Chapter 1465 - 569: Smoked and Braised Delicacies, an Unforgettable Taste! Northeast Sashimi! [Happy Lunar New Year’s Eve]

Chapter 1465: Chapter 569: Smoked and Braised Delicacies, an Unforgettable Taste! Northeast Sashimi! [Happy Lunar New Year’s Eve]

"When the color of the smoke starts to change from yellow to red..."

Yuan Debiao said, pointing with his finger at the smoke rising from the pot. It was indeed a deep yellow, even somewhat reddish, so he immediately lifted the lid.

A rich aroma of caramel and smoke wafted out from the pot.

The smoked meat was ready.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Lin Xu saw that the originally colorless braised items had all turned into a tempting red, as if they were meat chunks cooked in caramel.

Unlike just caramel, this also had a smoky aroma, making it more distinctive and flavorful.

Xie Baomin said to Lin Xu:

"When observing the smoke color, keep in mind that the smoke appears lighter in color due to dispersing, so don’t be misled."

Lin Xu nodded, indicating he understood.

At this moment, Yuan Debiao lifted the entire grate out of the pot, and Lin Xu seized the chance to use a cooking learning card.

Quickly, the system prompt rang in his mind:

"Consumed a Perfect Level Cooking Learning Card, acquired Perfect Level General Skill—Sugar Smoking."

Wow, not only did he successfully learn it, but he also directly grasped the general technique. This was really great; he could make similar dishes in the future.

Just as he was excited, Dai Jianli picked up a smoked red braised egg.

He held it in his hand, took a bite, and said to Lin Xu:

"Brother, you must try this. The flavor of the egg after smoking is surprisingly good. If it weren’t for today, we might not have been able to taste it."

The braised eggs initially had a much better flavor than plain boiled eggs, and with the addition of caramel and smoke, the flavor was exceptional.

Lin Xu picked up an egg and tasted it, immediately captivated by the flavor.

The flavors of caramel, smoke, braised spices, and egg blended on the little egg, achieving a full sensory experience of color, aroma, and taste.

If his father-in-law saw this egg, he would definitely down a big glass of liquor.

Xie Baomin sliced a piece of smoked large intestine for a taste and said to Lin Xu:

"Pack some up when we leave later, let your sister-in-law try it too. This quality of smoked eggs and intestines might not be available in Beijing."

After all, it was prepared by the Executive Chef of Fishing Platform himself; the appearance and taste were superb.

His own Shen Baobao might not have had the chance to taste it.

With this in mind, Lin Xu did not refuse.

Even though taking food wasn’t ideal, he felt like Dai Jianli himself, but such delicious food should indeed be taken home for the family to try.

Yuan Debiao said:

"Actually, this type of smoked meat is not suitable for immediate eating, especially when smoked red; the smoke aroma is too strong. It should be aired out a bit, allowing the smoke to dissipate, leaving only the caramel aroma, then it’s more delicious."

Having said that, he picked up a small brush, dipped it in sesame oil, and evenly brushed it over the braised items.

Applying a layer of sesame oil on the meat can retain the aroma and make the color more glossy, enhancing its appearance and marketability.

It was close to noon, and Dai Jianli said:

"What’s for lunch today, Old Yuan?"

Yuan Debiao replied:

"We’re making blood sausage stewed with sauerkraut and pork stewed with vermicelli over there, plus this smoked meat. Is that enough for you?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Jianli said:

"At least make some snowy bean paste. How do you drink with just stews? Old Xie and I are planning to get you into the trade, so make a few more dishes to mark the occasion."

He wasn’t dissatisfied with the meal, just habitually trying to create a lively atmosphere.

He also wanted Lin Xu to see how to make snowy bean paste. ℯ𝐥.

After all, it’s a relatively challenging Northeastern dish, and as a dessert, it’s suitable for Lin Xu to learn.

Yuan Debiao didn’t expect this rascal to be so persistent, so he said:

"Snowy bean paste is too troublesome. I have to visit my aunt’s place after lunch, not enough time... Well, I’ll make a dish called killing fish, so you can try Northeastern sashimi. The taste is no less than Shunde’s sashimi."

Killing fish?

Lin Xu was somewhat unfamiliar with this dish name.

However, Xie Baomin was immediately intrigued upon hearing it:

"Alright, let it be killing fish then. Junior brother, whenever you want to learn snowy bean paste, I’ll teach you."

He then explained the origin of killing fish to Lin Xu.

Killing fish is a popular dish among the Hezhe Clan in the Northeast, emphasizing eating live fish. Generally, it is used to entertain distinguished guests among the Hezhe Clan.

This primitive flavor fish dish has reportedly been passed down for over a thousand years.

Lin Xu asked curiously:

"Is this dish method hard?"

Since it’s used to entertain guests, he naturally wanted to learn it, but if it’s difficult, he’d pass because he didn’t plan to use a cooking learning card this time, just wanted to gain insight.

After all, even if he learned it, raw fish dishes couldn’t be put on the menu in his shop.

Learning it would be useless, just wasting a card.

Yuan Debiao laughed and said:

"It’s not hard, mainly high demands on ingredients. It needs to be made with wild fish from the Northeast. Wild fish grow slowly, their flesh is firmer, and living in cold water makes them more flavorful with distinct aftertaste."

It sounded very particular.

Although Lin Xu wasn’t interested in eating raw fish, he was curious to see this dish.

Yuan Debiao’s place, being all Northeastern cuisine, indeed had wild fish, and he quickly brought over a large carp weighing five to six pounds. However, this carp was slightly different from the freshwater fish usually seen.

The fish, grown in the cold waters of the Northeast, had more even lines, unlike the golden wide-bodied Yellow River carps of North China.

This fish had clean scales, and its body was narrower.

When held, the fish body kept flapping, looking very lively.

Yuan Debiao looked at Lin Xu and asked:

"Brother Lin, would you like to try the Hezhe Clan style or the Northeastern Han style?"

This made Lin Xu curious:

"Does this dish have two different styles?"

Xie Baomin briefly explained:

"The Hezhe Clan usually eats this dish without any side dishes, just pure fish slices and fish skin, while the Han usually add some shredded cucumber or the like, similar to a cold dish."

Is there such a difference?

I’d like to try both styles, is that possible?

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A bit of a cold, constantly feeling sleepy, only felt a bit better after sleeping for more than an hour after lunch. Today is New Year’s Eve, wishing everyone a happy family reunion and prosperity. This Chapter has 5000 words; I’m asking for monthly tickets, brothers!