Chapter 75 Beggar’s Chicken

Chapter 75 Beggar's Chicken

Roast chicken, Beggar's Chicken?

They knew what roast chicken was, but what on earth was this "Beggar's Chicken"?

Faced with their questions, Yu Xin offered no explanation, instead saying mysteriously, "You'll find out soon enough."

Everyone pitched in, and the two chickens were quickly prepared. They were both young, with thin skin and tender meat, far superior in texture to older chickens.

Whether it was roast chicken or Beggar's Chicken, delicious results required marinating in advance. Fortunately, after experiencing the benefits of Yu Xin's cooking, the production crew had thoughtfully provided a variety of seasonings, saving them the trouble of searching.

They simply marinated the two chickens with scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. It would take at least an hour for the flavors to penetrate, so during that time, they could set up the grill.

The bonfire they had left before hunting had nearly burned out, with only a few scattered flames still flickering. The large logs inside had transformed into glowing coals, radiating intense heat—perfect for roasting the Beggar's Chicken.

The roast chicken required a separate setup. They built a stable triangular structure with wood on both sides and started a new fire in the middle. All that remained was to skewer the chicken on a pole and place it on the grill to begin roasting.

By the time the grill was ready, the chickens were almost marinated. The two chickens were handled differently: one was speared onto a pre-carved branch of suitable thickness and placed on the grill.

Roasting chicken couldn't be done directly over an open flame, as this would quickly char the skin while leaving the inside raw. It had to be suspended above the flames, allowing the high temperature to cook the chicken evenly. The height of the grill needed to be just right.

During the roasting process, someone had to continuously turn the chicken to ensure even heating and prevent one side from burning while the other remained undercooked. Shen Tong eagerly volunteered for this task.

One chicken was on the grill, while the other awaited its fate.

Yu Xin produced a small bucket. "Remember where we dug the river mud for the fireplace? Go get me some more mud."

"Sure," Sheng Xingyao readily agreed, adding, "Are we reinforcing the fireplace?"

"No, the fireplace doesn’t need reinforcement," Yu Xin clarified. "I need the mud for roasting the chicken."

"Huh? Why would mud be used for roasting chicken…?"

"Could it be that two chickens aren't enough for five people, so we're roasting dirt to fill our bellies? Hahaha…"

"Wait, are we seriously going to eat dirt this time? Please, no!"

"...What are you thinking? It's probably for building a clay oven or something."

"But building an oven and letting it dry takes time, right? It's almost dark now. How long will this chicken take to roast? Until tomorrow morning?"

"Roast chicken? With mud?" Everyone was baffled, unable to grasp any connection between roasting chicken and mud.

Yu Xin didn't offer a direct explanation, instead keeping them in suspense. "Just go ahead. I have my reasons."

The group departed, their minds buzzing with questions, and soon returned with a bucket of mud. Yu Xin tested it with his fingers, found it too stiff, and added water to make it more pliable.

The mud was ready, but finding suitable wrapping material proved difficult. Authentic Beggar's Chicken traditionally used lotus leaves, but in this location and season, lotus leaves were impossible to find. Even Yu Xin was at a loss.

He had to approach the production team to see if they had anything that could be used to wrap the Beggar's Chicken.

The production crew, equally curious about Yu Xin’s intentions, were surprisingly cooperative.

Yu Xin searched around and eventually found some aluminum foil bags the production team used for keeping food warm. Finding leaves was out of the question, so he had to make do with these.

A truly authentic Beggar's Chicken also involved wrapping the chicken in a layer of caul fat for extra richness and tenderness. Given their current circumstances, this was impossible, so they had to simplify.

He tightly wrapped the marinated chicken in aluminum foil. Then, under everyone’s bewildered yet expectant gazes, Yu Xin slathered the mixed mud layer by layer over the aluminum foil.

"Yu Xin, what are you doing?" Qin Shizhen voiced the collective question.

"Covering it with mud is to insulate it from direct flame. Without this mud layer, it would be no different from regular roast chicken. The mud slows heat transfer, ensuring the chicken cooks slowly and evenly. This results in a more tender and juicy roasted chicken," Yu Xin patiently explained.

