I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 530 - 262 Shen Guofu: This fish slice looks undercooked, I need to use Wuliangye to disinfect it! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3
After cleaning the fish, Lin Xu began marinating it.
The marinade primarily included essential Scallion and Ginger water and flavorful Sichuan peppercorn water, along with salt, white sugar, Light Soy Sauce, oyster sauce, pepper powder, and some halved Thai chilies. Once all the ingredients were combined, he mixed them evenly, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it aside to marinate.
"Boss, are all of these going into the oven later? Our electric oven is a bit small for all of this."
Lin Xu pointed to the still-lit duck roaster nearby and said, "We’ll use that roaster over there. The charcoal inside has to burn out completely anyway, so we might as well make use of it."
The shop had grilling nets and grates. Once the crucian carp was marinated, it could be laid directly on the net and hung in the duck roaster to be cooked with a low fire using a slow roasting method. When it was almost done, he would add some sugarcane dregs for smoking. And just like that, the flavorful smoked grilled crucian carp would be made. Having a couple of these while watching dramas or playing games at night would definitely be more satisfying than ordering takeout.
"To ensure Dundun’s food isn’t stolen, the boss is really going to great lengths!"
"No wonder the little guy is closest to the boss. When he’s around, even Manager Shu doesn’t get much attention."
"..."
Wei Qian and Zhuang Yizhou chatted idly. Seeing that Lin Xu was finished, they came over and asked, "Boss, can you make Sweet and Sour Pork now?"
"The meat slices have been cut and marinated, and the starch is already prepared. We’re just waiting for you to cook."
Both of them actually knew how to make Sweet and Sour Pork, but they always felt there was a difference compared to the way Lin Xu made it, so as soon as they saw Lin Xu was free, they approached him.
"Sure, let’s make another pot. The kitchen staff didn’t get to eat any earlier, so let’s satisfy our cravings with this batch first."
Lin Xu rolled up his sleeves and made a large basin of Sweet and Sour Pork, allowing the busy chefs in the kitchen to thoroughly indulge their craving for it.
Half an hour later, the guests, full and content, got up to say their farewells.
At the small service counter on the third floor, gift boxes were prepared, one for each customer, containing Seven-colored Horse Hoof Cake and Black Sugar Shaqima, all handmade by Lin Xu.
"I’ve finally seen Boss Lin’s delicious handmade creations! I plan to take pictures and show off a bit in the Lin Ji’s Food online community."
"Exactly! We usually just see the boss’s wife and the others posting their tantalizing food photos. Now it’s our turn to make others drool!"
"It’s a shame there aren’t other snacks, otherwise, our online friends would be even more envious."
"’Just wait and see,’ another chimed in. ’I heard from the lady boss herself. For the Mid-Autumn Festival, the store will gradually introduce new gift boxes. So don’t forget to buy Lin Ji’s gift boxes when visiting friends and family!’"
"It’s not that we’d forget; the problem is we can’t buy them! There are only about a hundred portions available daily, harder to snag than an appointment with a specialist."
"I really hope Boss Lin expands his business soon. I’m still waiting to buy his gift boxes to take to my in-laws."
"Holy moly, dude, you have a girlfriend?"
"Nah, just planning ahead, you know?"
"..."
Netizens, with their inherent goofiness, are the same everywhere. Everyone took their gift boxes, said goodbye to Lin Xu, and left Lin Ji’s Food.
After most of the guests had left, Lin Xu returned to the kitchen. He took out the marinated crucian carp, removed the Thai chilies, and then, with the Fish Skin facing down, placed them one by one on the grilling net. After arranging them, he hung the grilling net on the rack in the duck roaster.
Once all the crucian carp were inside, he mixed Maltose with Honey to make honey water, which he planned to brush on the fish’s skin when it dried during roasting to enhance the flavor.
After setting up the carp to roast, he brought over the marinated Fish Jerky.
He took a piece of kitchen oil-absorbing paper and spread a layer of sesame oil on it. Then, he scooped out a spoonful of Fish Jerky and spread it thin. He covered it with another layer of oil-absorbing paper and rolled it out with a rolling pin into a thin slice. Once rolled, he scraped off the excess Fish Jerky along the edge of the paper. Using his hands to support the paper, he placed it on a baking tray. He then peeled off the top layer of oil-absorbing paper and put it into the oven to bake.
Besides using an oven, this type of Fish Jerky could also be roasted slowly over charcoal.
Once the Fish Jerky in the oven dried slightly on the surface, he brushed it with honey water. He then flipped the Fish Jerky, peeled off the oil-absorbing paper underneath, brushed it again with honey water, and sprinkled a layer of White Sesame seeds. He continued to roast it on low heat for three minutes, and the Fish Jerky was done.
The freshly roasted Fish Jerky was quite dry and hard and needed to soften before it could be eaten. To enhance the softening effect, it could also be steamed in a steamer. This would make the Fish Jerky’s texture chewier and its fragrance richer.
Unfortunately, before Lin Xu could start steaming, the first batch of three pieces of Fish Jerky had been snatched away by the "Shen Bandit" who had caught wind of it.
"Thank you, Xu Baobao! I really, really love this kind of Fish Jerky!" Shen Baobao held a large piece of Fish Jerky and rolled it up like the people of Shandong roll up pancakes with green onions, then took a big bite. "Wow, this umami flavor is so intense!"
Watching the silly girl’s way of eating, Lin Xu couldn’t help but say, "Perhaps I should cut it for you, otherwise, others who want a taste won’t even know where to start."
He used a knife to cut off the part Shen Baobao had bitten into, letting the girl satisfy her immediate craving. Then, he sliced the rest of the Fish Jerky into small squares, about ten centimeters on each side. After cutting, he put them into a small bamboo basket for Shen Baobao to carry to the elders to taste.
With that done, the crucian carp in the duck roaster were almost ready. The roasted fish were dehydrated and exuded a rich, savory aroma, beckoning for a shot of Liquor to appease the craving.
Lin Xu removed the grilling net from inside. He first brushed the fish with honey water, then flipped them over. He brushed them again with honey water and sprinkled a layer of White Sesame seeds before continuing to roast.
While he was busy, Shen Guofu and Lin Hongqi strolled over. "Xiao Xu, is there any more of that Fish Jerky? Your father and I didn’t get to try any before it was all snatched up. We still don’t even know what it tastes like!"
As he spoke, he smelled the savory aroma wafting from the duck roaster and couldn’t help but sniff appreciatively. "This roasted fish... why does it smell different from that Fish Jerky?"
"These are crucian carp I’m roasting. They’re prepared differently from the Fish Jerky."
As he spoke, Lin Xu opened the duck roaster, and an intense, fresh fragrance immediately billowed out. The aroma instantly reignited the nearly satisfied craving for alcohol in Lin Hongqi and Shen Guofu.
When Lin Xu took the grilling net out of the roaster, the two fathers-in-law became even more animated. The crucian carp, roasted to a golden brown and still emitting a tempting aroma, looked incredibly appetizing.
Shen Guofu said earnestly, "I’ve heard freshwater fish have a lot of parasites, so it’s best to sterilize them when eating. How about this, I’ll go fetch the half bottle of Wuliangye left upstairs, and we’ll disinfect while we eat!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Author’s Note: Last night, while watching short videos, I suddenly craved Fish Jerky, which led to today’s content. I really like Fish Jerky, but unfortunately, I can’t eat it because of diabetes; I can only enjoy it vicariously... This Chapter is 5,290 words long. Brothers, I need those Monthly Tickets!
