I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 822 - 357: First Fry, Then Braise with Less Water—Nothing Beats Grass Carp Tail! Chef Chen, I Miss You So Much! [Subscription Requested]

Chapter 822: Chapter 357: First Fry, Then Braise with Less Water—Nothing Beats Grass Carp Tail! Chef Chen, I Miss You So Much! [Subscription Requested]

In the banquet hall upstairs, almost everyone had arrived. The old lady Shen was holding Dundun, sitting with Han Jitong and his family as well as other family members.

Chen Yan originally wanted to join them too.

But seeing her parents there, she decided to avoid the marriage pressure and sat with Zeng Xiaoqi, Dou Wenjing, and others.

"You’re the big boss and a relative of Boss Lin, so why are you at our table?"

"Isn’t it to avoid the marriage pressure? Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan, come over here, don’t sit there, or some elder might suddenly get the urge to pressure you into marriage. Better to stay out of their sight."

Chen Yuanyuan, who had spent the morning experiencing Ziqiang Shengjian’s main store, came over and sat down next to Chen Yan.

Yes, that’s quite a clever move. Not lingering in front of relatives and elders makes it much safer.

Learned something new!

As the cold dishes were almost served, the waiter brought in the roasted Fish.

These boneless thick slices of Fish were rich in aroma, with the honey on top making the dish more flavorful. Geng Lishan tasted it and immediately said:

"Last time we had this, there was no honey. It’s only been a few days, and young Lin has already taken the Fish’s flavor to a new level. Come, let’s drink to that."

This table was mostly filled with people from the last cultural gathering.

Everyone tasted the Fish and felt the same way.

They thought that with the addition of honey, the dish became more enchanting and the taste was even more delightful.

If roasted Fish were compared to a beauty, then adding honey would be like the beauty putting on a cheongsam.

The lines became more graceful, adding more oriental charm.

At the table next to them, Cui Qingyuan clinked glasses with Old Huang, took a sip of liquor, then snapped a photo of the Fish with his phone and posted it on social media:

"Boss Lin has recreated the historically famous Fish, roasted with honey. The taste is exquisite, a must-try!"

Just after posting it, Yan Lin, attending a trade forum in Hainan, frowned.

"Knowing I can’t go to Beijing now and still tempting me, that brat is doing it on purpose!"

After grumbling, she sighed helplessly:

"Even if you trick me into going, what will you do? You’re a coward, even more timid than when we were kids!"

Despite her complaints, Yan Lin still messaged Xiao Qing:

"When can I go to Beijing?"

After sending it, she felt being so forward wasn’t good, so she added: 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Boss Lin has moved to a new place; it wouldn’t be appropriate not to go congratulate him. Check my schedule and find a day for me to fly directly to Beijing."

Outside the conference hall, Xiao Qing received the message and couldn’t help but cover her mouth to smile:

"Okay, Manager Yan, I’ll arrange it for you."

After sending it off, she murmured softly:

"If either of you would change your personality even slightly, your kid would at least be in high school by now. Manager Shu was right; people shouldn’t be too pretentious, or it just harms themselves and others."

In the kitchen, the Fish Tail in the pot was almost done simmering.

Lin Xu lifted the lid, and a pleasant fragrance wafted out. The Fish Tail wiggled in the bright red broth, almost like tofu.

Using chopsticks, he picked out the Scallion and Ginger, scooped half a spoon of lard along the edge of the pot, making the fish’s texture even richer.

After adding it, he turned up the heat and then ladled a bit of aromatic vinegar along the edge of the pot.

This vinegar mainly helps to evaporate the overly greasy smell of the lard, making the fish taste rich but not too oily. Use only a small amount of vinegar; by the time it flows from the pot’s edge to the bottom, it’s mostly evaporated.

But the vinegar’s aroma lingers, and much of the greasy smell from the lard dissipates.

After doing all this, the sauce in the pot reduced again.

He scooped up half a spoonful of Water Starch, lightly thickening the sauce that coats the Fish, enhancing its rich texture and bold flavor.

With the sauce clinging to the fish, he drizzled a bit of Seasoning Oil, making the Fish Tail look shinier and more tempting.

Then, it was time for the most crucial step in cooking Braised fish— the big flip.

Since the Fish Tail went back into the pot, it hadn’t been flipped over, making the bottom more beautifully red while the top lacked a bit of color.

To improve its presentation, the Fish Tail needs to be flipped using the big flipping technique.

Xie Baomin and Dai Jianli, seeing Lin Xu was about to do this step, put down what they were doing.

"This is quite difficult."

"Right, the Fish Tail is completely soft and mushy; a slight touch would make it into a mess."

Many chefs have failed at this step, either flipping too hard, causing the Fish Tail to crash and turn into mush, or flipping too softly, only to flip halfway.

Also, compared to circular dishes, non-standard shapes like this are even harder to flip entirely.

As the two were contemplating, Lin Xu executed a big flip, tossing the Fish Tail up, then lifting the pot up, letting the Fish Tail glide back into the pot like a diving champion.

The Fish Tail was intact, not even splashing a drop of sauce.

"Brilliant, brilliant! Brother Lin’s flipping skill has the feel of a seasoned chef."

Lin Xu chuckled and said:

"I was worried, too. Thankfully, the Fish Tail cooperated."

Placing the wok back on the stove, he swirled it twice more to let the sauce fully coat the Fish Tail. Lin Xu moved it to the prepared fan-shaped fish plate with a flick of his wrist, and the Fish Tail slid smoothly into place.

The body of the fish faced the arc of the fan, while the Fish Tail, aligned with the base angle of the fan.

It fit perfectly.

At this point, Xie Baomin and Dai Jianli also finished making their respective Fish Tails.