"Additionally, the mud and aluminum foil tightly encase the chicken, trapping the aromas of the meat and seasonings so they don't dissipate. The roasted chicken will have a deeper, richer flavor."

"So that's how it works!" everyone exclaimed, suddenly understanding.

"I learned something new! I never knew there was such a method."

"Then could we also make beggar-style rabbit, beggar-style pork, beggar-style beef?"

"...Forget beggar-style rabbit. How much mud would you need for beggar-style pork or beggar-style beef? It would take days to fully cook…"

"By the way, why is it called Beggar's Chicken?"

The guests shared this curiosity. As Yu Xin continued applying the mud, he calmly recounted:

"There's a story behind the origin of Beggar's Chicken. Legend has it that in ancient times, a beggar once stumbled upon a chicken. To prevent anyone from discovering and stealing it, he wrapped the chicken in lotus leaves, then covered it with mud to form a ball, hiding it somewhere to enjoy secretly at night. Coincidentally, a fire broke out exactly where he had hidden the chicken. When the beggar returned, all he found was a hardened clay ball. Strangely, the mud ball emitted an incredibly fragrant aroma. When he broke it open, the chicken inside was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious—far more exquisite than any chicken he had tasted before. He then used this novel method to open a shop, which eventually flourished. The dish was named Beggar's Chicken, and the beggar became a wealthy man thanks to it. Even ancient emperors praised his chicken."

His voice was calm as he told the story he had heard in his previous life. Both the guests and the live audience were captivated.

"No wonder it's called Beggar's Chicken! It has such an interesting origin story!"

"What a fascinating method! I'll have to try it myself someday!"

By the time the story concluded, the chicken was completely encased in mud, forming a mud ball. Yu Xin buried it in the bonfire. The residual heat of the bonfire alone wasn't enough to cook the chicken, so he built a new fire on top.

On the other side, under Shen Tong's careful attention, the roast chicken had browned evenly. The skin had tightened, perfectly sealing in the juices.

It was time to brush on the seasoning. Yu Xin mixed salt, chili powder, Sichuan pepper powder, sugar, and cumin to create a spice rub, then added olive oil and a touch of soy sauce. Using a pine branch he fashioned into a small brush, he evenly applied the seasoning to the chicken.

As soon as the seasoning was brushed on, the aroma of the roast chicken intensified. Everyone present, having barely eaten all day, couldn't help but gather around the roast chicken, silently salivating at the scent.

The sun had set by then, and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Sitting near the bonfire, however, they didn't feel particularly cold.

The oil-brushed chicken skin sizzled as it roasted, developing a beautiful golden-brown hue. No hungry person could resist that sound.

So fragrant…

Incredibly fragrant!

When would it finally be ready?!

Roasting chicken required patience. Yu Xin rotated the chicken back and forth, brushing on the seasoning multiple times to ensure every inch of skin and meat was infused with flavor.

Finally, under everyone’s barely contained anticipation, Yu Xin cut into the skin to check and declared the roast chicken ready to eat.

The aromatic roast chicken was taken off the rack. Everyone was too impatient to wait for it to cool, tearing off pieces and stuffing them into their mouths.

The crispy, fragrant skin wrapped around tender, juicy chicken filled their mouths with complex and wonderful flavors, making them almost want to cry with happiness.

Two whole days—they had finally eaten a proper meal.

They had eaten roast chicken before, but the feeling of catching the chicken themselves, gathering the firewood, and watching it slowly roast over the bonfire was incomparable. Even a mediocre roast chicken would have tasted amazing, let alone this one, which was exceptionally delicious.

It felt as if they had returned to ancient times, living as hunter-gatherers, driven by primal instincts toward the food before them.

"Delicious!!!"

"And here we are again at this familiar moment, feeling powerless, drooling everywhere (lights a cigarette)."

"Any time, any place, super snack-obsessed, watching intently!"

"No one can resist roasted meat!! No! One! Can!"

"If I don't get to eat this in the next second, I'll blow up the whole star system—type '1' if you agree!"

"Taking a step back, is my boss really not at fault? If we're blowing things up, let's start with my boss—111111!"

Everyone devoured the chicken with rapid speed. In no time, the entire chicken was reduced to nothing but bones.

