Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 299 - 211: A Bite of Crayfish on Top, Crisp and Juicy Cucumber Sticks

This method of pouring hot oil was something the two had never seen before, their faces full of puzzled curiosity.

"Lin, is there a difference between pouring hot oil and directly stir-frying garlic, ginger, and scallions for a few seconds?"

"Of course, there’s a difference."

Lin Chen placed the pot back on the stove, poured a little cold oil back in to heat it up, and casually picked up a plate of garlic, ginger, and scallions.

"When pouring hot oil, the high temperature lasts only a moment, the aim is to bring out the aroma of the ingredients, but not to cook them completely."

"If you stir-fry them, it’s constant heating; since the minced garlic, ginger, and scallions are small in size, they can quickly char at high temperatures, producing bitterness."

"If you can control the timing well, theoretically it would be about the same. Like heating the oil, turning off the fire, quickly stir-frying, then taking it out. But doing so lacks the ritual of pouring oil and would make the dish look messy, affecting visual appeal."

"Ritual?"

"Exactly."

The two suddenly realized that the emphasis was actually on the ritual.

That made sense now.

What Lin Chen was making now was similar to the sauce used for crayfish earlier, and also involved hot pot base ingredients.

Before the soup base boiled, he took a bowl of tripe that Lucas had already prepared. Besides the irregular triangular-cut tripe, the rest had been cut into thin shreds resembling layered tripe strands.

The definition of layered tripe is actually vague, with two prevailing views.

One says that layered tripe doesn’t use tripe from this particular stomach; the other says it’s the leftover parts of the tripe shredded to make layered tripe.

In hot pot restaurants, the layered tripe frequently seen is white, and the tripe is mostly black-brown, which makes diners mistakenly think they are two different items.

To put it simply, the white layered tripe in hot pot restaurants is just bleached tripe stems, later soaked in a chemical solution to enhance its crunchy and tender texture. Fresh tripe stems actually have a comparatively tougher texture.

As for whether there are other definitions of layered tripe outside of hot pot restaurants, he personally is not sure.

Even if there are, it’s likely due to regional cultural differences, resulting in different names. This is common and not something controversial.

Even the name for a single vegetable has been the cause of disputes between the north and south for centuries; what is layered tripe compared to that?

The base ingredients in the pot began to boil, but he didn’t rush to put in the tripe. Instead, he heated another pot of oil until it smoked, preparing a great amount of dried chili pieces, and both green and red Sichuan peppercorns to the side.

Seeing that the oil’s temperature was about right, he swiftly turned off both pots and tossed the tripe into the base soup, spreading it out with chopsticks, letting both the tripe and layered tripe absorb flavors thoroughly.

After two or three seconds, he poured everything into a bowl, and with a reverse motion, poured the prepared dry ingredients into the oil pot.

"Sizzle"

The oil pot puffed out large clouds of white smoke, accompanied by the pungent aroma of pepper surging up.

"5...4...3..."

Counting five seconds silently in his heart, he sprinkled a handful of scallions and sesame seeds into the bowl, then poured the hot oil over it.

"Sizzle"

The hot spiced oil burst into a boil upon contact with the red oil soup base, erupting in bubbles while emitting an increasingly enticing spicy aroma.

After the earlier step of oil pouring, without Lin Chen explaining, the two head chefs already knew that this dish also encompassed a ritualistic aspect.

"I must say, after pouring hot oil, it really seems to have changed for the better."

Chef Marchello thoughtfully stroked his chin, pondering whether this technique could be incorporated into Western cuisine.

There are similar techniques in Western cooking too, such as steaks roasted in a high-heat oven, served sizzling hot so diners can control the steak’s doneness themselves with the plate’s retained heat.

However, steak doesn’t require pouring hot oil; it usually involves butter, and the temperature shouldn’t be too high, plus this step is usually completed during cooking already.

He planned to jot down this little trick to slowly experiment with it back home to see which dishes it might complement.

Nagishiro Sho even took out his little notebook, scribbling away, likely with the same thought.

"Beep Beep——"

The rice cooker’s green light turned on just at the right moment.

"Let’s eat~"

Lin Chen brought out the bowl of spicy tripe from the kitchen, while others brought out the remaining dishes and set them on the table.

Some went to get soda, others served rice, and some grabbed utensils, creating an instant atmosphere of a work dinner party.

After quickly snapping a few photos, everyone eagerly picked up their chopsticks and, faced with the enticing array of delicious dishes, didn’t know where to start for a moment.

"Lin, is there any recommended order to eat these?"

"?"

Lin Chen looked at the expectant Chef Marchello with confusion and shook his head: "No, these are all roadside stall-style Jianghu dishes, similar to home-cooked food, not that particular, eat whatever you like."

