Chapter 340: Chapter 204: Chopped Pepper Fish Head That’s A Hundred Times Tastier Than in Restaurants! Fans Are Drooling for It! [Request for Monthly Ticket]_3
He lifted the big bighead carp out of the sink. Holding a kitchen knife, he went to the tap and used the back of the knife to harshly smack the fish’s head, stunning it.
Then, he chopped at the fish tail, letting the blood out. This would effectively reduce the fishy smell and make the fish meat whiter and more tender.
After these preparations, he started to scrape the fish scales off and remove the gills and innards with the kitchen knife.
This fish was big enough; just its belly brimming with fat Fish Roe, heart, liver, and Fish Bladder was enough to fill a large bowl.
Later, it would be perfect for making a "Boiled Fish Miscellany," giving the relatives a taste of his skills.
It was a pity there was no time to deal with the Fish intestines; turned inside out and cleaned, they too would have been delicious quickly stir-fried.
After cleaning the bighead carp, Lin Xu held the kitchen knife and made a cut four fingers wide behind the fish head to remove it.
The main ingredient for Chopped Pepper Fish Head was ready.
As for the Fish on the body, it wouldn’t go to waste either. Later, it would be sliced into thin pieces to be made into Fried Fish Fillets, Boiled Fish, and Sweet and Sour Fish Fillets, which his younger cousins liked.
The fish bones would be boiled to make a tofu soup.
Hmm... After arranging everything for the whole fish, Lin Xu took a large cleaver and split the fish head from the top.
There was more meat where the top half of the head connected to the spine. Splitting it from the top allowed the thick part to be spread to the sides, making it easier to steam through.
After splitting the fish head, he first removed the teeth and the whole set of soft tissues inside the mouth, then used the kitchen knife to scrape off the black membrane inside.
Next, he scored the thick parts with a crosshatch pattern. Especially on both sides of the spine, the score lines had to be deep to ensure the meat would steam through.
After scoring, Lin Xu chopped up a small bowl of Scallion and Ginger, poured in half a bottle of Rice Wine, added salt and pepper, and squeezed it several times until the Scallion and Ginger released their juices. Then, he applied it evenly inside and out of the fish head.
To make the fish head tasty, it had to be fully marinated; that way, the eventual dish would be exquisitely tender and delicious.
After evenly spreading the marinade, he placed the fish head head-up and skin-down on a tray, which would make it marinate better.
In order to keep the Fish as fresh and tender as possible, he also placed the tray in the refrigerator’s chilling compartment.
With that done, Lin Xu also mixed some dough, planning to make some handmade noodles.
Once the fish head was steamed, the broth would be mixed into the noodles, a taste that would surely whet every relative’s appetite.
After preparing the dough, he was busy slicing fish fillets and chopping bones, bustling around tirelessly.
Outside the kitchen, Shen Baobao sat next to her mother-in-law Chen Meijuan, peeling garlic and listening to the relatives chitchatting about household trivialities.
This gave her a sense of being fully integrated into the Lin Family.
"Baobao, how can we let you peel garlic? Put it down, I’ll do it," Chen Yuanyuan said, walking over.
"Xu Bao said we need a lot of garlic for the Garlic Minced Crayfish," Shen Baobao replied, looking up.
Chen Yuanyuan had originally intended to act the part of a good host and let her cousin’s wife, a guest from afar, rest. She hadn’t expected her to start with such a public display of affection.
Xu Bao... She calls him more intimately than Third Aunt and Third Uncle-in-law do.
"Are you and my cousin college classmates?"
"Yes, we were in the same class."
"My cousin said he didn’t date anyone during his four years of university. Is that true?"
"It’s true."
"Why?"
"Because I clung to him, so other girls didn’t dare approach."
Chen Yuanyuan was speechless.
Why do I feel full already, even though I haven’t even tasted my cousin’s crayfish yet?
As she was muttering to herself, Zeng Xiaoqi and her colleagues returned with the filming equipment.
"Wow! So many crayfish! Boss Lady, I’m really benefiting from your presence today!"
Shen Baobao said, "It’s not just crayfish; we also have a big fish head and stewed goose. You’ve all worked hard filming today, so we’re making some delicious food to treat you."
After saying this, she pointed at the hanging sheep. "There was supposed to be a roasted whole sheep too, but Xu Bao said it needs to marinate overnight to taste good, so the roast sheep has been postponed until tomorrow noon."
"Wow!" Zeng Xiaoqi felt this trip was truly worthwhile.
