The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 486: The picture shows the dagger
Even so, Qin Lang was not nervous at all.

After all, my family knows their own business.

His preparation of the fish head is already at its best.

Both the fish head and the accompanying fish meat have been processed to a sufficient degree.

Therefore, Qin Lang's expression remained completely calm as he watched Meng Chang pick up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.

As he gently chewed the fish in his mouth, Meng Chang slowly narrowed his eyes.

Because of Qin Lang's pre-treatment of making incisions, the fish body meat, which was steamed along with the fish head meat, was not undercooked and was cooked to the perfect doneness. His meticulous attention to removing the fishy smell left only its fresh sweetness.

While the body meat may not be as tender as the face meat, it surpasses the face meat in one aspect.

That's the taste!
Unlike the fish face meat, which is protected by layers of gill covers, the fish body meat comes into direct contact with the chopped chili peppers, and the flavor penetrates more quickly after being scored.

Therefore, an even stronger spicy flavor bursts forth in Mengchang's mouth as he chews, perfectly intertwining with the natural sweetness of the fish.

If the fish face meat we just ate was the prelude to a magnificent movement, then this bite of fish body meat is the first climax of that movement!
But this was not Mengchang's most surprising discovery!
He looked at the fish head on the plate, hesitated for a moment, then picked up a piece of fish skin attached to the fish body with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The soft yet chewy texture, with its rich, gelatinous feel, blends perfectly with the spicy and fragrant flavor of the chopped chili peppers, creating an absolutely superb experience.

Having witnessed Qin Lang's cooking process firsthand, Meng Chang knew very well how such a unique taste came about.

Steaming alone cannot achieve the soft yet chewy texture of fish skin; the hot oil poured on after steaming is the soul of the dish!
The fish skin, which has absorbed enough moisture to become soft and chewy, shrinks under the heat of hot oil, giving it its unique elasticity.

"A splash of hot oil not only enhances the aroma but also gives the fish skin a completely different texture." Meng Chang shook his head and sighed softly, "Such details are truly amazing."

“In the past, I could usually tell the condition of a dish with just three bites, but today, I have to make an exception.”

As he spoke, Mengchang stretched out his chopsticks and reached for the top of the fish head, where the brain was located. With a gentle snap, he picked up a small section of the brain with the bone still attached.

Fish brain is not solid. After steaming, it remains slightly thick and slippery, with a texture somewhat like dissolved lotus root starch.

And it is also the part of the fish head that has the strongest fishy smell.

Mengchang put the fish skull in his mouth and gently sucked on it, making a "sucking" sound, before spitting out the fish bone.

He made no further comments, but simply nodded slightly to Qin Lang, and then his gaze fell on Xie Rui standing to the side.

Upon meeting the other person's eyes, Xie Rui's expression became a little tense. "I... I cooked a dish called Three-Flavor Ribbonfish."

As he spoke, Xie Rui brought out the dishes he had prepared.

A rich, fresh seafood aroma, intertwined with a strong sour and spicy flavor, quickly filled the nostrils of Qin Lang and Meng Chang.

It was a plate of golden-brown fried ribbonfish pieces, each piece about half the size of a palm.

Ribbonfish are a type of marine fish, and what we usually eat is frozen ribbonfish. However, fresh ribbonfish has a completely different taste from frozen ribbonfish, and it tastes much better.

Without a doubt, Xie Rui chose fresh ribbonfish, and high-quality ribbonfish from Qili Bay, a seafood paradise.

Those pieces of ribbonfish were clearly carefully selected, representing the most prized parts of the ribbonfish.

"Three Flavors?" Upon hearing the name of the dish, Meng Chang's eyes flickered slightly. He then reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a piece of ribbonfish.

“Crack—”

The golden-fried ribbonfish pieces were crispy enough for Qin Lang, who was standing next to him, to hear clearly when he chewed them.

When Meng Chang tasted the ribbonfish, his expression was quite varied, changing from doubt to realization, and then quickly to amazement. "Sour, spicy, and fresh," Meng Chang said softly. "I thought this was just simple fried ribbonfish, but I seem to have underestimated this dish."

“If I’m not mistaken, the batter wrapped around the ribbonfish must have a unique recipe.” Meng Chang paused slightly. “I saw you take out the finished product to cook.”

“Yes.” Xie Rui nodded. “The specific recipe for this face mask is a closely guarded family secret. Please forgive me.”

“Hehe, I didn’t mean to pry.” Meng Chang shook his head. “This garment is very good, very unique.”

"It can be used to fry seafood, not only to remove the fishy smell, but also to perfectly lock in the moisture of the seafood."

"Despite being deep-fried, the tenderness of the meat is comparable to that of Qin Lang's fish head dish."

"This is not simple at all."

"But what surprised me even more was your seasoning."

"The sour and spicy flavors are just right, perfectly highlighting the natural freshness of the ribbonfish." Meng Chang said, picking up another piece and putting it in his mouth, then shaking his head, "Both of your dishes are very delicious."

"What a difficult choice."

“How about…” Meng Chang paused for a moment, as if he was thinking about something, then chuckled, “Let’s have the two of you share the victory.”

"The prize money of five million will be split between the two of you."

This…

Qin Lang couldn't help but look at Xie Rui standing to the side.

His purpose in participating in this competition was to find out about the organizers, but now that the organizers are right in front of him, he doesn't care.

"I want to try Qin Lang's dishes first!"

Xie Rui couldn't help but say, "I want to see what kind of dish can rival my Three-Flavor Ribbonfish."

“I have no objection.” Qin Lang nodded readily. “Coincidentally, I am very interested in the dough that Mr. Mengchang mentioned.”

"Please, both of you."

Mengchang laughed and gestured for the two to taste each other.

Xie Rui immediately picked up a large piece of fish and put it in his mouth along with chopped chili peppers. As he chewed, the expression on his face gradually changed.

Meanwhile, Qin Lang also tasted the three-flavor ribbonfish that Meng Chang had praised highly. The unique batter recipe and precise seasoning did indeed perfectly present the taste of the ribbonfish, just as Meng Chang had previously commented.

They put down their chopsticks and said in unison.

"I agree to a tie!"

Meng Chang clapped his hands with a smile, and soon staff members came up on stage and presented two identical winners' medals and two cards.

"Please accept this reward, both of you. It is a recognition of your superb culinary skills. Thank you for bringing us this ultimate showdown."

"Also, please don't rush to leave, stay for a moment."

Mengchang paused slightly after speaking.

"I have something here that might interest you."

(End of this chapter)