Liu Yunlan pushed away the peach Juhua offered, smiling as she said she had just eaten and was still full. Then, she eagerly asked how Juhua was going to prepare the chicken.
Juhua said, "Stuff the chicken's belly with garlic, sliced ginger, and red chilies. Then wrap it in lotus leaves and tie it tight. After that, coat the outside with yellow mud—the kind you use for curing duck eggs—and stick it into the stove hollow. Bury it in the hot ashes, just like you would a stew pot. When you pull it out tomorrow morning, the aroma will be incredible. Hmm, maybe we won't even have to wait until tomorrow morning. When you slow-cook something in a pot, it's full of water, so it definitely takes longer. This chicken is buried directly in a layer of mud, so it should cook a bit faster."
Liu Yunlan was fascinated and quickly said she wanted to give it a try.
