Chapter 122 Fish Head Stew with Flatbread [First Update]
After getting out of the taxi, Master Jin was still a little uncertain when he saw the small shops on the street in front of him.
Is this the place?
His apprentice, Xiao Ge, helped him up, saying, "The internet says this is the place."
Master Da Jin frowned.
The environment here is really not good. It's close to a school, so it's inevitably crowded with students going to and from school. The shop is simply decorated, and the sign is just a simple lightbox. Through the transparent curtain at the entrance, you can tell that the space inside isn't very big; it can probably only fit about ten tables...
Although Master Jin was disappointed in his two apprentices, feeling that their skills were not refined enough, the two had still honed their basic skills little by little under their master's guidance. In this respect, few chefs from small street-side shops could catch up.
But since he was already there, Master Jin didn't intend to leave right away.
After coughing a few times, Master Jin walked into the shop.
As soon as the curtain was lifted, a strong aroma wafted out, and Master Jin was taken aback.
"I'm sorry, we're past our opening hours now."
Mother Wen, holding a large bowl, stood at the kitchen doorway and saw the curtain move as an old woman and a young man walked in. She quickly explained.
"If you'd like to eat, come back at 5 p.m.
Xiao Ge was still waiting for his master to speak, but he didn't hear his master speak for a long time. He wondered if he really had to wait until 5 p.m. since he had already come.
No, no, Master is not in good health. He already braved the cold wind to come out today. By 5 p.m., he'll probably be frozen solid.
"Madam, we've come from a very far place. The elderly person isn't in good health, so... do you have anything on hand that I can buy?"
Just as Wen's mother was about to refuse, she heard the old man suddenly ask, "This taste... is fish slice and tofu soup."
Wen's mother replied "yes," but then seemed a little puzzled. "The dishes haven't even been served yet, how can you tell just by smelling them?"
Master Jin was somewhat incredulous. People say that a dish should have perfect color, aroma, and taste, but Wenji's dish hadn't even shown any color or taste yet, but the aroma was beyond his expectations.
Could this restaurant really have a hidden culinary master?
Master Jin, who was a little hesitant just now, is now determined to try the food here.
After coughing several times while clutching his chest, making it difficult for Mrs. Wen to refuse, Master Jin said sincerely, "Please excuse my poor performance... I just came from the hospital, and I'm afraid it won't be possible to wait until tonight... I'm not picky, just take a portion of whatever you have in your shop, and we can discuss the price."
Wen's mother: "...This isn't about money."
Ever since that tofu-selling incident, she's become much more cautious. Young people these days are just too quick to post everything online. If you make an exception for one person, everyone else will follow suit. The shop is already busy enough; if you try to satisfy everyone's requests, how will anyone get a break?
But seeing the old man's gray hair, Wen's mother really couldn't say no. The old man had come all this way, and now he was going to walk away in the cold wind.
It's a bit heartless.
"...Alright, I'll make an exception for you, but please don't let your son post it online."
Mrs. Wen said with a wry smile, "The shop is too busy, it's always like this, we can't do business."
Xiao Ge was about to say that he wasn't Master Jin's son, but he was glared at and shut down.
Master Jin grabbed his hand and assured Wen's mother, "I will definitely not let him make it."
Xiao Ge: ……
Wen's mother went to the kitchen and soon came out with the dishes, one large and one small. She put the large portion on her side and gave the small portion to Chef Da Jin and his wife.
"This is fish head stew with flatbread. I'll also serve you a bowl of fish slice and tofu soup. For our main dish, we'll have flatbread..."
Master Da Jin quickly chimed in, "I'll have pancakes too!"
Wen's mother nodded, secretly relieved that her daughter had made a lot of pancakes.
The freshly made pancakes were cut into small pieces and put in a small bowl. The golden pancake pieces made Xiao Ge's mouth water involuntarily just from the smell.
Master Sanjin of Jinyulou is an excellent noodle maker. Although he doesn't specialize in pasta dishes, he passed on this skill to his eldest apprentice. Master San's eldest apprentice is quite domineering in the kitchen because of this skill.
