Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 167 - 133: You Again! Sneaking Out for a Snack During Work Hours!
"Breakfast?"
Gray pointed at the soup bucket on the table: "Does chef mean we drink fish soup for breakfast?"
"Hey, that's quite novel, I've never had it in the morning before."
Apart from the famous Marseille Fish Soup, other fish soups usually appear in the form of broth, mixed with cream or canned tomatoes, either drunk directly or paired with pasta.
After all, it is fish soup, so it inevitably carries a bit of fishy smell, which makes having it in the morning quite odd.
However, he still had great faith in the chef's culinary skills; the food he recently tasted was unbelievably delicious, making him search for Great Xia cuisine videos during breaks, which only whet his appetite more.
Great Xia's breakfast is very popular online, so since it's a Great Xia breakfast, this fish soup must be different from what he knew.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
Since I'm already here, why not...?
"Hey hey, chef, does it look ready? Can you sell me a bowl to try?"
"Hmm?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Lin Chen lightly raised his eyebrows, his eyes roaming over him.
This kid, a few days ago, he was slacking off under the guise of working, and now he's doing it again. Addicted to it, huh?
Looks like a repeat offender!
But he wouldn't bother with such things as long as his main job is done well.
After all, everyone's an employee; who hasn't slacked off a bit?
"Were you on patrol just now?"
"Yes, yes, today is a night shift, and that's the hardest, patrolling the entire coastal area. Some bold tourists like to seek thrills, sneaking onto the beach in the middle of the night to cuddle, choosing secluded spots behind the rocks, and a small mistake could get them swept away by the waves."
"No sleep, having to endure the cold sea breeze, and putting up with seeing couples cuddling, it's just unbearable!"
"So, selling me a hot bowl of fish soup to warm up is quite reasonable, right, chef?"
"...Indeed."
Lin Chen couldn't help but cast a sympathetic glance at him.
How could someone be worse off than me?
Instantly, he felt much better inside.
"But what I'm making isn't fish soup, it's fish soup rice noodles, which are noodles made from rice."
"Oh, oh, I know, that's like Vietnam's pho, right? That's tasty, slippery."
"Right, that's a type of rice noodle. They have different shapes and textures, and the type of rice also affects the taste of the noodles; you'll know once you taste it."
It was just past five, and the sky slowly revealed a faint brightness.
As expected, around five thirty to six, it would be daylight.
It wouldn't be surprising if leisure tourists got up to catch the sunrise, as the preparations for fresh fish soup noodles were almost done, ready to serve.
"If you don't mind, could you help rinse the water? Once the pots are washed, I'll get ready to serve."
"Sure, no problem, leave it to me!"
Gray turned off the flashlight and casually tucked it into his waist, eagerly stepping forward to help with the work.
Anything was more interesting than his job; daylight was almost here, and all necessary patrol areas were checked.
A bit of slacking before the shift ends is quite reasonable, right?
With Gray's help, the kitchen was tidied up in a few minutes. There wasn't much work left otherwise, just a rinse to remove the foam and filter the water clean.
While cleaning, he had already boiled a bucket of hot water to soak bundles of thin noodles.
The thin noodles soaked in hot water wouldn't be fully cooked, staying at about eighty to ninety percent done, and could be served after boiling for just half a minute to a minute in boiling water, which was very convenient.
The fish soup was placed in the back kitchen, covered to prevent dust or insects from getting in, with two buckets ready to be carried to the food cart along with other pre-prepared ingredients.
Taking a night shift like this, one would surely eat supper.
At midnight, Gray had two burgers from McDonald's, but they were far too small, two bites each, and not filling at all.
Now, everything he had eaten was long digested, especially after a whole night of patrolling. Helping with the ingredients only aggravated the unbearable hunger.
An enticing aroma wafted to his nose, with a noticeable scent of pepper and fish oil, making him swallow his saliva hungrily.
This fish soup's color was entirely different from the orange-red Marseille Fish Soup he was familiar with; it had a grayish hue, but the aroma was inviting.
"Is it ready to eat, chef? I'm about to faint from hunger!"
From the counter, Gray gazed expectantly at him, much like a puppy begging for food.
"I'll make it for you right away, it'll be quick."
Having been busy all night, he was also starving, ready to cook and taste it himself.
He placed two milk pans side by side on the stove, one filled with water brought to a boil over high heat, and the other with half a pot of fish soup heated over low flame.
These milk pans could hold about a liter each, not too small, and could manage three bowls without issue.
If more people came later, switching to a larger pot in time would be feasible.
Once the water boiled, he tossed in octopus and mussels to cook for three to four minutes, just until they were barely cooked, as these fresh seafoods could even be eaten raw and didn't need much cooking.
He scooped out the cooked seafood and added the rice noodles, then placed six thick-cut slices of salmon and four slices of cod in to poach together.
Cod cooked quickly due to its thinness, and salmon, being nearly raw, was fine with just a little color change on the surface.
Half-cooked salmon was more delicate than raw, and its fatty aroma was more pronounced, capable of melting in the mouth without needing to be chewed.
The scalded rice noodles were laid at the bottom of the bowl, with the steaming fish broth poured over to completely cover them.
Then the seafood was arranged on top, a sprinkle of chili powder for color and flavor, and finally a garnish of green onions.
