The large mackerel weighed over 100 pounds.
When Ruan Meng was cutting the meat, the chefs were learning and didn't interfere.
Once the food was divided, the cooks stepped forward and asked, "Miss Ruan, is there anything we can do for you?"
Ruan Meng didn't stand on ceremony and told them to slice the fish into thin slices. "Mackerel has fine bones in its flesh, so slicing it thinly makes it easier to remove the bones."
A cook was preparing to slice the fish skin when Ruan Meng stopped him.
"Mackerel skin has a unique flavor and can be eaten together with other fish."
The chefs, seeing the mackerel head that Ruan Meng had cut up beside them, all exclaimed in admiration:
"How fresh! Look how bright its eyes are, and how red its gills are!"
While the cooks were slicing the fish, Ruan Meng came to the shark's side.
Before Ruan Meng returned, the guards could help carry the fish and cut it into sections, but they dared not easily divide it, fearing they would ruin it.
There was only the third child, so the division was not completed.
With a swift stroke, the shark was quickly butchered, leaving Ruan Meng with only the fish meat.
Even so, the fishy smell was still strong.
With the young master and Manager Yu present, the four cooks worked diligently and quickly finished slicing the mackerel meat, also removing some fish bones.
Ruan Meng summoned two people to cut the shark meat into large chunks, then into smaller pieces, until it was minced into a paste.
In less than half an hour, the four cooks were drenched in sweat from exhaustion.
Ruan Meng felt embarrassed, so she offered to share some knowledge with him as compensation.
"The bigger and fatter the mackerel, the more fragrant its meat. Sharks urinate through their skin, which is why they have a particularly strong smell."
"But if the temperature is low at night after freshly slaughtered fish, it will help cool the fish meat down, maintain its texture, and reduce the fishy smell."
"Mackerel is tender and delicious, whether fried, stewed, or boiled. There are so many people here today, I plan to make fish dumplings with it. You can make them for festivals and the Spring Festival, which will also make them easy to sell."
"Shark has a strong fishy smell. If you're worried that others might not like it, we can make stuffed fish balls. The meaty aroma and seasonings can mask the fishy smell of shark meat, giving it a unique flavor."
"Fish balls with filling?"
The cooks were puzzled.
Ruan Meng nodded and explained, "It uses fish meat as the outer skin to wrap the meat flavor, so that it has both the lightness of fish meat and the salty and fresh taste of meat."
The chefs' expressions of being taught a lesson.
When Xiao Kai arrived with He Cong and Manager Yu, he had already brought the supplies on Ruan Meng's list.
For the mackerel dumplings, the third brother helped knead the dough, and the two cooks picked out the small bones and chopped the fish meat into a paste. Ruan Meng added the seasonings.
When making the stuffed shark balls, Ruan Meng had someone chop the meat filling, with four parts fat and six parts lean, and added a little Sichuan peppercorn powder.
Another person makes the filling, squeezing in flour and diced fatty meat to increase its viscosity and oiliness.
The cooks could tell that Ruan Meng had a good temper, and she spoke her mind.
"Even if the dumplings and meatballs made from this big fish are delicious, most people probably couldn't eat them. It's too much work!"
"Yes! Let alone catching them, even if you catch them, cutting them into pieces, removing the bones, it's nowhere near as tiring as mincing them into fish paste!"
“We’re all seasoned veterans. If Madam were home, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to lift my arms for days.”
......
Shopkeeper Yu laughed and scolded, "We're letting you learn a skill for free, and you're complaining and whining. If there's a similar opportunity in the future, I'll arrange for someone else to come!"
Four cooks stood up and cried out, "Oh no, wait!"
"Manager Yu, these aren't our true feelings, nor are we complaining!"
"Exactly! We're not going to talk anymore, can't we just get to work?"
"Manager Yu, please let us come again next time there's an opportunity like this. What's a sore arm? Learning new skills is invaluable!"
......
Ruan Meng smiled faintly, called her second brother, and got up to find the craftsmen that Sun Chengen had brought.
Ruan Meng gestured with her hands, and the second child slid down on the scrap paper, which was almost exactly as Ruan Meng had imagined.
"Can it be made?"
Ruan Meng asked the craftsman.
The craftsman thought about it and decided it wasn't a big problem.
"Excuse me, young lady, what is this for?"
Ruan Meng pointed towards the door and said, "Next time, chopping meat won't be so tiring!"
Of the four craftsmen, one was the leader and seemed more agile, while the other three appeared somewhat dull but were able to focus on their craft, which was also good.
Ruan Mengdao said, "The first one is for our own use. You don't need to rush the construction period for now; quality is the priority. Once it's finished, we should be able to make more later."
Master Huang smiled and agreed, while the other three remained expressionless, seemingly still adjusting to the new environment.
Back on shore, the minced meat was all ready.
Ruan Meng asked Song's sister-in-law, "You two sisters-in-law, learn from this. There will be similar ways to cook fish and meat in the future."
After saying that, he asked his second brother to write down how to make fish dumplings and stuffed meatballs.
From selecting fish, how to cut it, key points of preparation, and the proportions of seasonings.
As soon as he finished speaking, several unfamiliar voices came from behind him.
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