

"Look, they’ve sprouted; this is the most gratifying moment in farming."

"With proper care and sufficient nutrients and water, seeds can sprout overnight, and when you check the next morning, the once barren ground is covered with countless tiny green sprouts."

"It feels really good."

Jiang Feng gazed at the greenery in the field, a hint of joy on his face.

Picking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountains.

Life on a farm is tough, but many joyful things happen.

Seeds sprouting, calves and lambs being born, hens laying eggs... always bringing a sense of joy and fulfillment.

Viewers looked at the misty green budding in the fields, their eyes filled with admiration and appreciation.

This vibrant natural atmosphere is truly comforting!