The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 244 The Scene of the Food Rush
"A sheep is hidden inside the fish's belly, please enjoy your meal."

As Qin Lang's voice rang out, everyone in the room turned their gaze to Zhuo Hong and Li Yuantu.

Although they were also eager to know what this dish tasted like, the two seniors were the first to taste it.

"Then I won't be polite."

Zhuo Hong laughed and stepped forward to examine the fish hiding a sheep inside.

Even up close, this fish-stuffed lamb dish appears completely unrecognizable from its appearance, resembling a grilled fish without any seasoning. Its body maintains excellent integrity, with even the most prominent curves showing no signs of disharmony.

Given the considerable difficulty in cooking the dish itself, Qin Lang also paid attention to such details, which is no easy feat.

Thinking of this, he took a knife from the side and gently made a cut on the side of the fish's belly.

The next moment, everyone in the room couldn't help but take a deep breath at the same time.

The fragrance in the air has changed!
The aroma of lamb, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots hidden inside the fish's belly was only faintly detectable before, but now the aroma bursts forth completely as the fish is cut open.

The aroma burst forth as if it had been suppressed for a long time, instantly filling the surroundings and intertwining with the original aroma, which was mainly composed of the richness of lard and the freshness of carp.

The mutton is slightly gamey yet fresh, the shiitake mushrooms are fragrant, the bamboo shoots are clear and refreshing, the lard is rich and mellow, and the carp is fresh and delicious. All of these elements come together like inks of various colors on a blank sheet of paper, creating a vivid picture.

At this moment, everyone seemed to be in a sea of ​​fragrance, and in a daze, they seemed to see the mountains and forests where bamboo shoots and mushrooms grew everywhere, and the herds of goats sometimes bowing their heads to eat and sometimes chasing and playing in the mountains and forests.

A goat seemed to be startled by them, leaping away and splashing water as it crossed the mountain stream, startling a dark carp.

The aroma, so distinct and layered like a painting, instantly moved Zhuo Hong. Li Yuantu, standing beside him, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise and said, "Old Zhuo, if you don't taste it soon, I'll have to try it first."

"Dream on!" Zhuo Hong glared at Li Yuantu, then used a knife to cut open the fish's belly, revealing scattered diced mutton, diced shiitake mushrooms, and diced bamboo shoots inside.

Immediately afterwards, he deftly picked up a piece of tender fish belly meat, filled with three kinds of diced ingredients, and put it into his mouth.

With a slight chew, Zhuo Hong's eyes narrowed in contentment.

Top-quality shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots retain their original flavors completely during the stir-frying process, while also incorporating some other flavors.

That's the rich mutton flavor from the mutton fat released by the heat from the stir-fried mutton, which lingers in the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

That's the wonderful flavor of the carp, which permeates into the meat during grilling and is fully absorbed by the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots.

The delicious flavors of fish and mutton blend wonderfully together in these already unique mountain delicacies, filling the mouth with every chew.

The stir-frying process fully extracts the mutton fat, which is then partially absorbed by the diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, further reducing the already limited greasiness of the mutton.

The top-quality lamb chuck is extremely tender, and this tenderness is maximized by Qin Lang's perfect cooking.

During the stir-frying process, the surface of the diced lamb shrinks due to the heat, locking in the abundant juices inside.

During the subsequent roasting process, the airtight fish belly acts like a steamer, forcing the aroma of diced shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots into the lamb through the higher air pressure, allowing the lamb to fully absorb the flavors while retaining its own juices.

Furthermore, the freshness of the carp gradually permeates the texture of the mutton, giving it an indescribable and wonderful flavor.

Then comes the fish.

Zhuo Hong tasted two different flavors in one piece of fish!
The outer surface of the fish has a unique, rich, and savory aroma of lard.

Inside the fish, diced lamb, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots are stuffed, their freshness spreading outwards and permeating the fish as it heats up. The difference between the inside and outside goes far beyond this; the perfect heat makes the roasted carp crispy and fragrant on the outside, while the meat inside remains firm and tender.

With a gentle chew, the fish meat, which had no fishy smell at all, seemed to be able to exude juice, making Zhuo Hong secretly marvel in his heart.

"This dish really left a deep impression on me." Slowly putting down his chopsticks, Zhuo Hong still had a hint of lingering satisfaction on his face. "Old Li, I remember you said this kid is undergoing your food recommender test?"

"If you ask me, you should just give him the badge."

“This time it doesn’t count.” Li Yuantu rolled his eyes and pushed Zhuo Hong aside. “Alright, it’s my turn to taste it.”

That old guy is trying to sabotage him.

If we give him the badge now, won't he miss out on a meal?
As he thought about it, Li Yuantu picked up a piece of fish belly stuffed with lamb and put it in his mouth. Then, he showed the same satisfied expression as Zhuo Hong.

He ate one bite, two bites, three bites without saying a word...

Only when the others around him began to look at Li Yuantu with a strange expression did Li Yuantu silently put down his chopsticks.

"This fish stuffed with lamb is quite good, but it doesn't count as part of the assessment this time." He emphasized it to Qin Lang again, then took a few steps back.

There were too many people; as a level-two food recommender, he couldn't eat too much.

I'll have to ask Qin Lang to cook a special dish for him later!
"I know," Qin Lang nodded, both amused and exasperated.

He had no intention of using this dish of fish belly stuffed with mutton as Mr. Li Yuantu's test dish; it just happened to be the right opportunity.

As the two were talking, Di You, who could no longer contain himself, was the first to rush forward, "Let me try it and see what it's like..."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The next instant, Di You's eyes widened suddenly.

"Brother Di You, what do you think?" one of the club members couldn't help but ask curiously.

After all, Di You was the best cook in their food and travel club, and they admired him a lot.

"I think... I think..." Di You said slowly, but his hands moved so fast that you could see afterimages.

Before everyone could see anything, Di You had already picked up a large piece of fish belly meat and a large spoonful of diced vegetables from a small bowl and slipped away.

Oh no, Di You got so much!

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and the next moment they disregarded the order of arrival and rushed forward in a swarm.

In just a short while, the fish-belly-stuffed-sheep dish on Qin Lang's plate was reduced to an empty foil, and even the broth was completely emptied.

Qin Lang opened his mouth, about to say something, when a hand reached out from under the table and, with lightning speed, grabbed a piece of mutton that had fallen onto the table during the scramble and stuffed it into his mouth.

Immediately afterwards, a smiling white head popped up.

"Hey, it's delicious."

(End of this chapter)