To show her respect for the meal, Zeng Xiaoqi, who normally wouldn’t lift a finger for housework, also sat down and started peeling garlic.
While the three amateur garlic-peeling girls were busy, Lin Xu, in the kitchen, had already marinated the fish fillets and put the chopped fish bones into the pressure cooker to start on the Milk Soup.
Once he was done with these preparations, Lin Xu looked at Shi Wenming and asked, "Uncle, is there any chopped chili in the kitchen?"
Chopped chili? Shi Wenming, who had just finished plucking the goose, thought for a moment and said, "We actually don’t have any. How about I have someone go buy some for you now?"
Lin Xu shook his head. "Forget it, I’ll use fresh hot peppers instead."
When making Chopped Pepper Fish, chopped chili is the first choice. However, in its absence, fresh hot peppers can also be used. If prepared correctly, it can even be more delicious than dishes made with actual chopped chili.
He found some red millet chilies and some green Chilis.
Besides these two types of peppers, other necessary ingredients included dried fermented black beans, Ginger and Garlic Mince, and perilla leaves.
Dried fermented black beans add a rich, savory flavor to the dish, while perilla leaves can neutralize any fishiness and enhance the fragrance, also making the Fish texture more tender and juicy.
After chopping all these ingredients finely, Lin Xu heated a wok. He first stir-fried the chopped dried fermented black beans in hot oil until aromatic, then added the Ginger and Garlic Mince and the chopped red millet chilies, stir-frying until fragrant.
Finally, he added the chopped perilla leaves, along with Steamed Fish Sauce, oyster sauce, white sugar, salt, and a bit of Rice Wine for extra aroma.
Once everything was fragrant, he scooped it out.
Then, he stir-fried the green Chilis in the same manner.
This way, two kinds of chopped chili—one red and one green—were ready.
He took the fish head out of the fridge and removed the Scallion and Ginger from it.
Next, he laid a few chopsticks in the tray to act as a rack and placed the fish head, skin side up, on them.
He doused one side with the red chopped chili and the other with the green chopped chili.
After pouring the chili mixtures over it, he placed the fish head in the already boiling steamer to begin steaming.
A regular fish head only needs to be steamed for eight minutes. However, since today’s fish head was exceptionally large, Lin Xu decided to steam it for twelve minutes and then let it rest in the steamer with the heat off for an additional three minutes. This would ensure the meat was cooked thoroughly and would be more delicious.
During this time, he made the Boiled Fish Miscellany, Fried Fish Fillets, and sweet and sour fish fillets.
When frying the fish fillets, because the quantity was so large, he set some aside and made dry-fried fish fillets with a salt and pepper dip.
After finishing these various Fish dishes, the over sixty jin of crayfish were finally cleaned and prepped.
Lin Xu asked his uncle, Shi Wenming, to fry the crayfish first. Meanwhile, he went to the stove, opened the steamer lid, and a wonderful spicy scent mixed with the unique umami of Fish wafted out from the pot.
"Wow, it smells so good!" Shen Baobao exclaimed. Holding the peeled garlic, she came to the kitchen door, immediately captivated by the appetizing aroma.
Lin Xu then took out the fish head, which had been resting in the steamer for over three minutes.
Shen Baobao curiously asked, "Can we eat it now?"
"Not yet," Lin Xu replied. "There’s one last step."
Lin Xu placed a wok on the stove, added a bit of lard and a little Seasoning Oil, and heated it. Then, he poured the hot oil over the Chopped Chili Sauce on the Fish.
TSSSS...
The hot oil poured over the chopped chili made a delightful sizzling sound.
The spicy fragrance billowed up once more.
While he was doing this, Shen Baobao was filming with her phone.
After the oil-pouring process was finished, she had also completed her video.
She posted the video under the Lin Ji’s Food topic. As soon as it was successfully uploaded, replies from netizens came flooding in:
"Damn, that’s a massive Chopped Pepper Fish Head!"
"That fish head looks bigger than the wok!"
"Oh man, I want to eat that!"
"I’m eating instant noodles right now, and I couldn’t help but order Chopped Pepper Fish Head for delivery."
"Me too... Boss Lin, please rein in your incredible skills! All of us buddies are waiting to go check in at Lin Ji’s!"
"SOB SOB SOB... Boss Lin has successfully made me cry from craving it so much..."
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Unexpectedly, I was pushed down to 139th place on the Monthly Ticket rankings... This Chapter is 5,500 words. Brothers, I’m begging for Monthly Tickets!
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