The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

When Min Xi heard this, he didn't even go upstairs, but ran downstairs directly: "Really? How was the verdict?"

Fernando glanced at him, picked up the tea Yunji poured for him and drank it all: "He was sentenced to three years in prison in the Azores for killing someone in self-defense."

Min Xi and Yun Ji looked at each other. This was the best possible outcome. Min Xi said hastily, "That's great. When will he be escorted to the Azores? Can we go see him before we leave?"

Fernando nodded: "Okay, that's why I came to see you. Are you free tomorrow? I'll take you to see him."

Min Xi said, "Yes, we will close the shop and go to see Captain Reis tomorrow. What does he need to bring? We will prepare it for him."

Fernando said, "Bring two sets of clothes. Bring some food for the journey. It would be best if you also give some money so that you can take care of things when you get there."

"I got it! Thank you!" The big stone in Min Xi's heart finally fell. In just three years, Captain Reis would be free.

Fernando said, "By the way, Your Majesty wants to eat roast chicken, can we make it today?"

Min Xi was a little embarrassed: "Can we do it another day? Let's eat some other chicken today."

Fernando said, "What other chicken? Chicken stewed with mushrooms, boiled chicken or salt-baked chicken?"

Min Xi said, "No, there are other ways to cook it. Let's have something special. Today I will make beggar's chicken for Your Majesty. But I need your cooperation."

"What do you need me to do?" Fernando asked.

Min Xi smiled and said, "I remember that you have planted a lot of banana trees in your greenhouse. Can you go back and cut some banana leaves for me?"

The banana tree was originally brought back to Europe by Europeans because of its peculiar leaves, but it could not be grown in many places. Only those planted in greenhouses could survive. There was a small patch of banana trees in the Baron's glass greenhouse.

Fernando didn't feel bad, because banana trees have a strong reproductive capacity. In order to make room for other plants, they also have to clear some of them every year: "What is useful?"

"Yes, wrapping the chicken depends entirely on it. It's best to cut it into four or five pieces. Don't be too stingy." Min Xi said.

"No problem." Fernando rode away on his horse.

Min Xi said to Yun Ji again, "Seventh Brother, go to the clothing store and buy some spare clothes for Captain Reis. It's quite hot in the Azores, so he probably doesn't need thick clothes. Just buy him a shirt and pants."

Yun Ji nodded: "Okay, I'll go right away."

Min Xi called Diego again: "Diego, Gael, take a hoe and a basket, go to the wheat field outside the city and dig some soil from the wheat field. Go together and bring back a basket."

After they all left, Min Xi and Amanda killed three chickens together and prepared them the same way as they would roast chicken, removing the internal organs, washing away the blood and slightly drying them. They then mixed together white wine, olive oil, salt, oyster sauce, etc., squeezed out the juice from the onions and garlic and added them, then spread the juice evenly on the inside and outside of the chicken and marinated it.

Oyster sauce is made by Min Xi using oysters. Due to weather reasons, it cannot be stored for a long time, at most two days. Today, we are lucky and there is still oyster sauce.

At this time, Diego and Gale had returned with a basket of dirt. They were very curious about what their employer needed the dirt for.

Soon, Fernando also came with banana leaves. He was riding a horse and carrying a few banana leaves. He looked like a knight carrying a sword walking through the street, attracting many people's attention.

Min Xi asked Diego to break up some dirt and add water to make mud. The marinated chicken was stuffed with onion shreds and mushrooms, and Amanda sewed the chicken's belly with needle and thread. Then it was wrapped with banana leaves, tied tightly with hemp rope, and then covered with mud.

Fernando was shocked to see Min Xi's operation. How could he cook food like this? The key point was that it was to be served to His Majesty the King. Min Xi was too bold.

Min Xi asked Diego to light a fire in the stove in the backyard. When the fire was burning well, he put coal on it and then put the lumps of earth he brought back on the coals. When the lumps of earth were all burned red, he shoveled out the coal, leaving the lumps of earth. He threw three chickens covered in mud into the stove and covered them with the burned red lumps of earth and stove ash.

"It's ready. You can eat it when it's cooked. Guests are coming soon, so prepare dinner." Min Xi said.

Fernando has witnessed the diversity of Min Xi's cooking methods. He can actually cook like this!

"Will this really work?" he asked worriedly.

"You'll know if it works after you eat it. One of the three chickens is for you. You can eat later today. I'll serve you the dish when the chicken is cooked."

Fernando was full of anticipation and wanted to see whether this mud chicken was edible.

Yun Ji also came back at this time. He bought four sets of clothes for Captain Reis, hoping that they would be enough for him to change for the next three years. He also went to the old shoemaker Hughes to buy two pairs of shallow leather shoes. He didn't know the size, but thought that although Reis was shorter than him, he was stronger than him, so he bought them according to his own size. If they didn't fit, he would wear them himself so that it wouldn't be a waste.

Seeing how thoughtful he was, Min Xi couldn't help but praise him: "I didn't expect that Brother Qi was so thoughtful. He was more thoughtful than me. That's great."

Everyone was busy, and the guests had ordered their dishes and were waiting to eat. Only Fernando was waiting for the beggar's chicken to be cooked, feeling bored. Fortunately, someone soon joined him in waiting. They were his friends, Dr. Cafu and Walter. They both had formal jobs and their families had some wealth, which was slightly better than the middle class. They couldn't come here often, and it was good enough if they could come once or twice a week. This time, when Fernando was eating here, he would definitely eat for free.