Every bit of meat was meticulously picked clean from the bones, leaving them still wanting more. They were only half-full, but their appetites had been completely awakened.

Yu Xin checked the time—perfect, the Beggar's Chicken was just about done.

Everyone helped to dig out the mud-clad Beggar's Chicken from the embers. The once-damp mud ball was now dry, hard, and charred black. Just by looking at the exterior, no one would ever guess such delicious food was hidden inside.

They pushed the mud ball to the side on the ground to let it cool slightly. Yu Xin picked up a heavy branch and began tapping it open, breaking the hard outer shell of dried mud.

No one had ever seen such a novel way of eating. Their curiosity even outweighed their hunger, and they gathered around to watch Yu Xin work.

As soon as the outer mud shell was cracked open, the incredible aroma immediately wafted out.

This fragrance was different from the bold, charred scent of the roasted chicken—it was closer to the aroma of a clear-stewed chicken, rich yet subtle. The lighter it was, the more it made people want to inhale deeply.

After peeling away the mud shell, Yu Xin moved the whole chicken onto their makeshift wooden table. He unwrapped the outer layer of foil, revealing the succulent, fall-apart meat inside.

Everyone couldn't help but let out a "wow" at the sight.

The aroma, locked tightly inside, now spread freely. The chicken inside was white and tender, stewed to the point where the skin and meat separated easily. One could imagine how it would melt in the mouth.

Unlike the dry, charred roasted chicken, the Beggar's Chicken was incredibly juicy, making the meat richly moist and glossy.

Yu Xin prepared a dipping sauce for the chicken using sugar, light soy sauce, fragrant vinegar, minced garlic, cilantro, and scallions, as well as a dry chili powder mix. Everyone could choose whichever flavor they preferred.

Chopsticks descended upon the Beggar's Chicken like rain. The meat had been stewed until it fell right off the bone. With a gentle tug, it separated from the chicken, carrying piping hot juices into their mouths—indescribably tender, smooth, and bursting with freshness.

Both dipping options had their own distinct appeal. Ruan Qing preferred the soy-based dipping sauce, which highlighted the chicken's natural savory flavor, while Sheng Xingyao preferred stronger flavors and favored the numbing, spicy chili powder.

Their clamoring appetites had already been satisfied by the earlier roasted chicken, so they could enjoy the Beggar's Chicken at a more leisurely pace, savoring each bite.

"These two chickens today, I dare say, are better than any chicken I've ever eaten before," Shen Tong said contentedly, rubbing her full belly.

"After the show ends, I'm going to make this the same way. If there's anything I don't know, can I message you for advice?" Ruan Qing asked, her eyes shining as she looked at Yu Xin.

"Of course," Yu Xin nodded. It wasn't his original creation anyway—he was just standing on the shoulders of predecessors. There was no reason to keep it to himself.

"Me too, me too!" Shen Tong exclaimed.

It wasn't just her—business owners watching the livestream also keenly sensed a business opportunity. They planned to introduce Yu Xin's version of Beggar's Chicken in their restaurants as soon as possible. This was a prime opportunity to make money!

After this day, restaurants big and small across the galaxy added a new dish called Beggar's Chicken to their menus. Some followed Yu Xin's method from the show strictly, while others made their own improvements and innovations. There were even new varieties with unimaginable flavors like honey-lemon Beggar's Chicken and chocolate-vanilla Beggar's Chicken.

But no matter which restaurant it was, none could replicate the astonishingly divine flavor Yu Xin achieved on the show. If only they could get guidance from Yu Xin himself! Once Yu Xin returned, they were determined to reach out to him, no matter the cost.

However, when these business owners tried to contact Yu Xin, they discovered something very strange. This seemingly ordinary young man appeared to be under the tight protection of some vast, mysterious force. No matter how many channels they tried, they couldn't find any way to get in touch with Yu Xin.

Of course, this was all later. At the moment, Yu Xin was completely unaware of any of this.

The Beggar's Chicken was also picked clean down to its bones. Finally full, everyone cleaned up the bonfire and trash, bringing this long, exhausting, yet surprisingly delightful day to a close. They fell into a deep sleep in the warm cabin, with the fireplace glowing.