Shokuki: Start with an izakaya and make everyone cry

Secretly seasoned yellow croaker in soup.

Zhang Fan only used the methods of frying and steaming to steam the yellow croaker.

After being put on the plate, what is presented to the diners seems to be just ordinary yellow croaker filled with soup, but in fact, there is something inside the belly of the fish that is watertight. After the internal organs are removed without breaking, the fish is filled with soup even when the fish is not prepared!

Move the tip of your nose.

There is no fishy smell at all, but a strong fish flavor.

Erina couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and wanted to take a bite of yellow croaker meat.

But at this moment, as soon as her chopsticks reached into the air, Zhang Fan next to her stopped her. The sudden movement made her slightly stunned.

"Don't worry yet."

Zhang Fan looked at her and then said: "It has to be like this!"

After he finished speaking, he took an ordinary kitchen knife and cut open the fish maw in front of everyone. Suddenly, the pearl balls hidden in the fish maw naturally flowed out and dotted the plate.

The fish meat is delicate and smooth, coated with golden sauce, making it look crystal clear, and the plate full of small meatballs is fragrant, constantly attracting diners around.

…

now.

Rich aroma.

That’s when it really broke out!

It is delicious and fragrant, and has miraculous effects. Erina, who is so close, almost can't stand it just by smelling it.

Fish is an ingredient that is not easy to master when it comes to cooking.

Heat is the key to success or failure.

When many people fry fish, the skin will either break or stick to the pan. If you fry the fish, you need more oil and it is hot enough to make it crispy and crispy. For frying the fish, you need a hot pan, less oil, and a warm fire.

Once the fish is in the pot, you must move it less. This is the secret and only way to fry fish.

Of course, if you keep turning it over because you are afraid that it is not yet cooked, it will be self-defeating and the skin and flesh will be torn apart beyond recognition.

Before that, you have to wait until the pot is hot before adding oil. The fish must be dried before adding it to the pot. Fry lightly over low heat. Don't push and turn over in a hurry. If you are not using a pan, just tilt the pan occasionally to allow the heat to heat evenly, and control the heat not to be too intense.

At this time, I saw that a yellow croaker in soup could be made so delicate and perfect.

Even Erina, who has seen a lot of the world and knows the extraordinary nature of Zhang Fan's cooking, can't help but be surprised!

"Is this the rumored soup-filled yellow croaker?"

“The moment you cut open the belly of the fish is enough to be called a miracle in the culinary world.”

"I didn't expect that Zhang Fan could actually cook such a difficult dish, and you can even do it..."

Dingqing took a look and saw that the bright white plate contained reddish-brown fish soup, with a few green onions floating on it, and a yellow croaker placed there.

The fish body is neatly cut open, revealing tender white fish meat and overflowing with rich soup.

at the same time.

The fish skin is golden and crispy.

The whole fish is still exuding a strong fragrance.

Well, in terms of appearance, the appearance of the fish is also very special. The fish's head is tilted upward and its tail is slightly raised, as if it is struggling to move forward in the crests and troughs of the waves.

…

"Stop making a fuss. It's not your first time tasting my food. You'd better eat it while it's hot."

Zhang Fan said angrily.

"I see!"

Erina was obviously stunned. After a long time, she came back to reality with a blush.

Then, under his gaze, she slowly picked up a mouthful of yellow croaker meat, put it in her mouth and started chewing it!

"ah……"

As soon as I took a bite, I suddenly felt a stronger and richer aroma, which quickly exploded in my mouth.

This caught Erina off guard, and a faint blush appeared on her pretty face.

She clamped her legs together, wanting to calm down, but she still underestimated the taste of Zhang Fan's yellow croaker soup. The sudden and delicious impact was not something that ordinary people could withstand.

Even though she possesses the tongue of God and her sense of taste is more sensitive than others, she is not immune.

"Uh huh huh!"

In the end, Erina, who couldn't hold it in any longer, could only let out a slight moan.

This voice is really a little bit ecstatic.

…

Zhang Fan’s yellow croaker soup.

It seems to have a translucent texture, and when dipped in soup, it is sweet and tender, making people want to stop eating.

The clear soup wrapped in small pearl balls slowly gushes out. This is not only the pinnacle of beauty in the visual system, but also suppresses the fishy smell of the yellow croaker itself.

Not only that, but the fish meat also imparts an extremely delicious flavor.

Various ingredients.

Just help each other out.

