The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 288 A Stunning Taste of Peony Fish Slices
"Is the first dish ready?"

Li Yuantu's impatient words caused everyone else in the room to show a strong sense of anticipation.

They all witnessed the cooking process of this dish, and the extremely complicated steps involved in creating the final presentation were enough to amaze everyone.

Throughout the cooking process, the rich aroma of fresh fish wafts through the air, making it irresistible and mouthwatering.

"Yes." Qin Lang nodded with a smile. "Please enjoy the peony fish slices."

"Peony fish slices..." Li Yuantu couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the several fresh and lifelike peonies on the plate.

"The name of this dish is indeed very fitting."

"I have tasted many beautifully presented dishes, but very few can compare to this one. As for dishes made by deep-frying rather than carving, I have never seen one before."

"However..." Li Yuantu paused slightly, "What inspired this dish?"

“I know!” Cao Dongdong excitedly raised his hand. “When we passed through Rosemary City, Qin Lang accompanied me to Yunxia Garden for the Food Recommender assessment. I think the inspiration for this dish must have come from there!”

"I see." Li Yuantu nodded in understanding. "In that case, this dish does indeed meet the requirements of my test."

As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and carefully took a piece of the bottom layer of peony fish slice and put it in his mouth.

"Click——"

With a crisp sound, the rich aroma of the peony fish fillet burst forth, filling Li Yuantu's entire mouth.

The aroma of deep-frying and the freshness of fish blend perfectly, creating a rich yet not greasy and wonderfully delicious flavor that is irresistible.

Beneath the slightly crispy surface, the fish meat does not lose moisture and become dry due to frying; instead, it has a unique texture that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

The rich, slightly thick abalone sauce poured over the fish fillets is so flavorful that it permeates the crispy surface of the fish fillets. The delicious taste complements the tenderness of the fish itself, creating a truly amazing dish.

“This…” Li Yuantu couldn’t help but widen his eyes, revealing an expression of amazement. “The frying temperature is so good, and the seasoning is just right. It’s really impossible to find any fault with it.”

"You're so slow!" Zhuo Hong, who had been drooling over the fish slices, couldn't resist picking up his chopsticks and putting a piece in his mouth when he saw Li Yuantu leisurely savoring the taste.

Ok?
Hmm~~
Zhuo Hong squinted his eyes in satisfaction. The soft sound of chewing was like a subtle electric current running through his cerebral cortex, bringing a tingling and relaxing sensation from the depths of his soul. The strange and delicious flavors intertwined between his lips and teeth, bringing the ultimate enjoyment of taste.

Seeing that the two of them were like this, Sang Ran couldn't hold back either and picked up her chopsticks. So, there was one more person who closed their eyes and savored the food.

"Is it our turn yet?" Cao Dongdong swallowed hard, muttered to himself, and quietly moved closer to his plate.

Before he could make a move, his other hand had already reached out, picked up two slices of fish, and stuffed them straight into his mouth, chewing them with a "crunch crunch".

“This taste…” Zhong Lingyun’s face showed a look of surprise. He gave Qin Lang a thumbs up and then reached for the plate.

"Stop!" Cao Dongdong shouted, ignoring the fact that the man in front of him was a powerful regional champion, and started grabbing food with his chopsticks.

Seeing this, the others no longer held back and began to fight over the fish slices on the plates. After tasting the peony fish slices, everyone exclaimed in amazement.

"He truly lives up to his idol's reputation." Di You slowly chewed the fish slice in his mouth, tears of emotion slowly sliding down his cheeks. "Such exquisite and precise seasoning is far superior to mine."

"Indeed, I still have a lot to learn!"

"Crunch—" Dai Lan put the fish slice into her mouth, a look of amazement appearing on her face as well. At the food exhibition, she also brought out fried fish delicacies like crispy-boned fish, confident that she was no less skilled than Qin Lang in handling fish.

However, they fall short in terms of the innovativeness of abalone sauce seasoning and presentation.

After finishing the fish slices, Dai Lan gave Qin Lang a deep look.

He's really something else; he managed to make something this good, even though it was just an appetizer.

"Speaking of which," Bai Qi said, finishing the fish slice she had finally managed to grab, "in my mind, shouldn't appetizers be cold dishes or those with a sour taste to stimulate the appetite?"

"Why is this the kind of appetizer Qin Lang serves?"

In Bai Qi's mind, this peony fish fillet was clearly the grand finale of the banquet!
"Never mind all that, just tell me if it's appetizing or not." Zhao Qian chuckled. "Don't forget, we've been waiting for ages."

Bai Qi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Yes, because of the complicated preparation process, the cooking of this Botan fish fillet took several hours. During those hours, they could only smell the fresh aroma of the fish and salivate, but they could not taste the flavor of the Botan fish fillet.

The waiting process alone is enough to whet your appetite.

Besides, there were forty or fifty people present, but the peony fish slices were enough to make everyone take a small bite, which was also a way to whet the appetite.

"Let's start making the second dish." Li Yuantu slowly put down his chopsticks, his eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at Qin Lang.

Without a doubt, this peony fish fillet dish has fully met his assessment requirements, enough to earn Qin Lang his food recommender badge.

But Li Yuantu hadn't had enough to eat yet.

He only managed to grab five or six slices of the peony fish fillet before it was all gone, not even enough to fill his stomach.

At this moment, all Li Yuantu wanted to know was what Qin Lang was going to do next!
"Okay." Qin Lang smiled, took a yellow croaker from the fish tank where he had selected fish, stunned it with the back of a knife, and placed it on the table.

His gaze sharpened as well.

If the peony fish fillets we just saw were a representative work of non-spicy Sichuan cuisine, then the dish he is about to cook is even more difficult.

Qin Lang sheathed the Miracle Knife and slowly drew out a slender kitchen knife, about the length of a forearm and the width of two fingers.

“This knife…” Di You, who had been watching Qin Lang’s cooking process closely, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Isn’t this the knife my idol used to make the fish-stuffed-with-sheep knife?”

The other members of the food and travel club who had also witnessed Qin Lang cooking a fish stuffed with lamb couldn't help but whisper among themselves, while Li Yuantu and his two companions exchanged a glance.

They also recognized that the knife in Qin Lang's hand had been used once during the process of hiding sheep bones in a fish's belly.

Could it be that Qin Lang is planning to hide something in the fish's belly this time?

However, the fish used seems to be a bit different…

Previously it was carp, but this time it's yellow croaker.

(End of this chapter)