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

But even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

The core of "Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth" lies in two things: top-quality cabbage and top-quality clear broth.

We have cabbage; it's a spiritual ingredient produced by the system.

But what about clear broth?

To make the best clear broth, you need a lot of meat, such as old hen, old duck, Jinhua ham, dried scallops, and pork ribs.

I don't think I have these things yet.

"Go to the market."

Lin Fan made a decisive decision. As a chef with a system, he could transform ordinary ingredients into something magical through his superb skills.

What's more, he also held in his hand those few wild termite mushrooms, which could be called "umami nuclear bombs" and were a byproduct of the spiritual field!

With this as the trump card for simmering the soup, the potential of this soup will be infinitely increased.

After storing the cabbage, scallions, and termite mushrooms in the storage room, Lin Fan grabbed his car keys and went out again.

……

At 4:30 a.m., at the largest agricultural wholesale market in Jiangcheng.

This is the center of meat distribution for the entire city.

Lin Fan drove his Wuling Hongguang straight to the poultry section.

"Boss, pick out a few old hens for me." Lin Fan stopped in front of a stall.

The stall owner, a burly man with his shirt off, casually pointed to the cages: "They're all here, pick them yourself, thirty-one pounds."

Lin Fan didn't just take it.

He crouched down, his eyes sharp as he scanned the hundreds of chickens. The chickens used for making broth must be old hens over three years old, with firm, golden-yellow meat and plenty of umami flavor.

He reached out and grabbed a speckled chicken, pinched its breast, and looked at the calluses on its claws.

"This one won't do. It'll only last a year and a half at most; the flavor won't be strong enough." Lin Fan shook his head and put it back.

The stall owner was taken aback for a moment: "Oh, you're an expert?"

Lin Fan ignored him and continued picking.

He spent a full twenty minutes carefully selecting from several stalls, finally managing to gather five three-year-old free-range hens and three four-year-old ducks.

Next up is the dry goods section.

"I want the top part of Jinhua ham, aged for at least two years."

"The dried scallops must be from Hokkaido, Japan; they should be large and golden in color."

"Spare ribs, only the finest spare ribs, not the spine."

Lin Fan wandered through the market like a discerning artist selecting paints.

Although these ingredients are not produced by the system and do not possess any spiritual energy, as long as their quality is good enough, combined with his cooking techniques, they can still produce a pot of amazing soup that will amaze the world.

5:30.

The Wuling Hongguang returned fully loaded.

Back in Peach Blossom Spring, Lin Fan pulled down the roller shutter and hung up a sign that read "Preparing ingredients, temporarily closed."

He moved all the ingredients into the kitchen.

The real battle is only just beginning.

The key to making "boiled cabbage in clear broth" lies entirely in the word "boiled broth".

Lin Fan held a kitchen knife, his eyes focused.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The old hen and old duck were chopped into large pieces, and the pork ribs were cut into sections.

Place the ingredients in a pot of cold water, add scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off the foam and blood, then remove and rinse.

This is called "rinsing," which is done to remove the fishy or gamey smell.

Next, take a huge earthenware pot.

The prepared chicken, duck, ribs, ham, and dried scallops are layered according to their different levels of doneness.

Finally, Lin Fan took out the few wild termite mushrooms nurtured in the spiritual field.

Gently wash away the surface dirt with clean water, tear it into small strips, and place it on top of all the ingredients.

Pour in enough spiritual spring water.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook slowly.

This stewing process took a full four hours.

During this time, Lin Fan did not leave the stove for a single moment.

He kept a close eye on the heat, ensuring the noodles in the soup only trembled slightly and never boiled, otherwise the soup would become cloudy.

Four hours later.

The intense umami flavor of those wild termite mushrooms was completely brought out by the stimulation of the spiritual spring water!

It blends perfectly with the rich flavor of the old hen and the salty aroma of Jinhua ham, creating an extraordinary fragrance that almost makes you want to lift the lid of the casserole.

The aroma even penetrated the kitchen's exhaust fan and drifted onto the street, causing passersby to stop and salivate.

A pot of rich, mellow, and golden-yellow broth is ready!

But this isn't "boiled water" yet; it's just "minor soup".

Next comes the most skillful step in making this dish – "sweeping the soup".

Lin Fan took out two fresh chicken breasts, pounded them into a paste with the back of a knife, and added water to make a thin paste.

Remove all the meat and high-quality ingredients from the pot, leaving only the piping hot, golden broth.

When the soup is just starting to boil, add the minced chicken.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

The minced chicken spreads out in the hot soup, quickly absorbing the impurities and oil suspended in the soup, and slowly clumps together and floats to the surface.

The originally cloudy, golden broth began to become visibly clear as the impurities were absorbed.

But this is not enough.

Lin Fan took out another piece of even finer minced lean pork and repeated the "sweeping the soup" process.

The second round of soup preparation is complete.

Lin Fan used a fine gauze to filter out the last bits of meat scraps.

At this moment, the soup in the casserole underwent a qualitative leap.

It was crystal clear, without a trace of oil, and looked just like a pot of ordinary boiled water.

But as long as you get a little closer...

An incredibly rich and irresistible aroma exploded in my nasal cavity like a nuclear bomb!

The freshness of chicken, the aroma of duck, the richness of ham, the sweetness of dried scallops...

In addition, the unique, ethereal, and pure mountain fragrance of the wild termite mushroom is perfectly hidden in this clear water, its form unseen, its aroma alone unmistakable.

"The soup is ready."

Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his forehead, a satisfied smile appearing on his lips.

This is the "premium clear broth" served at state banquets.

Next up is the main attraction – the exquisite jade cabbage.

Lin Fan took out the jade-like cabbage from the refrigerator.

He didn't just break it apart like he would with ordinary cabbage.

This is a spiritual object produced by the system; every leaf contains spiritual energy.

He picked up the knife and carefully peeled off the outer leaves of the vegetable.

Although these outer leaves are a bit tough and can't be used as the heart of the vegetable, they are still top-quality ingredients. Lin Fan neatly shredded them, intending to keep them for staff meals or as side dishes, ensuring they wouldn't go to waste.

After peeling it all away, only the tender, yellowish-brown, firm, and plump heart of the cabbage, about the size of a fist, remains in the very center.

It is crystal clear, as if it were carved from jade.

Lin Fan deftly flicked his wrist, making cross-shaped cuts at the base of the bok choy, both for aesthetic purposes and to help it absorb the flavors.

Boil a pot of water, put in the bok choy, and quickly blanch it to remove the slight raw taste.

Remove them from the water and place them in an exquisite white porcelain bowl.

At last.

Lin Fan picked up a long spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the piping hot "premium clear soup" infused with the extremely fresh flavor of chicken mushrooms.

"Splash—"

The clear broth was poured over the tender yellow cabbage hearts.

As the heat intensifies, the tightly closed bok choy hearts slowly unfurl in the soup, like water lilies blooming.

An exquisite fragrance, blending the essence of heaven and earth with the warmth of everyday life, reached its peak at this moment.

Dish!