The most classic soup-filled yellow croaker is made.

And it was obvious that this kind of food conquered Erina again.

She had only taken a small bite of yellow croaker meat, and she felt that her consciousness was gradually disappearing. Her mind was filled with the feeling that she was possessed by an evil spirit, and all she could think about was this incredible dish.

"It's amazing. I'm sure there are very few chefs in the world who can make soup-filled yellow croaker dishes."

"No, there should be no one!"

At this time, Erina couldn't help but take another bite.

Immediately after she exclaimed, she lost all consciousness, her eyes were blurry, and her mind was completely blank.

She really couldn't believe that such delicious dishes could exist in this world.

More than just delicious!

That is simply turning decay into magic.

The fish meat is tender and very tasty.

…

To say the freshest.

There is no doubt that it must be the soup-filled yellow croaker in front of you.

The overflowing soup is thick but not turbid, and tastes fresh but not fishy.

The deliciousness of the yellow croaker and the warmth and smoothness of the soup are perfectly combined. When you are hungry, this yellow croaker soup dish can really warm your heart!

Umami!

Taste!

Both can complement each other.

It is low-key and exquisite. The essence lies in the yellow croaker soup base, and it is extremely delicious.

Its taste can be described in four words:

Incredible.

"Great!"

“It’s really great!”

Finally, Erina screamed.

She entered a fantasy realm, wearing diving goggles and diving slowly to feel the coolness and tranquility of the sea water.

The surrounding coral reefs are colorful and have different shapes, some are like blooming flowers, and some are like leafy trees. They stand quietly on the seabed, witnessing the vicissitudes and changes of this ocean all the time.

Suddenly, a group of yellow croakers broke into Erina's sight.

Wearing bright golden coats, they swim in the sparkling water, like a group of elves dancing happily on the bottom of the sea.

She began to try to get closer and found that they were very flexible and cute, constantly shuttling between the coral reefs.

Sometimes he jumps out of the water.

Sometimes dive deep.

It seemed that he was deliberately trying to hide and seek with Erina.

So Erina reached out to touch these beautiful yellow croakers, but they did not panic. Instead, they swam closer curiously and gently touched Erina's fingers with their small mouths.

"No, you are so bad, you actually licked my fingers!"

Erina couldn't help but touch her hot face. At this moment, she finally woke up.

"Why?"

"You haven't finished eating yet?"

She was stunned for a moment, then took the chopsticks and continued to taste.

…

"senior!"

"Why is it so difficult to make yellow croaker in soup?"

"And it turned out to be a lost dish, so how did Zhang Fan bring this dish back to light and study it again?"

Hisako, who was still in a state of shock, couldn't hide the curiosity in his heart and asked Mikushiengo next to him.

"This...I didn't expect it either."

"Today, I can witness a lost dish reappearing in the world."

Mu Jiuzhiyuanguo murmured.

The fish that people usually eat, in terms of freshwater fish, are generally carp, grass carp, crucian carp, mandarin fish, etc.

And saltwater fish include yellow croaker, hairtail fish, flat fish...

But no matter what kind of fish they are, they all have the characteristics of tender and delicious meat, rich in nutrients, and are a good source of some vitamins and inorganic salts.

However, in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas of China, those who are noble and able to reach elegant places usually refer to:

Big yellow croaker!

In coastal areas, whether it is a banquet or a celebration.

You can do it without the abalone and ginseng fin belly, but you definitely can’t do without the big yellow croaker.

In the past, the production of this fish was so abundant that it could form a complete industrial chain and enable the people in this area to make a living from it for generations.

But with the destruction of the environment and man-made overfishing.

Nowadays, the amount of yellow croaker is not small, but compared with before, it is much less.

“In the past, I naively thought that the reason why soup-filled yellow croaker was difficult to make.”

"The important reasons are the significant reduction in the number of yellow croakers and the shortage of food ingredients, but now it seems that I was wrong."

"Technical aspects."

“That’s what makes this dish so precious!”

Mujiuzhiyuanguo sighed deeply.

…

"Yellow croaker, of course, exists in small quantities."

“The most important thing is that the cooking technique of this yellow croaker soup is quite cumbersome and complicated.”

"And I have never seen a chef in my life who can perfectly prepare this yellow croaker dish in soup."

"oh."

"We finally saw it today!"

After saying that, Kadozaki Taki stopped his gaze on Zhang Fan and sighed in the same way.