As Xiao Ge smelled the aroma, he thought to himself, "This skill is no less than that of Master San's eldest apprentice."
Look at the color, look at the toughness, look at the layers.
Wen Fan used two fish heads to make fish head stew with flatbread today. One was a large fish head that she bought separately, and the other was a fish head that was taken from a whole fish.
As luck would have it, Wen's mother simply gave the small fish head to Master Jin's table, while her own table received the large silver carp head.
There are two kinds of fish head stew with flatbread: one is made by braising the fish head, and the other is made by baking flatbread.
Just as Xiao Ge was staring at the pancake, Master Jin's eyes darted back and forth between the braised fish head and the fish slice tofu soup.
The fish and tofu soup was white, with goji berries and scallions floating on top. The tofu was cooked until its honeycomb-like cross-section was visible, and it smelled incredibly fresh and delicious.
Fish head soup with flatbread has a richer flavor than fish slice and tofu soup.
The fish head is split open and soaked in a thick, dark brown broth, which occupies half of the deep plate. The fish head is placed in the center, topped with scallion segments and red chili peppers, and surrounded by several meatballs.
Master Da Jin picked up a meatball and was surprised to find that it was actually a tofu meatball.
The meatballs are made with a firm texture and the tofu inside is fragrant. After being fried until crispy, they are soaked in fish soup. The savory sauce coats the meatballs, and the fragrance of the tofu and the richness of the fish soup are surprisingly well-matched.
Master Da Jin remained silent, picked up his chopsticks, and took another piece of fish.
The best part of the fish head is the piece under the gills, which is the most tender and smooth. It's called gill meat or walnut meat.
It can be said to be the essence of the entire fish head.
Master Da Jin had heard his master say that the most particular princes and ministers used to eat only one bite of fish.
The meat under the gills has a soft and tender texture and a delicate flavor. Compared to fish meat from other places, it has almost no fishy smell.
Master Da Jin precisely picked up the piece of fish, and the broth poured over the fish head dripped down the fibers with his movements. The salty and savory broth divided the fish into two parts: one part was soaked in the dark brown color, and the other part was the white fish meat.
The moment it enters your mouth, you first experience the soft, tender, and savory flavor of the fish itself, followed by a savory and slightly spicy sauce that fills your mouth. The sauce is thick but not cloying, and flavorful without being overpowering.
Master Da Jin put down his chopsticks, his eyes vacant.
Xiao Ge had been keeping a close eye on his master's movements. Seeing his master's state, he quietly asked what was wrong.
"nothing."
While he said it was nothing, Master Jin was inwardly in turmoil.
He was too hasty.
Thinking that they have reached a high position, they look down on small shops on the street. But looking back, even their master started from an ordinary small shop on the street before he built such a big restaurant.
Who says culinary skills are dead? They're clearly teeming with geniuses!
The master and apprentice sat in silence, while Wen's mother and the others ate heartily.
Wen Fan, having finished her work, ladled out a bowl of soup and sipped it slowly. The others at the table, however, immediately headed for the fish head stew with flatbread.
The fish head is large and plump. Pour freshly cooked flatbread pieces around the fish head, and then use chopsticks to press the flatbread into the rich soup.
The amber-colored broth instantly stained the flatbread with a glossy, dark brown hue. Ren Haijin picked up his chopsticks and ate the flatbread first. The outer layer of the layered flatbread was crispy, while the inside consisted of layers of chewy, translucent dough. When pressed into the broth, the flatbread inevitably crumbled. The crispy and chewy flatbread, still slightly warm, absorbed the umami and saltiness of the fish soup after being soaked in it. When he put it in his mouth and pressed it with his lips and tongue, the broth that had just soaked into the flatbread instantly gushed out.
The crispy and chewy flatbread, the aroma of wheat and the freshness of fish, the dry flatbread and the rich soup, instantly captivate the taste buds.
Ren Haijin ate two pieces and had already figured out the subtle difference between them.
The pancakes that have been soaked for a while will become soft and chewy and coated with broth.
The pancakes, freshly dipped in the sauce and then taken out, are still crispy, with some broth on the outside and a soft, chewy, and fragrant interior. One bite reveals a unique flavor: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the aroma of wheat dominating.
