Culinary God in Wilderness

"Delicious, isn’t it?"

Lin Chen wasn’t the least bit surprised by Andre’s reaction. He picked up a crab shell himself and started shoveling the contents into his mouth with his chopsticks.

Perhaps because they were in such a cold region, these riverside Rock Crabs were exceptionally savory, their delicate meat carrying a distinct, sweet aftertaste.

Late October was the peak season for plump crabs, especially in the wild where the ecosystem was so pristine. There was so much roe that, combined with the meat, you could barely fit it all in one mouthful. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

The crab broth, to him, was nothing particularly special—it tasted quite similar to Lobster stock, filled with the characteristic savory flavor of shellfish. With the mushrooms enhancing that umami, eating it with the crab meat and roe was simply piling one layer of deliciousness onto another.

But even so, he still felt something was missing, as if it wasn’t quite complete.

Lin Chen frowned, got up, and walked over to the leaf basket. He picked through its contents for a while before finally shaking his head and sighing.

"What are you looking for?"

Seeing his actions, Andre, who had been about to go for a second helping of crab, forcefully suppressed the urge.

He knew Lin Chen must have a reason for doing this. Perhaps adding something else could make the crab meat even more delicious.

Lin Chen didn’t answer his question, instead asking one of his own. "Do you know what the classic pairing for crab is for us Da Xia People?"

"I don’t," Andre said, shaking his head blankly.

"Vinegar. And soy sauce."

Lin Chen picked up an unripe blueberry and tossed it into his mouth. The intense tartness made him grimace, and he finally gave up on the impractical idea.

"Soy sauce enhances the umami and can be used as a dipping sauce. Vinegar brings out the crab’s savory and sweet flavors while cutting through any fishiness. When you mix the two, you don’t need much. Just a little drizzle, and you’ll experience the ultimate delicacy."

"Of course, the type of soy sauce and vinegar is also important. The flavor can’t be too strong..."

"That’s enough, that’s enough! Lin, stop!" Andre quickly held up a hand to stop his monologue. "I think it’s delicious enough as it is. If you keep talking, how am I going to survive the next eighty days?!"

"This is nothing. These crabs were just simply boiled. There was no real cooking involved, so you can’t even call it a proper crab dish yet."

"..."

Andre shot to his feet. At some point, he had grabbed four more crab shells and now silently retreated into the shelter to enjoy them.

When he reemerged, he was holding four empty shells, licked completely clean.

He didn’t even need a spoon, using a crab shell as a bowl to ladle up the rich broth from the pot.

The grayish-brown caps of the wild morels were covered in a honeycomb of pit-like structures. It was these crevices that allowed the mushrooms to soak up an incredible amount of broth.

Taking a bite was like setting off a fountain; they instantly burst with flavor in his mouth.

The morels themselves had a crisp, smooth, and tender texture with faint nutty and creamy aromas. Chewing on a whole one even gave the illusion of eating meat.

It was this unique flavor, combined with their rich nutritional value and demanding natural growing conditions, that made them so expensive.

Even Andre, who had survived in the wild for over thirty years, had only seen wild morels a few times in his life.

Faced with such a rare delicacy, Lin Chen was also tempted to get a share, but after glancing at the dozen or so morels left, he ultimately suppressed the impulse.

’He’s the guest. How can the chef fight with a guest over food?’

’After he leaves, I can just remake it for myself tomorrow. No one will be fighting me for it then.’

Huh?

Wait a minute.

’I’m forcing myself to hold back now, but as long as this craving remains, won’t I feel even happier when I finally eat it tomorrow?’

’Speaking of happiness...’

He called up his personal status page and took a look.

As expected.

The 3 Happiness Points he just earned had brought his total to a solid 15.

He only needed 5 more points to redeem Archery Mastery.

’At that point, forget wild wolves or Black Bears—even massive moose and Musk Oxen, if I run into them, not a single one will get away!’

’If things keep going like this, could I become a legend like Roland in the later stages?’

Just the thought made his blood boil, and he wished he could go fight a Black Bear for three hundred rounds right then and there.

But he was a chef, after all. It was his duty to remain calm. These wild ideas flickered in his mind for only a moment before vanishing.

’What am I thinking? A Black Bear isn’t that much bigger than a person, just a two-meter-tall brute at best. But Alaska not only has the Yukon Wolf, one of the kings of the Wolf Race, but the animals of every species here are ridiculously huge.’

’Compared to a brown bear, a Black Bear is just a little brother. And that’s not even mentioning the even larger moose and Musk Oxen... I’m really getting ahead of myself.’

Just then, Andre finished off the last of the broth in the pot. Lin Chen didn’t dwell on it any longer. After washing the pots, he pan-fried two salmon fillets with some mushrooms for a simple meal to fill his own stomach.

After resting for a while, he figured it was about time to check on the roasted duck.

The moment he moved, Andre tensed up, his eyes glued to Lin Chen’s every action.

He pulled away the slightly browned spruce branches covering the opening, and a thick, fruity smoke billowed out from within.

He carefully lifted the branch laid across the opening, and through the white smoke, a roasted duck, baked to a deep, date-red color, gradually revealed itself.

Since the duck skin hadn’t been brushed with a maltose glaze, its overall color wasn’t as glossy. The parts closer to the fire had even been roasted to a charred brown.

As the tip of his knife scraped across it, the duck skin made a crisp, CRACKLING sound.

He inserted his combat knife into the clavicle area, left it for three seconds, then pulled it out. He touched the blade to feel its temperature and nodded.

"Good thing I checked on it. Another twenty minutes and it would’ve been charcoal."

The temperature inside the earth oven was much higher than he had expected; it had taken only an hour to completely roast the over-four-pound King’s Down Duck.

Unlike all the other dishes he’d made before, this roasted duck looked tempting but didn’t actually have a strong smell of its own. The entire yard was filled with the fresh fragrance of fruitwood.

Only a small portion of the fruitwood used for the fire was from apple trees; the vast majority consisted of branches from berry bushes like blueberry.

The spruce leaves used to seal the opening also released the characteristic fresh scent of conifers after being smoked at high heat, so there was no need to strip the poor apple tree bare.

"So this is the roasted duck from your Great Xia? It certainly looks good."

Andre rubbed his hands together in anticipation, looking like he couldn’t wait to have a taste.

"I’d say it’s only about fifty percent similar," Lin Chen said, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "With the limitations of the ingredients and environment, this is the best replica I could manage. I just hope it doesn’t taste too bad."