A silkie chicken is called such because it is entirely black, with no white parts at all. If you were to see a silkie chicken at night, it could sing, dance, rap, and play basketball right at your feet, and you still wouldn't see it! But, who would be bored enough to go look at a silkie chicken at night... right?
...
A fresh silkie chicken has a dry, glossy beak, gray-white mucous membranes in its mouth, and is clean without any strange smells. Its eyes fill its eye sockets, its corneas are shiny, its skin pores are raised, its surface is dry and tight, and its muscles are firm and elastic! A male silkie chicken typically weighs between 1 to 2 kilograms, while a female weighs around 1.5 kilograms.
Currently, silkie chickens are commonly raised in the China, with many varieties and names. The most famous variety is the silkie chicken from Taihe County, JX Province, but the silkie chicken from Xingwen County, Sichuan, is also quite well-known. The silkie chicken Zane used for this dish is the prized Xingwen silkie chicken, known for its medicinal and nourishing qualities.
Legend has it that during the Qianlong era, villagers presented the Xingwen silkie chicken to the emperor. Emperor Qianlong found the silkie chicken not only striking in appearance but also tender and delicious, so he designated it as a "tribute chicken," and its eggs as "tribute eggs."
"Is this really a silkie chicken?" Leonora was puzzled as she looked at the entirely black chicken. Although silkie chicken is indeed tastier than regular chicken, using it in a dish could overwhelm the entire dish with its strong flavor. Additionally, silkie chicken is very lean and doesn't produce much fat when cooked in soup.
Chicken stuffed rice? Can rice taste good without animal fat?
Leonora was skeptical, and Mana seemed to share her doubts.
...
Ingredients were prepared: silkie chicken, glutinous rice, matsutake mushrooms, scallions, ginger slices, white wine, black fungus, black beans, shiitake mushrooms, and Zane's special soup ingredients.
First, Zane cleaned the silkie chicken inside and out after removing its innards. Then he chopped the matsutake mushrooms, mixed them with soaked glutinous rice and a pinch of salt, and stuffed this mixture into the chicken's belly. He carefully packed the mixture to ensure it wouldn't spill out.
The process might seem a bit heavy-handed, considering how a chicken that had practiced for two and a half years ended up like this.
Next, Zane placed the chicken into a clay pot with water, brought it to a boil to remove the scum, then added all the other ingredients. Once the soup boiled, he reduced the heat to a simmer and cooked it for 30 minutes. He then took the chicken out, split it open from the back, and transferred the stuffing into another clay pot, covered it, and let it cook further with residual heat.
...
"He used a clay pot?" Leonora was puzzled. "And the stuffing he took out... it's in this pot?"
"Strange, this method seems to waste the silkie chicken," she mused. "I don't understand. The silkie chicken should be the main ingredient, but it's like it's being discarded."
She wasn't the only one puzzled; Mana also looked perplexed.
...
After a moment, Zane stepped forward and slowly lifted the lid off the clay pot.
...
A bright light burst from the pot, shooting straight into the sky. Normally, Zane's special dishes emitted a soft yellow light, not this dazzling white light.
"Ah! The light... it's so bright!" Alice exclaimed, leaning in to see what was in the pot, only to be almost blinded by the light.
The entire tavern was suddenly illuminated as bright as day. When the light faded, the mysterious "silkie chicken dish" was finally revealed.
"It's rice?" Leonora and everyone else stared at the steaming pot of white rice.
They had expected a dish featuring silkie chicken, but instead, it was just rice. Pure white rice.
...
"This is interesting. This dish might rival the Dragon Ascension Dumplings," Mana mused, her eyes gleaming as she pondered the possibilities.
Zane's face remained calm as he observed the surprised faces of Leonora and Alice.
"Just one bite, and you'll understand," he said, picking up a grain of rice. "Every grain of rice here contains the intense passion of a chef for chicken dishes."
"What?" Leonora was taken aback by the profound meaning behind his words.
"Well then, let's taste it," she said, grabbing a small spoon.
Alice, seeing her mother's eagerness, also prepared to taste the rice. She was curious to see what magic lay in this simple-looking dish.
They each took a spoonful and sniffed it, detecting a mysterious aroma.
"The sheen and the fragrance... did he cook all the ingredients in the chicken, then transfer it to the pot?" Leonora speculated as she took a bite. "Ah... this is chicken flavor! The top-tier chicken flavor!"
