The secret recipe for the soup-filled yellow croaker was quite intricate.
Zane used both frying and steaming to cook the yellow croaker.
When presented on the plate, it looked like an ordinary soup-filled yellow croaker. However, the belly of the fish contained a delightful surprise, filled with a flavorful broth without spilling a drop. After cleaning the fish without breaking it, the soup was carefully poured into its belly.
Taking a sniff, there was no hint of a fishy smell—only a rich, inviting aroma of fish.
Erina couldn't wait to pick up her chopsticks to taste the fish.
But just as she was about to reach for it, Zane stopped her, causing her to pause in surprise.
"Wait a moment."
Zane looked at her and continued, "You need to do it like this!"
He then took an ordinary kitchen knife and cut open the belly of the fish, revealing pearl meatballs inside, which scattered across the plate.
The fish meat, delicate and smooth, gleamed with a golden sheen, while the small meatballs emitted a tantalizing aroma, attracting everyone around.
...
At that moment, the rich fragrance truly burst forth!
The delightful aroma and the magical effect made it hard for Erina, who was close by, to resist.
Fish is not an easy ingredient to master in cooking.
The key to success lies in the control of the heat.
Many people either break the skin or stick the fish to the pan when frying. For frying fish, you need plenty of hot oil to achieve a crispy texture. When pan-frying, the pan should be hot, oil should be minimal, and the heat should be moderate.
Once the fish is in the pan, it should be moved as little as possible. This is the secret to pan-frying fish.
Of course, if you keep flipping it because you're worried it's not cooked, you'll end up ruining it. The skin will break, and the fish will fall apart.
First, you need to wait until the pan is hot before adding oil. The fish should be dried before placing it in the pan. Use low heat to fry it gently, without rushing to turn it over. If not using a non-stick pan, occasionally tilt the pan to ensure even heat distribution.
Seeing Zane's perfect execution of the soup-filled yellow croaker, even Erina, who had seen many extraordinary dishes, was amazed!
"Is this the legendary soup-filled yellow croaker?"
"Just cutting open the belly is a miracle in the culinary world."
"I never thought you could make such a complex dish, Zane, and make it so..."
She looked at the white, shiny plate with the red-brown fish broth, garnished with green onions and the yellow croaker.
The fish was neatly cut, revealing tender white flesh oozing rich broth.
The golden, crispy skin of the fish emitted a strong aroma.
The fish looked unique, with its head raised and tail slightly lifted, as if swimming through waves.
...
"Don't be so surprised. It's not your first time tasting my cooking. Eat it while it's hot."
Zane said with a bit of irritation.
"I know!"
Erina blushed and took a while to regain her composure.
Under his watchful eye, she slowly picked up a piece of yellow croaker and put it in her mouth, chewing carefully.
"Ah..."
With just one bite, an intense flavor exploded in her mouth.
Erina's face blushed slightly.
She crossed her legs, trying to stay calm, but she underestimated the impact of Zane's soup-filled yellow croaker. The sudden burst of flavor was overwhelming.
Even with her God Tongue, which made her more sensitive to flavors, she couldn't resist.
"Mm!"
In the end, Erina couldn't hold back a soft moan.
The sound was quite enchanting.
...
Zane's soup-filled yellow croaker had a semi-transparent texture, coated in broth, sweet and tender, making it irresistible.
The pearl meatballs in the broth not only added to the visual appeal but also neutralized any fishy taste.
Moreover, the fish meat absorbed the broth, enhancing its flavor.
Various ingredients complemented each other.
Creating a classic dish, the soup-filled yellow croaker.
Clearly, this dish captivated Erina once again.
With just a small bite, she felt her consciousness fading, thinking only of this divine dish.
"This is amazing. I bet there are very few chefs in the world who can make this dish."
"No, probably none!"
Erina couldn't help but take another bite.
With a gasp, her consciousness seemed to leave her, her eyes glazing over.
She couldn't believe such a delicious dish existed in this world.
It was more than delicious!
It was magical.
The fish was tender and flavorful.
...
The most delicious thing was undoubtedly this soup-filled yellow croaker.
The broth was rich but not heavy, fresh but not fishy.
The yellow croaker's tender meat and the smooth broth were perfectly blended. This dish warmed her heart, even when she was starving!
The flavor!
The texture!
Both complemented each other.
It was exquisite and delicate, with the essence in the broth, incredibly delicious.
Its taste could be described in four words:
Unbelievably delicious.
"Fantastic!"
"This is absolutely fantastic!"
Finally, Erina exclaimed.
She felt like she entered a magical realm, wearing a diving mask, exploring the cool and tranquil ocean.
Around her, colorful coral reefs stood still, witnessing the ocean's changes.
Suddenly, a school of yellow croakers swam into her view.
They wore bright yellow coats, dancing in the sparkling water like little elves.
She tried to get closer, finding them agile and cute, swimming through the coral reefs.
Sometimes they leaped out of the water.
Sometimes they dove deep.
It seemed like they were playing hide and seek with Erina.
She reached out to touch the beautiful yellow croakers, and they curiously swam closer, gently nibbling her fingers.
"No, you naughty fish, licking my fingers!"
