BXBX NOVEL Chapter 198 - 198 Fish Belly
Chapter 198 - 198 Fish Belly
Once the most difficult step in the recipe for Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb was completed, the subsequent steps became increasingly easy.
The body of the carp, once the main bone was removed, inevitably collapsed somewhat, akin to a deflated tire. However, as Qin Lang filled the fish’s belly with green onions and ginger, the carp’s body puffed up slightly once more.
Green onions and ginger would be removed later, so large slices of ginger and knotted green onions were used. Following this, he began to rub cooking wine on the fish’s body to remove any fishy smell.
Once the fish was prepared, Qin Lang carefully placed it on a plate and set it aside, allowing Dan Bao, with its cooking acceleration skill, to speed up the marinating process.
Meanwhile, he collected the shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mutton from Dan Bao which had been prepared with the skill ‘Fresh Full’.
The terrain in Song Sheng Province is primarily mountainous, featuring many original forests and rich natural resources. The shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and mutton that Qin Lang had exchanged points for all originated from this region.
The wild shiitake mushrooms from the forest were larger, their brown caps were darker in color, and they had a natural, musty wood smell; while the wild bamboo shoots were smaller, their tender shoots beneath the husk were even more tender.
Highland Spotted Sheep, grazing in the forest, have a much more varied diet compared to ordinary grass-fed sheep, not only consuming grass but also various mountain delicacies.
The regular consumption of mountain delicacies makes the mutton from the Highland Spotted Sheep mild in flavor, and the meat naturally has a faint, unique aroma. Moreover, the sheep living in the highlands get more exercise than those ordinarily raised, leading to a more abundant and rich texture of the mutton.
Qin Lang had selected the tenderest part of the mutton, the neck, which is the cream of the cream of a premium breed like the Highland Spotted Sheep.
The fresh red mutton surface, its white fat texture is as rich and tempting as marble.
Just by looking at the ingredients, the two spiritual little ones couldn’t help but swallow.
Even though they knew little about cooking, they could tell the clear difference between the ingredients used this time and those used during the training process.
And the quality of the ingredients is a key factor affecting the taste of dishes.
They found the ‘Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb’ they tasted before so delicious they wondered what the present dish would taste like.
“Thump, thump, thump—– ”
With the sound of knife hitting the board, the three kinds of ingredients were quickly cut into fine pieces and set aside.
He then heated oil in a pan, added green onions and ginger, and began to stir-fry the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
The volatiles from the shiitake mushrooms and the bamboo shoots began to emerge in the hot oil, and the rising heat quickly mingled them, forming a distinctive pleasant aroma, which quickly spread throughout the kitchen.
After finishing their tasks, Dan Bao and Spicy came over, their faces showing satisfaction and contentment as they smelled the pleasant aroma of the mountain delicacies.
The aroma was even more pronounced than when Qin Lang had reached this stage in practicing the ‘Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb’; covered in the scent, the two miniatures had a wonderful feeling of being in a primitive forest.
Next, their eyes fell on the diced mutton that had not yet been put into the wok.
According to their previous experience with the ‘Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb’, the scent would be even more inviting once the diced mutton was added in.
Qin Lang did not disappoint their expectations.
After the shiitake mushroom dices and the bamboo shoot dices were sauteed, he quickly poured the diced mutton into the pan and stirred it vigorously.
The fat present in the tender neck meat rapidly contracted with the heat, the mutton fat gradually emerging and evenly wrapping the lamb pieces, which changed to a light brown color. Under the light, they radiated an inviting glow and emitted a strong and unique aroma characteristic of mutton.
The pure and rich meaty aroma, mixed with the slight unpleasant smell of the mutton and the unique flavor of the Highland Spotted Sheep fed on the mountain delicacies, intertwined with the previously released aroma of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, making the rich aroma in the kitchen more lively and layered.
Similar to a transformation from a flat painting to a three-dimensional one, smelling this wonderful aroma, a human and two spirits seemed to be placed in the forest in Song Sheng Province, seeing the beautifully spotted Highland Spotted Sheep jumping around them.
“This is the first time the three of us have participated in Mr. Zong Nian’s test together, isn’t it?”
Outside of the kitchen, Jiang Zhan, who was a little bored during the waiting process, looked at Li Yunxi and Xi Chen beside him, and smiled slightly.
In Mr. Zong Nian’s test, part of the content is consistent. The Spirit Chef undergoing the test needs to satisfy three of the eleven First-Level Food Recommenders with one dish.
Even the test that the eleven First-Level Food Recommenders from Qingyang City themselves bestow upon participants, differs from other cities.
Although Mr. Zong Nian’s test is notoriously difficult, many brave challengers still want to climb this peak.
Hence, the eleven First-Level Food Recommenders pay great attention to the selection of the one being tested.
It is the first time that the Spirit Chef has chosen mutton, seafood, and mountain delicacies all at once.
“That Spirit Chef named Qin Lang has quite a bit of courage,” said Xi Chen, her head resting on one hand, a faint smile on her face. “This is the first time I’ve encountered a Spirit Chef who has chosen three types of ingredients.”
“Under normal circumstances, one would choose one type of ingredient, and another aspect to focus on, like plating or seasoning. If they excel at making pasta, they can choose that as well. This kind of choice can significantly reduce the difficulty.”
“And choosing three types of ingredients…” Xi Chen paused slightly, “I don’t know whether Qin Lang is truly skilled or merely fearless due to ignorance.”
She couldn’t help but glance towards Mr. Zong Nian, who sat calmly nearby.
This is a Second-Level Food Recommender who has the qualifications to be promoted to the third level. He rejected his promotion simply because he does not wish to move to another state.
If the current Third-Level Food Recommender of Tianhua State were to step down, Mr. Zong Nian here would undoubtedly be the likeliest successor.
Such a food critic, with incredible ability to appreciate fine food, can deduce most of the cooking process, down to the smallest detail, just by tasting a dish.
Cooking various unrelated ingredients together, even the faintest hint of disharmony can easily be detected by Mr. Zong Nian.
“Young man, it is commendable to have the courage to try new things,” Jiang Zhan chuckled, “How can one improve their cooking skills without daring to experiment?”
“At least on this point, he is worth encouraging.”
“The difficulty is quite high, I’m not very optimistic,” Li Yunxi, who sat beside Xi Chen, remained succinct.
Zhao Wenchang, sitting on the side, listened to the discussion of the three First-Level Food Recommenders clearly. When he heard that the three food critics weren’t very hopeful about Qin Lang’s chances, he couldn’t help but clench his fists slightly.
Qin Lang’s culinary skills are extraordinary!
He had also tasted the ‘Fish Belly Hidden Lamb’ dish that Qin Lang cooked two days ago.
The taste exceeded the limits of what Zhao Wenchang could describe in words.
He could confidently say, it was the most delicious dish he had ever tasted.
Even though he was trembling with fear sitting among the four notable figures, as a rookie, he couldn’t help but speak in a low voice at this moment.
“Qin Lang’s ‘Fish Belly Hidden Lamb’ will definitely pass the test!”
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