Alaska Gold Rush Diary

Chapter 79 Wild Ginger Pheasant Soup

The river is not large, only two or three meters wide, and can be considered a relatively large stream.

There is a clearing about six or seven meters wide on the riverbank, which is full of stones and various pieces of wood and branches washed down by the current.

If it were the rainy season in June or July, Zhou Xin would absolutely not dare to set up camp in such a place.

Because heavy rains often occur during the rainy season, sometimes the upstream floods can completely submerge the river channel in just a few tens of minutes.

In that situation, there might not even be enough time to run.

However, there is no need to worry about this problem now, because it is currently the dry season in Guyana. Although it rains frequently, it is usually light rain and there is almost no heavy rain.

In this way, there is no need to worry about flooding, and you can safely set up camp in the open space on the riverbank.

There are several advantages to camping on the riverbank.

First, the site is open, allowing sunlight to reach the ground effectively.

Secondly, the airflow is good, and there is a breeze, so it is much cooler than in the woods.

Third, it is convenient to use water and has less obstruction, making it less likely to be attacked by poisonous insects and snakes.

Upon reaching the open riverbank, all three felt much more relaxed.

After unloading the goods, the three of them immediately stripped naked and took a bath in the river.

After two days of running, they felt as if they were covered in a thick layer of mud, and they felt very uncomfortable.

Although they really wanted to jump into the river to wash, they were worried that there might be crocodiles in the river.

After being cleaned, all three felt as if they had been reborn.

Next, Alo continued to lead the mule to graze. There was plenty of grass along the riverbank, so he didn't have to search for it anymore.

Another abundant sight along the riverbank was dry firewood.

During the rainy season, trees washed down from upstream by floods pile up on the riverbank, making the soil very loose and dry, and they ignite easily.

Edward gathered a large pile of firewood with almost no effort.

"If it weren't for the fact that we haven't really settled in yet, I'd love to light a huge campfire!" Edward said.

Zhou Xin smiled and said, "After we've amassed a bountiful harvest of gold, let's have a bonfire party before we leave!"

Edward exclaimed excitedly, "Great! I'm going to light up a huge bonfire that can illuminate the entire sky!"

Alo listened to their conversation from a distance, leading his mule, a hint of longing on his face.

After Zhou Xin built the stove with stones, he began to prepare dinner.

He built two stoves, lit a fire in one, and cooked a pot of rice.

Then he took the pheasant that Logan had caught to the water's edge and began plucking its feathers and gutting it.

Pheasant meat is red, which is full of protein.

After carefully cleaning the pheasant, I also washed the wild ginger I had dug up along the way.

Although this pheasant is considered large for its size, after removing its internal organs, it weighs less than two pounds.

Although it's a bit small for three people, a pot of fragrant and delicious chicken soup should still be enough to satisfy them.

After all, this is quite a feast compared to compressed biscuits or salted noodles.

After cutting the pheasant into pieces, blanch it in cold water.

The chicken wasn't properly blanched, leaving a lot of blood inside. It must be blanched to remove the blood foam, otherwise it will be very fishy.

After blanching, remove the chicken from the water, and then heat oil in a wok.

Palm oil is the most commonly used cooking oil here because it is cheap.

However, Zhou Xin didn't like the taste of this kind of oil, so this time he brought a jar of animal oil and a small bottle of blended oil.

He was reluctant to use the blended oil yet, so he scooped out a spoonful of animal fat instead.

Pour the pheasant pieces into the pot and stir-fry them with wild ginger. The aroma will soon fill the air.

"Xin, the smell of this is so wonderful, I'm almost moved to tears! Finally, I don't have to eat those awful compressed biscuits anymore!"

Edward inhaled deeply the aroma, his face filled with ecstasy.

Alo didn't speak, but his throat bobbed involuntarily.

Zhou Xin didn't add any more seasonings, just a little salt, and then poured in water to start stewing.

Pheasants, being wild birds, have firm meat and need to be stewed for a while to make them as tender as possible.

This way, the meat won't be too dry, and the chicken soup will be richer.

Put the lid on, and then it's time to wait for the delicious meal.

By this time, it was already dark, so Edward set up the lamp and placed it a little further away.

At night, mosquitoes are attracted to lights, and if the light is placed too close, they may all be swarmed by mosquitoes.

By this time, Alo had also fed the mules and tied them up. He then walked to the fire and sat down not far from Zhou Xin and Edward.

"Alo, you'll definitely be amazed by Xin's cooking skills in a moment!"

Edward stared at the pot with anticipation, swallowing hard.

Although Alo was also tempted by the aroma wafting from the pot, he remained relatively calm.

His personality was almost the opposite of Edward's; he was taciturn and rarely spoke except when necessary.

"Everyone worked hard today, but things went relatively smoothly. Over the next few days, Alo and I will explore the area to find locations rich in gold."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of everything," Edward assured him.

Those who stayed behind at the camp would obviously have a much easier time, but Zhou Xin knew that Edward would be more than willing to go on the adventure with him if he asked.

This is why Zhou Xin hopes to find reliable enough people to be his teammates.

They wouldn't cheat or swindle, nor would they harbor any ulterior motives; everyone had only one thought: to collect as much gold as possible.

To achieve this goal, they are not afraid of any difficulties or hardships.

He had Alo come with him to look for gold mines, partly for mutual support, and partly to further examine him.

While I was pondering, the inspirational quote was ready.

The moment the pot lid was lifted, the three of them, who were already starving, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Edward took the bowls that had been prepared beforehand and ladled a bowl for Zhou Xin and A Luo each, before finally ladling one for himself.

He picked up the bowl, held back his throat, and took a sip.

The broth is rich and flavorful, with the freshness of the chicken and the subtle spiciness of the wild ginger complementing each other perfectly.

The chicken was stewed until it was very tender, and some of it even fell into the soup.

While this reduces the enjoyment of eating large chunks of chicken, it elevates the flavor of the soup to another level.

I took just one sip, and immediately wanted another; I just couldn't stop.

In no time, the three of them buried their heads and started drinking loudly.

In the towering tropical rainforest, on the banks of a flowing river, the three of them finally enjoyed a delicious and flavorful dinner full of wild game.

After each person drank two large bowls of fragrant chicken soup, they each served themselves fragrant rice and enjoyed the soup and chicken meat.

The warm, fragrant chicken instantly soothed their tired and downcast mood from their long journey.

Zhou Xin didn't forget Logan; he mixed a chicken leg and a large bowl of soup into its food so that it could also taste the wild ginger pheasant soup.