Chapter 4: Crucian Carp and Tofu Soup + Fried Fish Pieces
The grandfather and grandson quickly put down their bowls as they prepared to eat crucian carp.
Tang Yiyi used the crucian carp head to make crucian carp and tofu soup, while the fish meat was used for deep-frying. After asking Grandma Li's opinion, she said, "Okay, Yiyi, you decide."
To remove the fishy smell, she marinated the crucian carp head with cooking wine, then sliced some ginger and tied some scallion leaves into a knot. The crucian carp meat was coated with starch, mixed with a small spoonful of salt, and an egg was added. Of course, she didn't use too much starch, otherwise the fried product would have a bad texture and the outer skin would be all batter.
Next, fry the marinated fish head, add scallion segments and ginger slices and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in water to cover the fish head, add green onions and cooking wine, then add chopped tofu cubes and continue to cook.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok. Pour in plenty of oil, otherwise the fish won't fry through. Then add evenly sized pieces of crucian carp. The oil sizzles and pops. Tang Yiyi carefully turns the fish pieces with chopsticks, keeping an eye on the heat.
Finally, the fried crucian carp pieces are sprinkled with a light layer of salt and pepper.
The crucian carp and tofu soup is almost ready. Finally, sprinkle with cilantro and serve fresh.
Next, Tang Yiyi made a dish of water spinach. Water spinach is very fresh and tender this season, and it smells delicious even when stir-fried.
Inside the house, Grandma Li and the others were drooling with hunger. Lili, in particular, even stopped playing with her smartwatch and looked towards the kitchen, saying, "Grandma, Grandpa, I'm so hungry."
"My dear grandson, dinner will be ready soon," Grandpa Li reassured him.
The strong, overpowering aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, prompting passersby to mutter, "Whose cooking smells so good..."
Grandma Li nodded. It really looked appetizing. Several more customers arrived at the restaurant, clearly drawn by the aroma.
Tang Yiyi greeted the guests and first served the crucian carp and tofu soup and stir-fried water spinach to Grandma Li's table.
Just as I was about to pick up the fried fish pieces, I caught a glimpse of Xiaoyu carrying them over, looking quite serious like a little adult. "Thank you, Xiaoyu~"
Grandma Li looked at the stir-fried water spinach on the table and asked, "Yi Yi, we didn't order any vegetables." Could it be that Yi Yi made a mistake?
"Grandma, this is for you."
Grandma Li was flattered and said, "Yiyi, you're too kind."
"Thank you, Sister Yi," Lili said sweetly.
The family silently lowered their heads and began to eat. Grandpa Li, who loved fish, scooped up a spoonful of soup first, blew on it to cool it down, and then sipped it.
It's so fresh, without any strong seasoning flavor, but rather the original freshness of the food.
He began to look forward to the taste of the fish head. There wasn't much meat on the fish head, so he picked up a small piece and put it in his mouth.
The fish was fresh, tender, and smooth with a very delicate texture. Grandpa Li found it more and more delicious as he ate it, and it went very well with the perfectly cooked rice.
Then I picked up a piece of tofu and tasted it. My mouth was full of the aroma of soybeans. It wasn't soft and mushy; it melted in my mouth and had a rich umami flavor.
Seeing his expression, Grandma Li knew it was delicious, so she put a piece of fried fish into Lili's bowl.
Lili is still young and should eat more as she grows, but she has always been a picky eater and has a poor appetite, so she is very thin.
Lili picked up a piece of golden-brown, tempting fried fish from the bowl. She smelled it; it had the aroma of fish and some other indescribable scent—it smelled wonderful.
She took a small bite into the fish piece, and with a "crunch," the outer skin was crispy, but the meat inside was tender, without any unpleasant or strange taste.
Most importantly, there are no fish bones. It seems like you can eat the whole piece of fish without having to pick out the bones, which is great!
Grandma Li also praised the fried fish pieces. She always found it difficult to pick out the fish bones, as they could easily get stuck in her throat if she wasn't careful. This was the most uncomfortable thing.
The family finished all three dishes, even the stir-fried water spinach that Tang Yiyi had given them was completely gone; the vegetables were so refreshing and not greasy at all.
Finally, Tang Yiyi paid him the money with satisfaction and went home.
Lili opened her big, bright eyes and thought the fish was delicious; she would bring her classmates here to eat next time.
Ever since Lao Wang tried the cold noodles at the restaurant, he's felt that the noodles he eats in the school cafeteria in the morning are missing something.
And so, we're having lunch at the restaurant again.
What catches the eye is a little boy, barely taller than the table, wiping it, and doing it quite well.
When Xiaoyu saw Lao Wang, he called out towards the kitchen, "Sister, we have a guest."
When Tang Yiyi came out and saw that it was a repeat customer, she smiled and said, "Hello, what would you like to eat?"
