There's a saying: "Spicy food is the most addictive flavor, nothing else can make people crave more than spicy food."
This highlights the importance of "spicy" in cuisine. While eating too much sweet stuff can make you sick, spicy foods don't have that effect. In daily life, people's diets are incredibly varied.
For example:
Dried fish!
This is a popular snack for many people.
But such aquatic creatures usually have a strong fishy smell. Saltwater and freshwater fish have different types of fishiness. Marine life uses amino acids and amines to balance the osmotic pressure due to the high salt content of seawater.
When these fish die, the trimethylamine oxide in their bodies turns into trimethylamine due to bacteria and enzymes. Low concentrations of trimethylamine smell fishy, while high concentrations smell like ammonia or rotten eggs.
Therefore, removing the fishy smell is often a test of a chef's skill.
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First, soak the dried fish in water with a little vinegar for half an hour to remove the fishy smell. Then wash the soaked fish six times with clean water and drain.
Wash and cut garlic shoots. Wash and chop red chili peppers finely. This will make the spicy dried fish more flavorful.
Next, wash the dried fish and drain immediately. Heat the pan with a little oil, add the fish, and ginger slices, and stir-fry on medium-low heat until fragrant. Add a bit of sesame oil and fry until slightly yellow and crispy. Remove from the pan.
In another pan, heat oil and add the chopped chili peppers. Stir-fry until fragrant, then add the garlic shoots. Pour hot oil over the mixture, and the sizzle releases the aromas of the chili, peppercorns, and other spices. Alice watched with mouth-watering anticipation.
The bright red chili and the sesame seeds sprinkled on top looked like dancing elves with the spicy aroma.
Even though the air was filled with the aggressive spicy scent, Alice found it incredibly tempting.
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"It smells so good!" Alice exclaimed. "Mom, I've never really eaten spicy food before, but this spicy dried fish looks so appetizing!"
Her bright eyes sparkled with joy as she eagerly awaited Zane's spicy dried fish.
"Great, now it's time to stir-fry and reduce the sauce!" Zane's eyes focused, his expression serious.
He quickly added the fried dried fish to the chili pan, poured in a bit of soy sauce, cooking wine, and a small spoonful of water, and turned the heat to high to reduce the sauce. Finally, he added the garlic shoots, stirred everything together, and seasoned it with salt.
A plate of spicy dried fish was ready!
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"Please enjoy."
"Huh? This spicy dried fish smells different from what I've had before," Leonora said, taking a deep sniff. A rich, strange aroma filled her senses.
Each piece of fish seemed coated with "spicy" and "numb." Under the light, they gleamed like rubies. The presentation and ingredient quality surpassed Leonora's expectations, especially the intense, pungent aroma that filled the air.
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"The spices are plentiful, and the ingredients are rich. Zane, your cooking skills are becoming extraordinary!"
Leonora picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. At first, it was a bit numbing, then a burst of spiciness filled her mouth, overwhelming her taste buds. The fishiness was completely gone, replaced by a robust fish flavor.
Each bite was tender and succulent, perfectly cooked to maintain a chewy texture, with the spices deeply infused into the meat, sending a strong aroma up her nose.
A simple plate of spicy dried fish delivered such complex flavors, providing a sensational culinary experience for Leonora.
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"It's amazing! Not only does it bring out the fish's freshness, but the intense spicy and numbing flavors make it an extraordinary experience!"
"At first, I naively thought all spicy dried fish would taste similar, just depending on the quality of the fish. But this tavern's version has exceeded my expectations and imagination!"
The contrast of red chili and golden fish looked like a colorful painting. They shone under the light, making it hard to resist.
Leonora and Alice each took delicate bites of the spicy dried fish. The rich, spicy, and fresh flavors mingled in their mouths, creating a feast for their taste buds.
In Zane's view, Chinese cuisine, when brought overseas, must adapt to some extent. But adaptation doesn't mean changing the presentation or serving order, nor does it mean abandoning Chinese culinary tradition and "Westernizing" it completely.
The goal should be to adjust the dishes according to local tastes while drawing inspiration from Western cuisine to innovate continuously.
Yes, that's the right way to improve!
...
At 2 a.m., the tavern finally closed for the night. Senzaemon and Leonora left early, but Alice stayed.
When a cow is slaughtered, its muscles become stiff due to the stress of being killed. Controlling the temperature and humidity during this process can activate the proteolytic enzymes in the meat, breaking down the collagen and muscle fibers, naturally tenderizing the beef.
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Sizzle, sizzle!
In the closed tavern, Zane was grilling steaks. The delicious steaks sizzled on the iron plate, and steam filled the air. Olive oil, wine, and lemon juice were poured over the steaks, releasing an enticing aroma!
Alice watched the steaks with pitiful eyes, already drooling. She had decided to stay at the tavern like Erina, and her greatest joy was eating Zane's cooking for free.
Now, Alice had become a full-fledged "foodie" under Zane's guidance.
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"Zane, when will the steaks be ready?"
Alice, sniffing the air filled with the rich aroma of meat, felt captivated.
"Not long now, just a little more patience!" Zane smiled, looking at Alice.
"Zane, can I have the biggest steak?" Alice asked with a hint of a pout, her blood-red eyes twinkling.
Her cute pleading made Zane feel a pang of affection.
"Of course, the biggest one is yours!" Zane promised, his heart fluttering slightly.
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Finally, the time passed. The fried eggs, with their white whites and golden yolks, accompanied the steaming steaks, filling the air with a tempting aroma. The delicious grilled steaks were ready!
Seeing the steaks finally done, Alice's eyes lit up. She quickly took a seat, fork in her left hand, knife in her right, waiting for Zane to serve her the biggest steak.
The moment she took a bite, she felt the steak was soft and juicy. Cooked to medium-rare, the meat was tender and flavorful, with all the rich juices released.
As she chewed, the succulent juices burst forth, filling her mouth with a dense, aromatic flavor. This unique taste and texture made Zane's grilled steak extraordinary.
"Wow, it tastes amazing. The steak is so soft, it's like being hugged by my mom, warm and comforting!" Alice exclaimed excitedly after the first bite.
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Good beef has two main criteria. One is the natural quality influenced by its growing environment, and the other is the freshness during transport.
These two factors determine the texture and juiciness of the grilled steak.
A perfect bite of beef should have the distinctive texture of its origin and be juicy enough to explode in the mouth.
Zane's grilled steaks met all these criteria!
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"Here, Erina! Pairing steak with red wine is a perfect match!" Zane opened a bottle of rich, aromatic red wine and poured a glass for Erina.
Erina blushed slightly. "I... I don't have a good tolerance for alcohol, so..."
"No worries, this wine isn't very strong. Just a little won't hurt," Zane reassured her.
"Alright, I'll have a little," Erina agreed reluctantly, taking a small sip.
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When the red wine touched her lips, she felt the solid acidity, complex layers, and smooth tannins. The unique aroma and rich taste of the wine balanced the rich flavors of the steak, cutting through the fattiness.
If the steak was enhanced with garlic, onion, and rosemary, it needed a robust wine with smooth acidity and pronounced fruitiness to complement the strong flavors.
Clearly, Zane's red wine was the perfect match for the grilled steak!
"Hmm, this wine... tastes really good!" Erina closed her eyes, savoring the moment.
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