Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 154 - 126: Grilled Jumbo Squid, Charcoal-Grilled Yellow Croaker (Part 2)
"Elise?!"
Lin Chen was surprised to see the usually classy and sweet-looking front-desk girl make such a bold entrance, completely stunned.
The woman casually placed her helmet on the side mirror and, noticing many patrons heading this way, quickly ran to the window to secure a favorable spot.
"Grilled fish?"
Inside the window, there were only two lonely grilled fish. The bamboo skewers in the hands of the two ladies next to them were empty, yet they were still licking them with delight. Their lips still had a lot of sauce residue, making it unclear what they had eaten.
She had thought it was all grilled fish.
"Yes, freshly caught yellow croaker this morning, and squid larger than your face. Not many left, would you like one of each?"
"Limited edition? Good, good, then I must try them! Chef, make them delicious in your own way. I’m open to anything."
Lin Chen grabbed a huge squid from the box beside him, brushed it with a golden liquid, either oil or sauce, and gently placed it on the grill.
"Sizzle—"
The anticipated delightful sound made her squint her eyes on the spot, nodding in satisfaction.
Barbecue should have that sound!
At this time, Lin Chen sprinkled a dense layer of seasoning powder on the other two grilled yellow croaker and handed them to Dais and Elsa.
The golden, crispy grilled fish passed by her eyes, exuding a rich seafood aroma, making her instinctively swallow.
She hadn’t eaten lunch to save space for this evening’s meal; only had a couple of slices of bread in the morning to fill her stomach. Now she was dizzy with hunger.
"It smells so good, is it a barbecue?"
"I’ve never smelled such fragrant barbecue before. The head chef looks like an Asian, could it be an Asian-style barbecue?"
The rich aroma from the secret sauce mixed with rapeseed oil dripping onto the charcoal was an entirely new scent for these foreigners.
The grilled meat they usually eat is middle-eastern, either grilled with salt or marinated with spices like curry or masala before grilling.
If it’s a do-it-yourself barbecue at a party, they just slather on ready-made grill seasoning from the supermarket, mainly enjoying the original flavor of the meat.
Such dark soy-sauce-colored seasoning on grilled meat was something they’ve never seen before.
Elsa initially thought the sauce would taste like Japanese teriyaki sauce, but she realized she was completely wrong once she tasted it.
There was sweetness, but just a hint, with a slight aftertaste, and it didn’t seem to be sugar-based. The sweetness was very natural, mostly dominated by a savory soy sauce flavor.
This special sauce was a perfect match for the thick, chewy squid meat. Although she felt quite full after eating the whole skewer, her taste buds weren’t satisfied yet, as if they had just been opened.
At that moment, the yellow croaker was brought over, and its unique fish aroma mixed with the intense charcoal smoke made her salivate uncontrollably.
The yellow croaker’s surface was crispy and charred, with some parts of the fins and tail even slightly burnt.
Before this, she had only seen fried fish achieve this state, never imagining charcoal grilling could produce the same effect.
"Crunch."
Dais wasn’t concerned with the details; her mind was completely focused on eating while it’s hot.
She bit into it, hearing a crunch reminiscent of potato chips. The texture was incredibly similar, as if several fish-flavored chips shattered on her tongue.
There was no fishy smell, only the rich aroma of yellow croaker meat.
No bones to worry about; she could bite and swallow boldly.
The fish skin, along with the fins on the surface, were all crispy and charred, but the soft fish meat stayed juicy inside, a result only achievable with fresh fish.
If the fish were frozen for a few days, its juices would be lost, resulting in dry, bland grilled fish lacking this juicy texture.
"Ah~"
After a few chews, she exhaled a breath of hot air, a cheerful look covering her face.
Elise felt like she was going crazy with craving.
From the moment she heard that crisp crunch, her eyes couldn’t leave the two grilled fish.
Especially seeing the bright, juicy fish meat exposed, dripping juices with each bite—it drove her nearly insane with want, unable to eat it.
"How much longer, chef? I’m starving to death!"
"Very soon, two or three minutes."
While grilling, he glanced at the road in the distance.
Lucas decided there wasn’t much to do without making drinks, so he drove himself to the supermarket to buy watermelons. Who knows when he’ll return?
He couldn’t understand how someone could find idleness unbearable. Was it a masochist tendency?
It’s not like they weren’t paid.
Soon, a familiar pickup appeared at the end of the road, its rusty, old body approaching and parking steadily beside the food van.
Lucas had Lu Xiaohei on his head. Without his blonde hair, it wouldn’t even look like a black cat.
"Here, here, already grilling? I’ll wash my hands and start filming!"
Lu Xiaohei seemed to be napping, awakened by the commotion, meowing in discontent.
In a sudden moment, its upper body straightened up, sniffing the air with its little nose before staring blankly at the grilled fish held by the two women at the food van window.
Dais was eating quickly, almost finishing the entire fish, crispy tail and all, like she was eating potato chips, leaving only bare fish bones and head on the skewer.
To her, fish heads weren’t edible, so she never considered trying a bite.
Particularly those white eyes, they looked unsettling.
Luckily, her focus was solely on eating earlier, or else she might have been scarred by the sight.
With her instincts as a seasoned server, she felt eyes on her, and turned around to see a black creature on the blonde guy’s head staring intently at her fish’s head.
As she raised her hand, the little creature’s eyes followed suit.
When she waved it twice, its little head mirrored the motion, exuding undeniable cuteness.
"Little guy, do you want this?"
She’d never owned a cat, but she knew they liked fish, so she considered asking the guy if the cat could have some.
Before she could speak, the blonde guy casually greeted Chef Lin in a language she couldn’t understand, then confidently went to wash his hands, returning with a folding table and drink cups.
In no time, he unloaded tools, carried two boxes of watermelons from the pickup, and retrieved ice cubes from the van’s cooler, bustling around like a mirror image of her own hustle.
"Chef, is he your friend?"
"Oh yes, his name is Lucas. He runs the stand with me, also does video blogging on the side. He’ll make iced watermelon juice soon—have a couple of cups to quench your thirst, on the house."
While Lucas was busy preparing, Elsa finished her grilled fish and noticed the hungry Lu Xiaohei as Dais signaled to her.
No matter where Lucas moved, the little guy adjusted its angle to keep the women within view.
The two exchanged looks, mischief creeping into their smiles, then stepped back, stretching the fish bones in opposite directions.
"Ah ah~"
Xiao Hei grew anxious, unsure which side to look at, its pupils fixating on the fish heads, even flipping its eyes at one point, shaking its head in frustration and reaching out to paw the air in protest.
"Hmm?"
Lucas finally noticed Xiao Hei’s odd behavior, puzzledly turning to see the fish heads and bones in the women’s hands and immediately catching on.
He shook his head, sighed, and approached to ask.
"Excuse me, are you planning to eat those fish heads?"