Ren Haijin devoured the food in no time, and Ji Baiyi did almost the same.
Although Mr. and Mrs. Wen are old, they eat quite quickly.
Only Wen Fan ate a few pancakes and said he was full.
Mother Wen: "Why are you eating so little!"
Wen Fan took a few sips of water: "Standing by the stove for too long has made me a little hot."
One major drawback of central heating in winter is that it can easily cause internal heat.
When Wen Fan woke up in the morning, he saw a small pimple on his forehead.
If the menu hadn't already been decided for today, Wen Fan would have made herself some light vegetable dishes for lunch.
Wen's mother immediately said, "You take a break this afternoon, let your dad do it, and I'll go buy some more white fungus and make some snow pear and white fungus soup."
Wen Fan: "...Let's forget about it."
If Wen Fan was holding back before, now he's going full throttle...
Although Mr. Wen is a reliable cook, he is not a good cook. During this busy period, he has clearly fallen behind.
Wen Fan changes dishes quickly; Wen's father often just gets familiar with the order of one dish before the menu is changed immediately.
So Wen's father could only silently take on the tasks of cutting, preparing, and cooking, so as not to cause trouble for his daughter.
Wen's mother had no choice. Her daughter was the one running the shop, and even if she wanted to find someone suitable who knew a bit about cooking, she would have to find someone!
My daughter, who has poor skills, doesn't want this shop. And why would someone with good skills come to this little shop? They could run their own shop.
"How about... I learn from you?"
Desperate for a cure, Wen's mother even considered learning to cook.
Wen Fan laughed: "If you learn this, who will be the cashier in our family?"
Wen's mother jabbed at him with her chopsticks: "Let your dad do it!"
Father Wen: "Huh? Me?"
The whole family laughed, and Ji Baiyi and Ren Haijin chuckled as well.
Only Master Jin, standing to the side, couldn't laugh.
He stared in shock at the family not far away.
The man had an honest face, the woman was a straightforward and capable businesswoman, and their daughter looked sweet and well-behaved...
The two young men standing nearby, judging from their conversation, were winter break workers.
It was supposed to be a normal family combination, but the result was unexpectedly different!
These dishes weren't made by that honest man!
Was it made by that little girl?
Master Jin was speechless with shock.
The two dishes on the table, one fish head stewed with flatbread, were impeccably seasoned; even I couldn't have made them any better.
The fish head tofu soup features evenly sliced fish, demonstrating excellent knife skills, and the soup is cooked to perfection. The tofu inside tastes like it was made over a wood fire. Nowadays, besides finding a supplier, people either make this kind of wood-fired tofu at home.
Upon learning that it was just a small shop, Xiao Ge also found information online about Wenji recently selling their homemade wood-fired tofu.
Even the tofu is homemade!
Master Jin didn't know how to express his shock; he just stared blankly at the smiling girl.
There were no knife scars or burns on her hands; her slender, white fingers showed only faint signs of frequent knife handling between her knuckles.
Master Jin was skeptical, but the girl went into the kitchen alone, and soon after, he heard a series of crackling and sizzling sounds from the kitchen. A few minutes later, the girl came out carrying a plate of cabbage.
"Mom, have some vegetables."
It was a mistake; there wasn't a single green vegetable in the lunch menu, so Wen Fan had to go to the kitchen and stir-fry a pot of cabbage with vinegar.
The freshly stir-fried vegetables exude the aroma of a wok. The vinegared cabbage is cut evenly, and the stir-fried cabbage has a tangy and fragrant aroma that whets the appetite and makes one's mouth water.
Master Jin smelled the sour aroma from afar and completely dispelled any doubts.
The apprentice, Xiao Ge, was still eating his vegetables. His master had only eaten a little and hadn't said whether he wanted the rest. Xiao Ge poured the pancake into the soup and ate it with great relish, completely unaware that his master was in a state of profound shock.
Master Jin staggered to his feet: "Let's go."
Xiao Ge licked her lips: "You're not eating any of these?"
Master Jin nodded and then shook his head: "Pack it up."
He needs to go back and think it over carefully.
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