"Is this cooking that difficult?"

Hearing this, Fei Shasha just felt a little confused.

"There are three most difficult parts of this dish: first, deboning the whole fish, second, cooking it with soup, and third, filling it with soup, frying, and cooking."

Kadozaki Taki explained again.

"Yes, Kadozaki Taki, it seems that he is indeed well-informed!"

"That's right, there are indeed three most difficult parts of making soup with yellow croaker."

At this time, Zhang Fan overheard the conversation between Fei Shasha, Kadozaki Taki, and Kokuchi, and couldn't help but interject.

"The most bizarre and rare thing about the yellow croaker in soup is that everything in it must be in the belly of the fish, but there is no leakage from the whole body! Therefore, this technique of removing the intestines and removing the bones without breaking the belly has become the basis of Liwan Book!"

“The secret to removing the bones from raw fish is to make a small opening at the mouth and gills of the fish to take out the contents, then clean and remove the fishy smell, fill it with soup, and then seal it and bake it.”

"The soup is made from eight kinds of precious seafood such as scallops, bird's nests, shark's fins, skirts, abalone, sea cucumbers, etc., plus clear chicken soup. The finished soup is as clear as light tea."

"You can see the pattern on the bottom of the soup bowl at a glance, but the taste is delicious and mellow!"

"The fungi are diced and simmered in the soup to add flavor. They are poured into the belly of the fish together with the soup, and then sealed and fried. When served, all the soup is sealed in the fish body."

"after."

"Pick up a piece of tender, snow-white fish meat with your chopsticks."

"The soup in the belly slowly dripped out with heat and fragrance."

"The delicious food that is both moving and still is like a splash-ink landscape painting in the brilliance! At the same time, the classical, elegant and exquisite food taste is fully revealed in this gurgling flow!"

“In addition to the highly difficult cooking techniques, its freshest taste has also pushed it to the top of the famous cuisine.”

…

Putting aside Chinese food, is it invincible?

At least in Zhang Fan's eyes, he believed that there was something wrong with the Chinese food evaluation system.

Chinese cuisine often pursues centuries-old inheritance, old taste, and ancient production methods. Subconsciously, I feel that the famous dishes lost in ancient times are already the supreme delicacy.

I always think about how to recreate the delicious food of the past, but lack innovation and enterprising spirit.

In particular, high-end restaurants have been impacted by Western food. They use Western food techniques to randomly package Chinese food, place the plate in a concave shape, reduce the weight to create a high-end feel, and add some dry ice and smoke. It is a combination of Chinese and Western food.

However.

Zhang Fan felt that these so-called innovations were too superficial.

For the evaluation of food, on the one hand, we must return to the basics. In this regard, the evaluation system of Western food is closer to the essence of delicious food than Chinese food. For example:

Any dessert in Western food must be salted.

Because they discovered that adding a little salt can make the sweetness more prominent and richer. This is a problem that Chinese cuisine has never considered for thousands of years.

In Huaiyang cuisine, we know that adding a small amount of sugar and vinegar can enhance the freshness, but most desserts do not add salt, or salt is added because the traditional method says to add salt, no one knows why.

Therefore, you should spend more time studying the combination of various ingredients and the fusion of various flavors, rather than trying to maintain the traditional taste that cannot change for hundreds of years.

Just like the improved Dongpo Pork, the traditional method is to stew the pork belly with rice wine and then steam it.

Then the improved method can be to consider adding other ingredients to make the taste richer, or to use other methods to make the taste of the meat more layered, or to consider methods to remove oil and greasiness.

Instead of just relying on knife skills to slice Dongpo meat into several millimeters, the first connected slices are arranged into a pagoda shape. This is called innovation.

Chinese food often enters into a misunderstanding. In order to reflect its own skills, the cooking method is more complicated and the price is more expensive, without any improvement in taste. Is it really necessary to make a dish like Babao Gourd Duck so fancy?

Necessary decorative embellishments are of course important.

But if a dish is served, we should not just think that it is a Kung Fu dish, it tastes very authentic, and it is an authentic xx dish.

Instead, you have to care about whether the heat of the dish is just right, whether the balance of salty and sour taste is just right, whether the temperature is maintained properly when serving, and whether the addition of certain ingredients has the finishing touch.

all in all.

If breaking tradition makes it taste better, then it should be broken.

Rather than under the banner of tradition, this cannot be changed and that cannot be changed.