HUN Chapter 30: Wilderness Beggar's Chicken

Then he began preparing the second, more plump grouse.

"For this one, I'll try a unique cooking method, mud and charcoal roasting. In China, we call this 'Beggar's Chicken.'"

Lin Yu'an found some fine-textured yellow clay near the shelter, added an appropriate amount of stream water, and kneaded it into a soft, well-textured mud ball.

The aluminum foil he had picked up by the lake during his first fish roasting came in handy again. He wrapped the entire grouse in it, like dressing it in a silver-white coat.

After wrapping it in foil, Lin Yu'an evenly and thickly applied the prepared yellow mud over the foil.

He formed a rough, airtight mud shell that completely sealed the grouse inside, resembling an oval mud egg.

"This mud shell must be thick and crack-free to ensure even heating in the charcoal fire and create a natural 'oven.'"

He placed this giant "mud egg chicken" into the fire pit that had been burning for some time and accumulated plenty of glowing charcoal.

He then used hot ash and charcoal to mostly bury it, leaving only a small portion of the mud shell exposed.

"Now comes patient waiting. It usually takes several hours for the charcoal fire to slowly braise-roast the chicken inside until tender."

The mud-wrapped grouse in the charcoal gave off a unique aroma mixing the burnt fragrance of earth with the smell of braised meat.

Meanwhile, the grouse soup in the clay pot was bubbling and rolling, with the delicious aroma of chicken meat wafting through the air.

Lin Yu'an used a wooden spoon to skim off the grayish-white foam that rose to the surface—this was blood and impurities from the meat. Removing them would make the soup clearer and reduce any gamey smell.

He periodically tended to the beggar's chicken's fire, ensuring the charcoal wouldn't die out.

After some time, he needed to turn the "mud egg chicken" in the charcoal to ensure even heating.

Time seemed especially long while waiting, as the increasingly rich aroma continuously teased Lin Yu'an's rumbling stomach.

Finally, judging by the degree of cracking on the mud shell's surface and the burnt fragrance it emitted, the "mud egg chicken" should be ready.

He used two thick wooden sticks to poke the scalding "mud egg" out of the charcoal fire.

"Folks, I'm going to crack open this mud chicken egg!"

He picked up the felling axe and gently tapped the mud shell, now baked dry, hard, and golden-brown, with the axe's back.

"Crack, crack..." The mud shell split open, revealing the slightly blackened foil inside.

He tore open the foil, and a rich aroma instantly filled the entire stone shelter like a tangible substance!

After completely removing the mud shell and foil, a golden-yellow, glistening roasted chicken with an appetizing sheen appeared before his eyes!

Protected by the foil, the chicken skin showed no signs of burning. Instead, it was roasted to perfection, displaying a mouth-watering caramel color.

He first took a deep breath of that tantalizing aroma, his face showing extreme satisfaction, then eagerly tore off a drumstick with his hands.

"Hiss—so hot!"

He grimaced from the heat but didn't care, quickly switching the drumstick between his hands, blowing on it, then taking a big bite!

"Mmm—!"

Lin Yu'an's eyes instantly widened, as if shocked speechless by this ultimate deliciousness.

The meat inside was incredibly tender, so tender it fell off the bone with just a gentle bite. The succulent juices burst in his mouth, combined with the complex flavors of the seasonings, instantly conquering his taste buds!

"So... so delicious!"

Lin Yu'an mumbled his praise through his full mouth, his lips glistening with grease. Though his eating manner was somewhat messy, the genuine enjoyment from his heart couldn't be concealed.

He quickly devoured the entire drumstick, not even sparing the bone, carefully sucking the remaining meat juices and flavors from it.

"You absolutely cannot imagine how tender this chicken is, how flavorful!"

After finishing most of the beggar's chicken, Lin Yu'an reluctantly turned his attention to the grouse and Jerusalem artichoke soup that had been simmering on the stove for a long time.

He ladled up a spoonful with his wooden spoon. Golden chicken oil floated on the surface, emitting the delicious aroma of chicken meat and the unique sweetness of Jerusalem artichokes.

He blew on it and carefully took a sip.

"Mmm—!"

The soup's texture was rich and sweet, with the chicken's essence completely infused into the broth. The Jerusalem artichokes, after long stewing, had become soft, glutinous, and sweet, melting in his mouth and perfectly balancing the soup's greasiness!

Though there was still a slight gamey smell, aside from this one flaw, the soup's flavor was flawless!

He scooped up a piece of chicken meat stewed until falling apart. It practically dissolved on his tongue without chewing, leaving only a mouth full of delicious flavor.

After contentedly finishing this sumptuous feast, Lin Yu'an didn't immediately rest.

He carefully covered the remaining beggar's chicken and grouse soup with clay pot lids and stored them in his space, preparing them for tomorrow's meals.

Then his gaze turned to the organs he had deliberately saved when processing the grouse—mainly chicken liver, gizzard, and heart, plus some picked-off chicken bones with small amounts of meat still attached.

"These good things can't be wasted."

Lin Yu'an picked up those cleaned organs and displayed them to the camera.

"Although some people in civilized society might not like animal organs, in the wilderness, these are precious sources of protein and fat. However, I'm already quite full today, so I have other plans for these organs."

He didn't plan to cook and eat these organs directly, but intended to use them as trap bait.

He first used his multi-tool to cut the more tender organs like liver and heart into small pieces.

"These fresh organs naturally carry strong fishy odors that are quite attractive to many carnivorous or omnivorous small animals."

"To enhance these baits' appeal, I'll do some minor processing."

Lin Yu'an took out a small amount of beaver fat, placed it on a small clay plate, and slowly heated it using the fire pit's embers until it melted into clear oil.

He poured the cut organ pieces into the melted beaver fat and gently stirred with a wooden stick, ensuring each piece of organ and bone was evenly coated with a layer of fat.

"Coating with animal fat makes the bait's scent richer and spread farther, while forming a protective film that slows the organs' decay."

"Fat itself is also a high-energy substance many animals crave."

He stored the prepared bait in his space to prevent the strong smell from affecting himself and avoid attracting unwanted visitors too early.

After completing all this, he simply cleaned up the shelter, then crawled into his sleeping bag for a peaceful sleep.

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