After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

The spicy red broth, combined with the spices, can mask most of the fishy or stale meat smells.

But clear broth won't do.

A clear broth hot pot is a true battle of wits! The water quality, cooking time, and ingredient ratios—even the slightest flaw will be magnified on the diner's palate.

Thinking of this.

Zhao Chengming suddenly opened his eyes and pulled a heavy, thick-backed, sharp-bladed cleaver from the knife rack.

His gaze instantly became incredibly focused and sharp.

"Bang!"

With a swift movement, the blade whistled through the air as it slammed into a thick pork bone.

With a crisp "crack," the hard bone broke, revealing the enticing, pinkish-white, plump, and oily bone marrow inside.

The biggest mistake in making top-quality clear bone broth is to throw the whole bone in and boil it for too long.

It must be broken in the middle so that the bone marrow hidden deep inside can melt into the soup little by little during long simmering.

This is the foundation of a rich, flavorful, and aromatic broth.

Zhao Chengming moved swiftly, and with a few deft strokes of his knife, he precisely snapped all the dozen or so bones in half.

Next came the three old hens, which he also chopped into large pieces with the meat still attached to the bones.

Blanch in boiling water to remove blood and foam.

He threw the broken bone and pieces of old hen into the huge stainless steel soup pot that was already boiling next to him.

Zhao Chengming didn't hold back at all. He grabbed a handful of smashed ginger, chopped scallions, and half a bottle of Luzhou Laojiao liquor, and poured them all in.

The boiling water was churning violently, making a "gurgling" sound.

The high-proof liquor, scallions, and ginger evaporate rapidly under the catalysis of high temperature, forcibly forcing out the fishy and bloody odor hidden deep inside the meat, little by little, from the bone crevices.

Grayish-white foam began to accumulate in large quantities on the water's surface.

Zhao Chengming skillfully skimmed the foam off the surface of the water with a large, fine-mesh strainer.

His eyes were fixed on the soup noodles, and he kept skimming off the foam.

This step may seem simple, but it actually tests a chef's patience and eyesight to a great extent.

The blanched ingredients were quickly scooped out and thrown into a warm water tank prepared next to them.

Zhao Chengming rolled up his sleeves, dipped his hands into the warm water, and carefully washed every piece of meat and every bone.

He scrubbed with extreme care, ruthlessly removing any black blood clots, excess lymph, or even tiny bone fragments attached to the bones with his fingernails and a sharp knife.

He knew that this clear broth could not tolerate the slightest flaw; even the slightest impurity would ruin the pure umami flavor.

After cleaning, he scrubbed the soup bucket clean and replaced it with a large pot of the purest mineral water that had undergone multiple filtrations and contained no impurities.

Gently place all the cleaned pork bones and old hen into the mixture. Finally, grab a handful of the soaked, premium dried scallops that exude a rich sea breeze aroma and sprinkle them evenly on top.

Bring the fire to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Zhao Chengming stood in front of the stove, watching the pale blue flames fiercely lick the bottom of the bucket.

Twenty minutes later, the water gradually boiled, and the aroma of bone marrow and old hen meat, mixed with the freshness of dried scallops, began to fill the small kitchen.

Zhao Chengming reached out and turned off the gas valve, adjusting the flame to the most exquisite "chrysanthemum fire".

This temperature allows the water to maintain a gentle boil, with tiny bubbles rising from the center, resembling a blooming chrysanthemum.

The worst thing you can do with clear broth is to boil it over high heat. High heat will completely emulsify the water and oil, resulting in a white or thick broth. Only a gentle, barely bubbling heat can produce a crystal-clear, top-quality clear broth!

This soup needs to be simmered for a full ten hours.

Only then can the rich calcium and bone marrow of the pork bones, the sweet amino acids of the old hen, and the rich seafood flavor of the dried scallops be extracted bit by bit and perfectly blended together.

This thing is known as the "King of Mushrooms". It has a very unique aroma that is similar to a mixture of pine needles and soil. Its umami-enhancing effect is a hundred times that of industrial MSG.

However, it is extremely complicated to process and must never be washed with water, otherwise it will damage the aroma on its surface and even cause the umami flavor to be completely lost.

Zhao Chengming took out a small ceramic knife and scraped away the dirt and impurities on the surface of the matsutake mushrooms little by little. Then he gently wiped each cap with a slightly damp, clean gauze.

After cleaning, he sliced ​​the matsutake mushrooms into thin, even slices.

The moment the blade slices through the matsutake mushroom, a rich and unique aroma bursts forth, instantly bringing a sense of comfort and tranquility.

"Good stuff..." Zhao Chengming took a deep breath of the aroma, a gleam of fanaticism flashing in his eyes.

Everything is ready; all that's left is to wait.

……

Ten hours later.

The sky was already bright, but the snowstorm in Jiangcheng was still raging, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the streets.

The small kitchen was completely filled with an intensely rich aroma of meat.

Zhao Chengming didn't sleep a wink all night, his eyes were bloodshot, but his expression was extremely excited.

He strode to the stove and turned off the fire.

He took a huge, fine-mesh strainer, which was even lined with a layer of medical-grade sterile gauze, and scooped out all the pork bones, hen, and dried scallop residue that had been boiled until they were falling apart and were no longer needed.

The essence of this soup is all in that clear liquid.

Miraculously, after simmering over low heat for ten hours, the broth did not turn into a cloudy milky white, nor did it contain any impurities. Instead, it presented an extremely tempting, clear and bright light golden color!

Crystal clear, just like amber!

A thin layer of glistening butter, melted from the pure fat of an old hen, floats on the soup, sealing in all the aroma.

This is the top-grade clear broth hot pot base – "Premium Golden Broth"!

But this is not the final, complete version.

Zhao Chengming restarted the fire and poured all the sliced ​​premium wild matsutake mushrooms into the simmering golden broth.

"Glug, glug..."

The moment the matsutake mushrooms were added to the pot, the meaty aroma that had been sealed by the butter was completely broken, and a fresh, elegant, and heaven-reaching mushroom fragrance burst forth like a volcanic eruption!

The aroma seemed to have a tangible penetrating power, directly breaking through the kitchen door crack and spreading wildly along the ventilation duct and corridor. Even the waiters who had just arrived for work and were cleaning the lobby on the first floor couldn't help but stop what they were doing and frantically swallowed their saliva.

The freshness of matsutake mushrooms, the sweetness of hen, the richness of pork bones, and the mellowness of dried scallops.

Four distinct and exquisite flavors achieve perfect balance and unity at this moment!

Zhao Chengming took a small white porcelain bowl, scooped out half a spoonful of clear soup, blew on it gently, and put it in his mouth.