Alice, following her mother's lead, took a bite and was equally astonished.
...
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the mother and daughter duo kept eating, their movements speeding up as they went.
Halfway through, they felt their blood boiling.
"The rice is incredibly luxurious and sweet, like waves crashing over me. The aroma is captivating, making this seemingly simple dish remarkably rich!"
"I can hear the sound of my blood flowing!" Leonora pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her blood pulse and hearing her heart's every beat.
Her taste buds erupted like a volcano. In her mind, she saw a golden chicken soaring above her.
She was lost in the experience, consumed by the sheer deliciousness.
"This is amazing. This rice dish is the best I've ever had," Leonora declared, closing her eyes in pure enjoyment.
Everyone around was amazed by her reaction.
Could a bowl of rice really taste that good?
...
After some time, Leonora calmed down and asked, "Zane, I have two questions about this silkie chicken stuffed rice."
"First, why does plain white rice have such intense chicken flavor?"
"Not just chicken—there are many flavors. Each grain of rice holds the essence of an entire dish. How did you do it?"
"Second, why use silkie chicken? Wouldn't other types of chicken work?"
Both questions were well thought out.
Zane didn't rush to answer but smiled and lifted another clay pot.
He opened the lid, revealing a whole black silkie chicken and releasing a strong aroma.
"You didn't throw away the chicken?" Alice asked, astonished.
Zane sliced the chicken open, revealing the rice stuffed inside.
"The stuffing was just rice?" Leonora, Alice, Mana, and Hisako all realized.
Seeing their understanding, Zane shrugged and explained, "Yes, I cooked the chicken with herbs and wine, then used the rice from inside for the dish."
"Why just eat the rice? Don't we eat the chicken?" Alice asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Because this method best showcases the silkie chicken's flavor."
"What?" Everyone was once again surprised.
Zane continued, "To present the finest flavor of the silkie chicken, I slow-cooked it with all the ingredients to infuse the broth with their flavors. The rice, stuffed inside the chicken, absorbed all these flavors."
Leonora nodded thoughtfully. "That's why you used the low-fat, sweet, and flavorful silkie chicken."
...
Silkie chickens adapt well to different environments, so they can be raised free-range or caged.
However, just because they're easy to raise doesn't mean they can be raised carelessly.
Silkie chicks are fragile. They can't handle low temperatures, strong light, or loud noises. Their brooding area needs to be in a quiet room with a stable temperature of around 30°C.
They should be fed nutrient-rich feed like cornmeal and wheat flour, on a regular schedule.
To use this method in cooking was quite a revelation. Leonora and the others were deeply impressed, especially Alice, who admired Zane even more.
Satisfied with her meal, Alice gathered her courage to express her intentions to Zane.
"Zane, Erina stayed here for a while."
"After the Autumn Selection, we have a field training event."
"I hope to join your tavern as an intern during that time."
"Huh?" Zane was taken aback.
...
As everyone knew, students at Totsuki Academy's middle school primarily studied theoretical subjects like nutrition, public health, ingredient selection and handling, cooking techniques, kitchen management, and food safety. Middle school students generally had no practical experience.
In high school, classes often tested the students' cooking skills, and if their dishes didn't meet the instructors' standards, they might be expelled.
Despite this, many students lacked practical experience. Unlike Soma, Takumi, and Miyoko, who had been working in restaurants since they were young, most didn't have that background.
To develop their practical skills, Totsuki Academy held a significant event after the Autumn Selection: field training.
New students would intern at restaurants, hotels, food suppliers, and other places for two weeks.
Although most students' internship locations were assigned by the academy, Alice, being a Nakiri, had some "privileges."
If she could choose, she'd definitely want to intern at Zane's tavern.
...
Zane saw through Alice's intentions. He pointed to the dirty ceramic bowls, "No need to wait for the field training. You can start now by washing these bowls."
"Alright, I'll wash them," Alice replied
, excited that Zane was letting her stay at the tavern.
But then she realized, "Wait, did I hear wrong? He wants me, a Nakiri, to wash dishes?"
...
"Hey, Zane, are you kidding me?" Alice pouted.
"Heh, just teasing. We have a dishwasher. But remember, no matter your role here, you must follow my orders," Zane said, smiling.
"Of course, I'll listen to you," Alice blushed. "If I can learn from you, I'll happily wash dishes and mop floors."
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