Erina blushed, finally waking up.
"Huh?"
"I haven't finished eating?"
She blinked and then picked up her chopsticks to continue eating.
...
"Senpai!"
"Why is the soup-filled yellow croaker so difficult to make?"
"And if it's a lost dish, how did Zane manage to recreate it?"
Still in shock, Hisako couldn't hide her curiosity and asked Sonoka beside her.
"Well... I didn't expect this either."
"To witness a lost dish being recreated today is incredible."
Sonoka murmured.
Common fish include carp, grass carp, crucian carp, and mandarin fish for freshwater, and yellow croaker, hairtail, and pomfret for seawater.
Regardless, they are known for their tender, flavorful meat and rich nutrients, providing vitamins and minerals.
However, in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions of China, the most prized fish for banquets is the large yellow croaker.
In coastal areas, whether for a feast or celebration.
You can skip abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin, but you must have a large yellow croaker.
This fish was once so abundant that it sustained a complete industry, supporting generations.
But with environmental damage and overfishing, yellow croaker numbers have significantly decreased.
"Previously, I thought the difficulty in making soup-filled yellow croaker was due to the scarcity of the fish and ingredient shortages, but now I see I was wrong."
"Technical skill."
"That's what makes this dish precious!"
Sonoka sighed deeply.
...
"The yellow croaker is scarce."
"But the most important factor is the complex and meticulous cooking technique."
"I've never seen a chef who could make a perfect soup-filled yellow croaker."
"Oh."
"Today, I've witnessed it!"
Said Takizaki, looking at Zane, also in awe.
"Is this dish really that hard to make?"
Hearing this, Hisako was confused.
"The difficulty lies in three aspects: deboning the whole fish, preparing the broth, and stuffing and frying the fish."
Takizaki explained again.
"Right, Takizaki, you are indeed knowledgeable!"
"Yes, the most challenging aspects of making soup-filled yellow croaker are these three."
At this moment, Zane overheard Hisako, Takizaki, and Sonoka's conversation and joined in.
"The unique and rare quality of the soup-filled yellow croaker lies in its ability to contain the broth without leaking! The key technique is to remove the guts and bones without breaking the belly!"
"The trick is to make a small incision at the fish's gills, remove the innards, clean it, stuff it with broth, and seal it before cooking."
"The broth is made from premium ingredients like dried scallops, bird's nest, shark fin, fish maw, abalone, sea cucumber, and others simmered in clear chicken soup. The finished broth is as clear as tea."
"You can see the pattern at the bottom of the bowl, but the taste is rich and full!"
"Mushrooms are diced and simmered in this broth, stuffed into the fish's belly, and the fish is sealed and cooked. When served, all the broth is inside the fish."
"Then."
"Pick up a piece of tender white fish."
"The broth, with its heat and aroma, flows out."
"This dynamic beauty, in the shimmering light, is like a watercolor painting! The classical, elegant taste of gourmet food is fully revealed in this flowing process."
"Apart from the high difficulty of the cooking techniques, its extreme deliciousness elevates it to a pinnacle dish."
...
Let's not talk about whether Chinese cuisine is invincible.
At least, in Zane's eyes, the evaluation system of Chinese cuisine is flawed.
Chinese cuisine often emphasizes tradition, old flavors, and ancient methods, believing that lost recipes are the ultimate delicacy.
Always trying to recreate the past's flavors, lacking innovation and progress.
Especially high-end restaurants influenced by Western cuisine, using Western methods to dress up Chinese dishes, creating fancy presentations
, reducing portions to create a sense of luxury, adding dry ice and smoke, claiming it's a fusion of East and West.
However.
These so-called innovations seem superficial to Zane.
When evaluating gourmet food, one must return to the basics. In this aspect, Western cuisine's evaluation system is closer to the essence of deliciousness, for example:
In Western cuisine, salt is added to any dessert.
Because they found that a little salt enhances the sweetness, adding complexity, which Chinese cuisine has never considered in thousands of years.
Huaiyang cuisine knows that a little sugar and vinegar can enhance the freshness, but desserts generally don't add salt, or if they do, it's because the traditional recipe says so, without knowing why.
So, more thought should be given to studying the combination of various ingredients and flavors, rather than preserving traditional flavors for centuries without change.
For example, improving Dongpo pork. The traditional method is to braise and steam pork belly with yellow wine.
A modern method could consider adding other ingredients to enrich the flavor, using different cooking techniques for better texture, or finding ways to reduce greasiness.
Instead of relying on knife skills to slice Dongpo pork into thin, connected pieces and calling it innovation.
Chinese cuisine often falls into a trap, making the process more complicated to showcase skill, making it more expensive without enhancing the flavor. Do we really need elaborate dishes like Eight Treasure Duck?
Necessary decorations and garnishes are important.
But when a dish is served, we shouldn't just think it's a traditional, authentic dish.
Instead, we should focus on whether the cooking time is perfect, whether the balance of salt and acidity is just right, whether the temperature is maintained when served, and whether the added ingredients elevate the dish.
In summary.
If breaking tradition improves the flavor, then tradition should be broken.
Not hiding behind tradition, refusing to change anything.
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