Heavens! This is absolutely soul-stirring.
"Is the Jiangtuan stead and ready now?"
He was a bit impatient to taste it, but the response he got was, "Not yet, just wait a little longer."
Dai Jianli brought over a basin and carefully poured out the broth from the stead Jiangtuan. Then, he picked out the incompletely lted caul fat and threw it away.
He then rearranged the Fish in the basin to make its appearance even more perfect. He also repositioned the slices of Ham in the basin.
Then, he poured the previously extracted broth back into the pot, brought it to a boil over high heat, and added a small spoonful of white sugar and a teaspoon of pepper to bring out all the savory and aromatic flavors of the broth.
After seasoning, he poured the broth back into the basin holding the Jiangtuan.
As the hot broth entered the basin, the slightly cooled Fish was reinvigorated by the heat, and the rich, savory fragrance was released again. The savory aroma beca even more intense, even more exquisite than when it had just been taken out of the stear.
"Let’s go, let’s eat!"
Dai Jianli carried the basin toward the private room. On his way out of the kitchen, he turned back to instruct the head chef, "Don’t forget to bring us so ginger vinegar. You can’t have Jiangtuan without it."
Ginger vinegar? Isn’t that the condint used for at dishes or Hairy Crabs? They use it for Jiangtuan too?
Seeing the puzzled look on Lin Xu’s face, Guo Weidong explained, "The Jiangtuan’s Fish is naturally fatty. With such rich ingredients and broth, the fatty sensation becos more pronounced. So, when you eat it, you dip it in ginger vinegar just like you would with crab or other rich ats. This not only cuts through the fat but also enhances the fresh taste of the Fish to the fullest."
Another trick learned!
When he arrived at the private room, Xie Baomin couldn’t wait to pick up a piece of the Jiangtuan’s fin and try it. "There’s nothing like Jiangtuan! The flavor, the texture—absolutely fantastic."
Everyone then picked up soup spoons to first taste the broth. It was incredibly savory but not at all greasy, offering both the unique freshness of river delicacies and the savory flavor of the other ingredients. The layer of oil floating on top also gave this delicious broth a rich texture. The taste was truly exceptional.
Lin Xu, impressed, finished a small bowl of the fish soup just as the waiter brought in the ginger vinegar.
Ginger was crushed into a paste and marinated in aromatic vinegar. This blended the spiciness of ginger with the sour fragrance of the vinegar. Then, a little sugar and a bit of salt were added to create the indispensable ginger vinegar for eating Hairy Crabs.
Watching the others start eating, Lin Xu also picked up a tremulously tender piece of Fish Belly from the Jiangtuan, dipped it in the ginger vinegar, and then brought it to his mouth.
The rich Jiangtuan Fish and the ginger vinegar had a perfect encounter in his mouth. The Fish Belly of the Jiangtuan had a jelly-like texture that could beco cloying after a few bites. However, the ginger vinegar not only diluted the greasiness but also brought out the fresh taste of the Fish.
"What do you think, Brother Lin? The taste of this Jiangtuan is great, isn’t it?" Dai Jianli asked with a smile.
Lin Xu gave him a thumbs-up. "It’s truly one of the top ten famous dishes of Sichuan cuisine; the flavor is simply wonderful. Thank you, Chef Dai, for letting experience such a delicious dish."
"Oh, it’s nothing. Later, when Old Song or anyone else has good ingredients, I’ll help you borrow so, and we can taste them together. After all, Director Liao said you are now a distinguished guest of Fishing Platform and asked us to maintain a good relationship with you."
TSK-TSK. No wonder he was using my na to ’borrow’ fish early this morning. It seems Director Liao from the Dining Departnt had spoken.
Lin Xu had helped Fishing Platform win a cooking competition, thwarting the ill-intentioned moves of other foreign-related hotels in Yanjing City. He also used his own contacts to turn Fishing Platform into the collaborative partner of "Flavours of the World."
Now, Liao Jinming’s reciprocation in providing special treatnt to Lin Xu was completely reasonable.
As for Dai Jianli going to ’borrow’ fish... Who would have thought of that?
The flavor of Jiangtuan was unforgettable. As Lin Xu ate, he made up his mind to buy two Jiangtuan when he was less busy and steam them in the sa way to let his family also taste their freshness.
While eating, Xie Baomin said, "Old Dai’s marinated dishes are quite good. Junior Brother, take so back with you later."
Guo Weidong joined in, "Old Dai’s sweet-skin duck is really well-made; don’t forget to take a few."
Qiu Zhenhua chid in, "Sichuan’s oil-braised dishes are exceptional. Take more when you leave. They’re delicious with both drinks and als."
He Baoqing nodded, "And the Shadow Beef! It’s terrific with drinks."
Song Dahai placed a Jiangtuan head into his own bowl. "And the spicy rabbit heads! I need to eat five or six to be satisfied. Try more; this Building 18 is full of treasures."
Lin Xu felt delighted upon hearing this. Chef Dai indeed has great popularity at Fishing Platform! Look at how enthusiastically everyone is praising him.
Dai Jianli, not annoyed, said with a laugh, "If you see anything you like, Brother Lin, just say the word, and I’ll pack more for you later."
Go ahead, keep urging Brother Lin to take things from here. Whatever he takes away today, I’ll ’borrow’ just as much from your kitchens later.
After finishing the Jiangtuan, Lin Xu tasted other dishes. Each one was exquisitely delicious, leaving one craving more.
After lunch, he loaded 20 pounds of dipping sauces, six sweet-skin ducks, a whole box of various marinated duck products, and a bag of spicy rabbit heads into his car. After saying goodbye to everyone, he drove off.
He arrived at Yingchun Street around alti. After parking the car, Lin Xu called a young helper, and the two of them carried the items up to the kitchen.
Just as they finished, Chen Yan approached. "Didn’t you go to Fishing Platform to learn how to make dry dip? It feels like you went on a shopping spree."
"Chef Dai was too hospitable. He insisted on giving food, and I couldn’t refuse, so I brought so over for you all to try. This box is filled with various marinated duck products, and that bag is all spicy rabbit heads."
What? Spicy rabbit heads?
Chen Yan, who had eaten her fill and was ready to return to the company, suddenly perked up with interest. "Brother-in-law, hurry and give two... No, make it four! I’ll help you check if they’re seasoned right."
Lin Xu was montarily speechless. Do they all like cute little rabbits *that* much?
He nodded and then instructed the young helper, "Get so beef bones. Use the pressure cooker to make so Beef Bone Soup; it’s needed for tonight’s dinner."
Upon hearing about the Beef Bone Soup, the young helper imdiately asked curiously, "Boss, are you making a new dish?"
Chen Yan’s eyes also lit up with anticipation. She hadn’t expected her brother-in-law to manage learning new dishes while he was out getting supplies—he was just so efficient!
Lin Xu said, "I plan to make a ’Mapo Tofu’... without tofu!"
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