The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 547 The Irresistible Black Duck

Using fish scales in cooking is a much higher requirement than the first diner's.

However, it wasn't enough to stump Qin Lang.

He turned around and found a large grass carp weighing five or six pounds in the ingredient storage. After stunning it with the back of a knife, he skillfully scraped off the scales. During this process, he had already thought about what kind of dish he would make next.

Rinse the fish thoroughly to remove the fishy-smelling slime. Add a small amount of salt and high-proof liquor, and rub repeatedly for a few minutes to further remove the fishy smell. Then rinse the fish in water again and finally drain.

After completing the pre-treatment steps for the fish scales, Qin Lang cut the fish scales in half, put one half into a pot, added water, scallions, ginger, cooking wine and appropriate amount of salt in a 1:5 ratio, brought it to a boil over high heat, then closed the lid and turned to low heat.

Then, Qin Lang evenly coated the other half of the fish scales with starch.

Heat oil in a wok until it reaches about 50% of its maximum temperature, then add the fish scales.

With a sizzling sound, the fish scales quickly curled up in the hot oil, and a rich aroma of fried food wafted out.

The thin fish scales are easily fried until golden brown. After draining the oil, they are placed in a small bowl and sprinkled with chili, cumin, salt, and chopped green onions.

After quickly preparing a dish, Qin Lang casually handed it to the girl.

"Spicy fish scales, please enjoy."

"Hmm!" The girl couldn't help but widen her eyes and blankly accept it.

Although she deliberately came up with this request to make things difficult for the chef, it was true that she liked to eat fish scales. However, if fish scales were not processed properly, they would have a very strong fishy smell, so she always wanted to try what fish scales without a fishy smell would be like.

The golden-brown, visually appealing spicy fish scales instantly whetted the girl's appetite, and she picked up a piece without hesitation and put it in her mouth.

“Crack—”

With a crisp sound, an excited look appeared on the girl's face.

this smell...

It tastes a bit like potato chips, but it's even more delicious!
"You can really make it?" The bespectacled man next to him looked surprised. "Um... can I try some?"

He was curious about what kind of flavor could be made from fish scales, such unwanted waste.

"Here you go!" The girl generously grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his hand.

Then, a series of "crackling" sounds rang out.

After eating, the bespectacled man shook his head in satisfaction, "I never thought that fish scales could be made into such a delicious dish."

"The important thing is to remove the fishy smell." The girl seemed very experienced. "I've tried it many times, but the fishy smell is always too strong and it doesn't taste good."

At this point, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Qin Lang, "I see you still have half a fish scale left, what's that for?"

"I'm planning to make some fish scale jelly," Qin Lang said casually. "In case other diners want to eat dishes made with fish scales, I can make it."

"Fish scale jelly? Another fish scale dish?" The girl's eyes lit up, her surprise and delight growing. "Let's not wait for the other diners, just give it to me!"

“This dish won’t be ready so quickly.” Qin Lang pointed to the pot with the lid closed. “It will take at least three hours.”

"I do!" the girl said without hesitation.

“…Alright then.” Qin Lang shrugged, turned and walked to the pot of braised black duck. He glanced at the time, nodded slightly, and took it down.

The moment the lid was lifted, an incredibly rich aroma burst forth. Inside the steaming pot, the juicy duck pieces were coated in a thick, dark brown sauce, looking both unique and tempting, making one eager to taste it immediately.

"Your sweet and spicy dish is ready."

Finally, Qin Lang sprinkled some chopped green onions on top and placed the pot directly in front of the middle-aged man.

"Black duck soup, please enjoy."

"Black Duck..."

The middle-aged man pushed up his glasses, looking at the black duck stew that looked and smelled delicious, making his mouth water. He couldn't help but feel his appetite whetted.

The pretty young woman stood to the side, intending to wait three hours to taste the dish called fish scale jelly, but at this moment she was also attracted by the black duck stew. "Um..." she couldn't help but swallow, "I just shared some fish scales with you, so... can I share some of this black duck too?"

"No problem." The middle-aged man nodded readily.

This pot of black duck stew contains a whole black duck, so the portion is quite large.

He found two pairs of chopsticks, gave one pair to the girl, then picked up a piece of black duck and put it in his mouth. Immediately afterwards, his eyes widened in surprise.

As soon as he took a bite of the black duck, he instantly tasted a rich sweetness.

This sweetness intertwines with the following salty, spicy, and umami flavors, creating a wonderfully harmonious and unique experience.

The duck meat was tender and not dry, and had already absorbed the flavors during the long stewing process. After taking a bite of duck meat, the middle-aged man couldn't help but pick up a second piece.

Next up was the third piece.

He forgot everything; at that moment, he had only one thought.

That means keep eating!

It wasn't until a clear hissing sound came from the side that the middle-aged man shifted his attention away from the black duck stew in front of him.

Looking at the pretty young woman beside him, whose lips were slightly swollen and who was constantly fanning her mouth, the man asked with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong with you?"

"It's spicy!" The girl gulped down a large mouthful of water, then looked at the middle-aged man in surprise, "You're covered in sweat, isn't it spicy?"

hot?
The man touched his forehead, which was already covered with a thin layer of sweat, and only then did he belatedly realize the burning sensation in his mouth.

The sweet and spicy black duck has a sweet flavor that masks the spiciness while you're eating it, but the aftertaste is surprisingly spicy.

"Hiss..."

The man also kept inhaling and drinking water, his comical appearance completely devoid of his previous refined demeanor.

"This black duck is really spicy..."

"Is it my turn?"

The third diner couldn't resist stepping forward.

Seeing that the two diners in front of him had eaten the food they wanted and looked very satisfied, he was already impatient.

"Yes." Qin Lang nodded with a smile.

What dishes would you like?

"The dishes I want..." Upon hearing this, the diner paused for a moment.

He was just a tourist from out of town who happened to be there during the food festival, so he came to join in the fun. Unlike the previous two diners, he hadn't made any preparations in advance.

Upon hearing Qin Lang's question, he suddenly found himself in a dilemma.

However, he soon had an idea.

"Don't use anything else, just use the grass carp you just scaled." He pointed to the grass carp that Qin Lang had placed next to the table.

"I quite like eating fish, so this is the one."

"But... I want something sweet."

At this point, the third diner revealed a smug expression.

Although it was somewhat of a spur-of-the-moment decision, this request must be quite difficult, right?
Can a sweet-tasting fish taste good?

"Sweet?" Qin Lang's expression turned strange.

Isn't this just like walking right into the line of fire?
"OK, wait."

(End of this chapter)