The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 484: Chili Fish Head
Because there are no substitutes for many of the sauces from his previous life in this world, Qin Lang began preparing to make various sauces from his previous life not long after he arrived in this world.

The preparation time for these sauces varies, but Qin Lang has been in this world for several months, so most of the sauces are ready for cooking.

And the small jar in his backpack is the soul of Hunan cuisine.

Chop chili peppers.

While not 100%, most Hunan dishes include chopped chili peppers, a condiment made by the people of Hunan.

After a long processing time, the chili peppers develop a unique salty and spicy flavor that is the soul of every dish that goes well with rice.

In Hunan cuisine, there is a representative dish that uses chopped chili peppers and is also a type of fish dish.

That's chopped chili fish head.

In a split second, Qin Lang made his decision for today.

Speaking of which, it had been a long time since Qin Lang had tasted the refreshing, spicy, and tender flavor of chopped chili fish head. Just thinking about this dish made his mouth water.

The five-minute wait passed quickly. Having chosen his target, Qin Lang became more composed. The moment the countdown began, he took the jar of chopped chili peppers out of his backpack and placed it on the table.

Then, Qin Lang selected a large silver carp from the ingredients.

Silver carp, also known as bighead carp, is also called fathead fish or bighead carp.

Silver carp are known for their large and thick heads, which make up a larger proportion of their bodies compared to other common freshwater fish, and their heads are also rich in collagen.

Therefore, it is the perfect choice for the dish of steamed fish head with chopped chili.

The chopped chili fish head uses the meat from the fish head and the area behind the gill covers. Qin Lang's knife movements were so fast that they left afterimages. For the silver carp, it was probably just a blink of an eye before the head and body were separated.

Then, stand the fish head upright and cut it in two.

The fish head doesn't need to be completely cut off. It's best to leave some pieces so that the two halves of the fish head are still connected. This way, the fish head can be opened like turning the pages of a book without being completely separated.

At the junction of the head and abdomen of the fish, there is a black membrane on the inner wall of the fish meat. The scientific name for this black membrane is "visceral membrane", which plays a role in lubricating and protecting the internal organs.

It has a fishy smell that needs to be removed.

The meat around the cheek is thicker, so it needs to be scored before steaming to ensure even heating and easier cooking.

Similarly, make a crack with a knife a little behind the fish's eye to allow steam to enter the fish head during steaming, ensuring even cooking and preventing undercooked or overcooked fish.

As the key points of cooking came to mind, his hands began to work as if by muscle memory.

After pre-treating the fish head, sprinkle a layer of salt and finely ground pepper evenly on the fish head, then add scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. Rub these ingredients into the fish head to ensure they are fully in contact with the fish head, and then marinate for about ten minutes to initially remove the fishy smell.

While the fish head was marinating, Qin Lang opened the jar containing chopped chili peppers, scooped out enough to cover the entire fish head, put it into a sieve, and then rinsed the sieve twice in water.

This step is mainly because if the chopped chili peppers are too salty, it will affect the taste, so the salt in them is washed away.

Mince the garlic and add it to the hot oil along with chopped chili peppers. The calm oil surface will instantly boil.

As countless tiny bubbles rise, accompanied by a crisp "sizzling" sound, the rich and pure spicy flavor of the chopped chili peppers slowly blends with the aroma of minced garlic, wafting towards you in the steam.

Qin Lang couldn't help but compose himself and quietly swallowed another mouthful of saliva.

It smells so good! After adding a large spoonful of fermented black bean oil with dark black fermented black beans and stir-frying it briefly, the aroma becomes even more intense.

Xie Rui, on the other side, smelled the unique fragrance and couldn't help but look up in this direction.

Unlike Qin Lang, he chose a high-quality sea fish and cooked dishes that he was very familiar with and good at.

Originally, he was quite confident in this match.

But for some reason, upon smelling this fragrance, Xie Rui suddenly felt a little uneasy.

What exactly is the dish Qin Lang is cooking?
While Xie Rui was feeling uneasy, Qin Lang was nearing the end of processing the chopped chili peppers.

Add a spoonful of sugar for seasoning, and stir-fry the chopped chili peppers in the pan over medium-low heat until the red color of the chopped chili peppers slowly seeps into the oil, turning the pale yellow rapeseed oil into orange.

As the chili peppers are stir-fried to this point, their red color becomes even more vibrant, and a layer of oil adds to their sheen, making them look exceptionally tempting.

The minced garlic hidden among the chopped chili peppers has turned golden yellow, and the garlic aroma has become even stronger. Although it cannot mask the spicy flavor of the chopped chili peppers, it is just the right touch.

Turn off the heat, use a spatula to remove the chopped chili peppers from the pan and drain the oil, leaving the oil for later use.

Taking an extra-large plate large enough to hold the fish head, Qin Lang placed ginger slices, knotted scallions, and a few perilla leaves in the center of the plate, and then placed a pair of chopsticks crossed in a cross shape on top.

The cooking method for steamed fish head with chopped chili peppers is steaming.

However, unlike a steamer, the high-temperature steam in a plate cannot reach the bottom of the plate where it is in close contact with the fish head. So only the top side will be steamed, which can result in the top being cooked while the bottom is not, or the bottom being cooked while the top is overcooked.

The cross-shaped structure created by using chopsticks can easily separate a space between the fish head and the plate, allowing steam to penetrate deep into it and steaming the fish head-down side more quickly.

The fish head on the side was almost ready to be marinated.

With the fish eyes facing upwards, open the fish head and place it on a plate, then put it in a steamer. Add a little white vinegar to the water in the steamer.

This method can further remove the fishy smell and add a touch of sour and spicy flavor to the chopped chili fish head, making its taste even better.

First, pre-steam the fish head in a pot for three minutes to set its shape. Then, stop steaming, carefully remove the plate, slowly tilt the plate, and slowly pour the water that has gathered at the bottom of the plate into the sink. Then, spread the chopped chili peppers that were previously taken out and set aside all over the fish head, and steam it again for five minutes.

The water that is poured out is called "fishy water," as most of the fishy smell comes from it.

With this step, the fish head will have almost no fishy smell.

After five minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for another two minutes. This step is similar to letting the meat rest, in order to make the temperature inside and outside the fish head more even, so that the meat is more tender and the collagen is more elastic.

Staring intently at the timer, two minutes after turning off the heat, Qin Lang abruptly opened the lid of the steamer.

A fragrant aroma swept over instantly. This time, the spicy flavor of the chopped chili peppers was no longer the main focus. Under its influence, the fresh and savory aroma of the fish head instantly filled Qin Lang's nostrils.

The aroma of the fish head was so tempting, and its overwhelming scent was so irresistible, that Qin Lang was completely unable to resist it.

But... Qin Lang knew that the fragrance had not yet reached its peak.

Because this chopped chili fish head dish is still a semi-finished product.

(End of this chapter)