Fernando was not afraid of spending money, but he was a little worried about the chicken. If the taste was really good, there would be less to share if there were too many people.

It wasn't just the two of them. After a while, Lord Mello also came, so there were four people at the table.

When the beggar's chicken was almost ready, Min Xi started cooking for them.

Yun Ji personally brought the beggar's chicken to their private room. They all looked at the dirt on Yun Ji's plate and asked, "What kind of dish is this? Why is it just a ball of mud?"

Yunji put the plate down and introduced it, "This is beggar's chicken."

"Is there chicken in it? Is it a new dish today?" Lord Mello asked curiously.

Yun Ji said, "Not really. This is the dish that Min made for His Majesty the King, and I made one extra for His Excellency the Baron."

As he spoke, he gently hit the clods of earth with the stick in his hand. The already cracked clods of earth fell down and splashed onto the table. To be honest, it was really not very decent.

However, as the soil fell, an enticing fragrance emanated from the sealed soil.

Dr. Kafu took a deep breath and said, "What a nice smell!"

Everyone also responded: "Really, it smells really good. Is this the smell of chicken? Why does it smell so much better than the usual chicken?"

Yun Ji used a stick to push all the clods of earth onto the plate, then he used a knife to cut the hemp rope that bound the banana leaves, and then used the knife to cut the leaves. For a moment, a strong fragrance accompanied by hot air filled the air, and everyone was almost intoxicated by the fragrance. Some people couldn't help swallowing.

Yun Ji picked up the whole chicken with a knife and put it on a clean plate, saying, "It's ready to eat. Ladies and Gentlemen, in China, beggar's chicken needs to be torn by hand to be eaten authentically. Do you want to tear it by hand or cut it with a knife?"

Of course, everyone wanted to experience the most authentic way of eating it, but they also felt that it was not elegant, so they remained silent for a while.

Yun Ji understood: "Then let me help you cut it." He cut the whole chicken into several pieces with the dagger: "Please enjoy."

As he said this, he quickly wiped the table with a rag, leaving only a plate of beggar's chicken that had been cut into large pieces, and onions and mushrooms filled with gravy in the chicken's belly.

Fernando picked up a large chicken drumstick without saying anything and said, "Eat it. If you guys hadn't come, I would have enjoyed it all by myself."

"It's too polite to say that to a good friend!" Walter quickly picked up another chicken leg.

Dr. Cafu said, "It turns out that you need to be thick-skinned to eat good food." He had no choice but to choose a chicken wing.

The remaining chicken wings belonged to the overly particular Lord Mello. He saw with his own eyes that the chicken was taken out of the dirt. The dirt was splattered everywhere, and he was very upset. The chicken was very fragrant, but he was still preparing himself mentally. He didn't expect that those people had no grudges and took the best parts first. Fortunately, Yun Ji was fair and divided the chicken into four parts, otherwise he would only be able to eat the chicken neck.

Fernando tried to use a knife and fork to cut a piece of meat from the chicken leg, but found it very difficult. After all, the chicken leg was with bones. He finally got off a small piece and put it in his mouth. The tender and sweet chicken meat instantly captured his heart. Compared with the braised chicken, this chicken has another kind of deliciousness, and it has more of the original flavor of chicken.

He felt that eating the chicken leg with a fork was not satisfying, so he threw away the knife and fork, grabbed the chicken leg and started to chew it: "Hahaha, this is how you should eat a flower chicken, it's so satisfying!"

The other three were still struggling with the chicken and chicken bones with knives and forks. Seeing that he had completely let go, Cafu hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the chicken leg and started to tear it apart. Walter followed suit, but unfortunately he only had chicken wings, which were not as handy as chicken legs. However, he still found it very satisfying.

"It's delicious! As good as roast chicken!" Both of them thought so.

Only Lord Mello looked at the chicken wings, then looked at his hands, and decided to slowly cut them up with a knife and fork. He had an idol burden and was afraid that Yun Ji would come over and see his miserable eating habits.

In fact, he was completely overthinking it, because Yun Ji never came again, and the remaining dishes were delivered by Gail.

The other three ate with their hands, chewing the chicken bones clean. Lord Mello ate politely, so there was still a lot of meat on the bones.

Fernando scolded him: "Simon, you are such a waste. You should know that we are the only ones who can eat this dish in the whole restaurant. It will be difficult for us to eat it in the future."

"Why?" said Lord Merlot.

Fernando said: "Beggar's chicken needs to be wrapped in banana leaves. It is impossible to sell this dish in the store."

"No other leaves?"

"Min said no, fearing it might be poisonous."

Actually, it’s not impossible, but Min Xi hasn’t found a suitable large leaf for the time being, so he could only think of the banana trees in Fernando’s greenhouse.

Lord Mello felt a little sorry when he saw the chicken skeleton that he hadn't eaten completely, but he was determined not to pick it up and chew it again. He was humorous for once: "How about I give you the rest?"

Fernando almost grabbed the chicken leg bone on the table and threw it at him, but he restrained his impulse. He knew that if he threw it, tonight would not end well. He gritted his teeth and said, "Simon, you pay for tonight!"