The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 364 West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce!

"Osmanthus-scented glutinous rice lotus root~"

"Braised duck~"

As he called out the name of the dish, Cao Dongdong placed the two plates he was holding on the table. He excitedly found an empty seat, sat down, and grinned at everyone present. "By the way, I made this Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root."

Two days ago, Qin Lang suddenly said he would teach him to make a new sweet dish, which excited him greatly. That dish was the Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root in front of him.

Although it's a dish, the osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root can still be considered a dessert, so Cao Dongdong picked it up very quickly.

In just one day, he not only made the Osmanthus Sticky Rice Lotus Root that Qin Lang approved of, but also won the "Lotus Root Food Recommender" badge in Yuehu City, acquiring his fifth food recommender badge.

So today, Qin Lang simply asked him to make this appetizer.

"Just keep showing off." Zhao Qian glared at Cao Dongdong, then put down the two plates she was holding.

"Lychee Shrimp Balls~"

"Scallion pancakes~"

After putting down her plate, Zhao Qian sat down next to Ren Xi and giggled, "Xi Xi, guess which dish here I made?"

"Could it be... lychee shrimp balls?" Ren Xi wondered.

“That’s right!” Zhao Qian nodded emphatically. “Although it was completed under Qin Lang’s guidance, Qin Lang said I did a very good job after tasting it!”

"Then I'll have to try it properly later," Ren Xi said with a smile.

"My turn, my turn." Zuo Ge chuckled and placed the plate in his left hand on the table.

"This is Longjing shrimp~"

He then put down the steaming bamboo steamer in his right hand.

"This is crab roe xiaolongbao~"

Zuo Ge, having put down the dishes, sat down next to Cao Dongdong. Seeing everyone looking at him with curiosity, he awkwardly touched his nose.

"I peeled the shrimp myself."

Whoops!
Everyone silently withdrew their gaze and looked at Fatima, who was walking at the back.

Of the four, she was the only one carrying only one dish.

It was a very large soup bowl, requiring two hands to lift. As the bowl was set down, the light brown broth and countless strips of tender white fish floating on top were revealed to everyone.

"Sister Song's Fish Soup".

After putting down her soup bowl, Fatima seemed to have guessed what everyone was thinking. As she sat down next to Zuo Ge, she pushed up her glasses and said, "This was made by Qin Lang."

Everyone withdrew their searching gazes, only then realizing that Qin Lang, the inviter of this banquet, had not yet shown up.

"Qin Lang is still in the kitchen?" Zheng Chuan looked at the dishes in front of him and couldn't help but swallow. "Is he preparing delicacies?"

“Yes.” Cao Dongdong chuckled and nodded. “What Qin Lang is going to make is the most important dish tonight.”

At this point, his expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

"However, he said that this dish should be eaten sitting by the lake, and after taking a bite, you should throw the plate into the lake. I don't understand what he meant."

"He must have been joking." Zhao Qian couldn't help but click her tongue, recalling the gloating expression on Qin Lang's face when he said that.

I really don't know what kind of dark history Qin Lang had when he finally finished that dish, which led to such a bizarre joke.

As they were talking, there was a new commotion from the kitchen. Qin Lang, carrying a large covered plate and accompanied by the two food spirits, Danbao and Lala, walked quickly towards the dining table.

"It seems everyone has arrived." Looking at the group that was already full except for him, Qin Lang smiled slightly and put down the plate in his hand.

"This is a brand new and rare fish that I'd like to invite you to sample today. I've named it the All-Rare Fish."

“As for this dish…” he said, lifting the lid off the plate to reveal everything inside.

The whole fish, split in two, is evenly scored with seven diagonal cuts, then drizzled with a bright, dark brown sauce and garnished with a few osmanthus flowers.

As the lid was lifted, a tangy yet not pungent vinegar aroma mingled with an incredibly rich fishy fragrance, like a hurricane that instantly swept into the nostrils of everyone present.

"West Lake Vinegar Fish, please enjoy."

After a brief silence, everyone reached for their chopsticks.

Everyone naturally picked up their first bite of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce.

The incredibly tender fish meat can be separated with just a little force along the grain, coated in a glistening, dark brown vinegar sauce, looking exceptionally tempting under the light.

Zheng Chuan carefully examined the fish on his chopsticks, and then tentatively put it into his mouth.

The next moment, his eyes widened.

"This smell..."

The sweet and sour vinegar sauce achieves a perfect and ultimate balance between sour and sweet, complementing the incredibly tender whole fish meat. All the flavors overflow in your mouth, giving rise to an unprecedented refreshing and vibrant feeling.

As a premium ingredient, the whole rare fish has no small bones other than the main bone. Its flesh is tender and free of fishy smell, with an amazing and rich flavor. The well-seasoned vinegar sauce is the finishing touch, giving this dish a magical charm that makes people fall in love with it.

He couldn't resist picking up a second bite with his chopsticks, and then a third…

By the time I came to my senses, all that remained of the West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce on my plate were some fish bones and the last bits of vinegar sauce.

"That's... all?"

Zheng Chuan exclaimed as if waking from a dream, "I've only eaten a few bites!"

“Yes, this tastes so good, there’s not enough to go around.” Ren Qiu couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I actually tasted a hint of crab in this fish.”

"These are rare ingredients, so please just have a taste." Su Wanxia elegantly put down her chopsticks, though a hint of regret lingered in her eyes.

She was just as engrossed in it, and by the time she came to her senses, it was too late.

"So, why throw this dish away along with the plate?" Cao Dongdong couldn't help but look at Qin Lang and ask the question that had been bothering him.

"Because the cooking requirements are too high." Qin Lang chuckled. "Most people would find this dish unpalatable."

The difficulty in making West Lake Vinegar Fish lies in two things: the vinegar sauce and the fish.

The requirements for the sauce of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce are extremely strict. The slightest deviation will result in a completely different taste. Even experienced chefs must constantly taste and adjust the sauce during the preparation process, and Qin Lang is no exception at this moment.

He made three adjustments in the kitchen before finally achieving true perfection in the flavor of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce.

The second challenge is the fish.

The way West Lake Vinegar Fish is prepared means that the fishy smell of the fish will be very noticeable to diners, so the process of removing the fishy smell needs to be extremely rigorous, and the choice of fish is also very important.

Fortunately, Qin Lang used a whole rare fish that had absolutely no fishy smell.

This rare ingredient, which didn't exist in his previous life and is unique even in the world of food spirits, allows Qin Lang to not only easily replicate the perfect taste of West Lake Vinegar Fish, but also to take it to the next level.

(End of this chapter)