Old Wang looked at the small blackboard, where the words were written neatly and elegantly, showing the demeanor of a teacher. He noticed that the restaurant had added a new dish: seaweed and mung bean soup.
He had never tried seaweed and mung bean soup before. "Boss, I'd like a cold noodle dish and some seaweed and mung bean soup."
"Okay, just a moment."
Xiaoyu wanted to help her with the work, so he served a bowl of seaweed and mung bean soup to the guest.
In the pristine white porcelain bowl, mung beans and kelp are perfectly combined, each complementing the other. The soup is exceptionally clear and bright, looking incredibly appetizing.
As soon as Old Wang took a sip, his brows relaxed, and the refreshing aroma washed away his fatigue from the morning, making him feel much more comfortable inside and out.
This is no ordinary seaweed and mung bean soup; it's an absolute summer cooling and heat-relieving wonder! How wonderful it would be to drink it every day.
I initially thought five yuan was too expensive for a bowl of seaweed and mung bean soup, but it tasted pretty good.
The bowl of seaweed and mung bean soup was quite large, but Old Wang loved it so much that he stopped abruptly after drinking half of it. He licked the soup from his lips, savoring the sweet taste as it flowed into his mouth.
Old Wang finally understood why girls love desserts. Even a rough guy like him loves sweet soup.
Before the cold noodles arrived, Old Wang looked around the restaurant. It wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy, which was pleasing to the eye.
If customers come in and see that the store is dirty and the tables are greasy, they will definitely turn around and leave.
Besides, the restaurant was quite busy today; the customer traffic was better than yesterday.
Tang Yiyi brought over a bowl of cold noodles. "Enjoy your meal."
"Okay, you're too kind, boss," Lao Wang replied. The restaurant owner was really enthusiastic, always smiling and very gentle towards the customers.
He picked up a clump of noodles and put it in his mouth. It was the same familiar taste. The side dish was plentiful, and his mouth was full of enjoyment. For a big man like him, who could barely eat two bowls of rice in a meal, this cold noodle dish would keep him full until the evening.
The restaurant was doing better than yesterday, so Tang Yiyi kept busy, but luckily Xiaoyu was there to help her.
When customers want their food packed up, Xiaoyu pulls on a plastic bag and packs the food for them.
Most of the guests lived nearby and were elderly. When they saw the child packing their things, they couldn't help but laugh and say, "What a little man! He'll definitely amount to something when he grows up."
Hearing this, Tang Yiyi glanced at Xiaoyu. Whether he would be successful when he grew up was not important. As his older sister, she hoped that he would be happy and healthy.
It was only around one o'clock, and the restaurant was almost empty.
Tang Yiyi went to the kitchen to cook lunch for the two of them; she quickly prepared two dishes and a soup.
"Watermelons for sale! Delicious and affordable watermelons!" Suddenly, an announcement came from outside the door.
Xiaoyu stopped what he was doing and looked out the door.
Seeing his little gesture, Tang Yiyi stood up. "Sister will go buy a watermelon. We can eat it after dinner, okay?"
Okay~
The watermelon vendor was an old man. She went up to him and asked the price, "Grandpa, how are your watermelons?"
"One yuan and fifty cents a pound, no kidding."
Tang Yiyi observed several watermelons, then slapped them with her hands. After hearing a crisp sound, she looked at the vines and finally picked out a watermelon she liked.
After paying, I carried the watermelon home.
Xiaoyu jumped off the chair, ran over to take it, and said in a childish voice, "What a big melon..."
"Yes, let's put the watermelon in the refrigerator for a while."
The freezer that the original owner's parents bought worked very well, whether for refrigeration or freezing.
The table has meat, vegetables, and soup; this combination ensures a balanced diet.
The two ate in silence. Holding his bowl, Xiaoyu picked up some food. The meat was delicious, a little spicy. He ate a bite of meat followed by a bite of rice, and before he knew it, he had eaten more than half a bowl of rice.
Perhaps they were too tired and had used up their energy, because they both had a good appetite and went to get a bowl of rice.
Thinking about the watermelon, Xiaoyu left some room in his stomach.
Tang Yiyi went to cut the watermelon into small pieces and gave one piece to Xiaoyu.
"So cold~", Xiaoyu groaned as he received the watermelon, then carefully took a bite.
The sweet aroma of melons and fruits wafts over you, and the juice melts in your mouth, leaving you feeling refreshed.
Xiaoyu ate a piece and then went to get another.
Later, the two of them ate about half a watermelon.
Tang Yiyi exclaimed that she had really enjoyed the watermelon this time, and she even let out a satisfied burp.
Xiao Yu touched his bulging belly.
She pointed at his stomach and teased, "Look at your stomach, it's full, doesn't it look like a watermelon?"
Xiaoyu nodded, thinking it did look quite similar.
A note from the author:
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