As soon as he finished speaking, several pairs of chopsticks simultaneously reached for the bowl of spicy garlic crayfish.

There was no choice; this dish was cooked first and was one of the best-looking dishes on the table, meant to be sold tomorrow. Of course, they had to taste it before it got cold.

Lin Chen intentionally cooked the crayfish first, because it’s not at its best right after being served. It’s better to soak in the sauce for a dozen minutes to be more flavorful.

Except for Lucas, everyone else was a bit bewildered after picking up the crayfish.

Picking it up was easy, but how to eat it?

Foreigners typically don’t have the habit of peeling shells. The shrimp sold in supermarkets are shell-less, and they don’t usually buy crabs and such. Seeing this little creature covered in shells, they were momentarily unsure how to start.

Both Marchello and Nagishiro Sho knew how to handle lobsters, and the structure of crayfish is almost identical to lobsters. Plus, they were already cut open, making eating them easy. But they hadn’t hurried to start, waiting to see if Lin Chen had any tips for peeling the shell.

Lin Chen shrugged and pointed at Lucas: "Watch how he eats; this guy’s a pro."

Lucas studying in Great Xia was no longer a secret, and seven pairs of eyes focused on him without affecting his eating at all.

He grabbed a crayfish, sucked on the head a few times, swiftly twisted it off, and pinched the shell at the middle front section of the body.

"Click"

After the crisp sound, he directly stuffed it into his mouth, pinched the tail, and sucked hard, extracting the whole tail meat, leaving behind an empty shell.

"It’s that simple??"

Everyone at the table was stunned, initially thinking there would be steps to peel the shell, but it was just this?

They imitated Lucas’s actions. Soon, success was reported by all.

"Wow!! This tastes so good; it looks red and seems spicy, but it’s not that bad actually."

"The garlic aroma is so strong, and there’s this buttery fragrance too. Is this the taste of the seafood you sold before? I saw the video Lucas posted got loads of comments."

"So crayfish really taste just like lobster, like eating baby lobsters; it’s quite interesting. It seems even fresher than lobster."

"True, eating lobsters is mainly about the thrill of big bites, whereas crayfish feels more like a snack. This sauce pairs well with anything!"

"You Great Xia people sure know how to eat; how did you even think of turning such dirty creatures from ditches into such delicious dishes?"

"Five ants, red bean mud five ants! Superb!!"

Just from sucking on one crayfish, the rich, intense spicy garlic flavor instantly captivated everyone present.

Perhaps because they had been exposed to Great Xia cuisine for days, none felt the taste was overwhelming. Instead, they enjoyed it more than anyone else, even dipping in the sauce before sucking the shrimp tail for extra pleasure.

The fully marinated crayfish after being cut open had every gap filled with aromatic red oil. Its inherent freshness is locked within its shell, with an overall taste that is spicy with hints of numbness, complemented by the rich garlic that deftly balances out the chili soup base.

Even Nagishiro Sho, who doesn’t eat much spice, found it completely acceptable and eagerly picked up a second crayfish without hesitation.

"Delicious, so delicious!"

"Can’t stop eating at all!"

"I feel this dish shouldn’t be paired with soda, but with chilled beer!"

"No wonder it’s said to be a bar snack; indeed, it’s not suitable as a main course. Feels perfect for munching with friends while chatting and drinking at night."

"Doesn’t this beat what bars offer, like chicken wings, fries, and onion rings, for pairing with drinks?"

Everyone couldn’t stop eating, emptying the large bowl full of crayfish within minutes.

Lin Chen certainly didn’t just sit and watch; he joined the shrimp-stealing army early on.

His speed was even faster than Lucas’s, taking two or three seconds per shrimp, eating non-stop with both hands.

If he hadn’t deliberately slowed down, a third of the shrimp would have ended up in his belly.

When the crayfish were finished, only a few cucumber strips were left in the bowl, having been soaked to a brown hue, coated in red oil.

Using cucumber in dishes is not common in Western or Japanese cuisines and isn’t often cooked in most countries, usually eaten raw or pickled.

The crowd, entirely captivated by the flavor, saw the cucumber strips floating in the bowl, even more curious.

Cooked cucumber paired with such a delicious sauce; though they couldn’t imagine the taste, it should be good, right?

"Hmm?!"

After tasting it, both Marchello and Nagishiro Sho widened their eyes in disbelief.

It was different from the crisp tenderness of raw cucumber or the juicy crunch of pickled cucumbers.

The cooked cucumber strips resembled slightly melted zucchini, absorbing the spicy soup and crayfish flavor. A bite released a burst of juiciness in the mouth, with some unique sweetness of cucumber.

The never-before-tasted flavor instantly won the hearts of the two, and before swallowing, their chopsticks reached towards the bowl again.