The captured pufferfish must be processed as soon as possible, otherwise they will rot and spoil in just a few hours due to the climate here.
There is a very simple way to deal with these rodents. In the countryside, we find some dry straw to make torches, put the hunted prey on a frame made of sticks, and burn off all the fur with the torches.
Although the temperature of a straw fire is high, it doesn't last as long as that of firewood. Hunting cooked with straw has a smooth surface without damaging the skin, and the meat retains a faint aroma of straw smokiness.
I can't find straw now, but I can still find some dry thatch.
I tied three wooden sticks together to make a triangular support frame, and put the guinea pig on it.
The burning thatch charred the fur until it turned black, and the hide began to shrink due to the high temperature.
I carried the roasted pufferfish to the stream, where the flowing water scraped away all the black residue, revealing its burnt, brownish-yellow skin.
I cut open the guinea pig, removed all its internal organs, and cleaned them thoroughly. Since the internal organs have some nutritional value, I decided to keep them all.
I also processed the fish I caught by the stream, and washed some black fungus, licorice root, and perilla leaves—these were the ingredients I would need.
I can't eat this many pufferfish at once, so I cut off a quarter of the pufferfish, chopped it into small pieces, soaked it in water to remove the blood, and then smoked the rest for later consumption.
I set aside a separate fire to smoke the remaining pufferfish meat, and coated the liver with a layer of herbal frost from the bottom of the pot using the old recipe, then placed it next to the fire to roast slowly.
The earthen stove built of stones was already lit, and the pot emitted waves of heat from the flames.
I took out a piece of lard that had been cut into small pieces using a banana leaf. It was very convenient to just open the banana leaf and put a piece in whenever needed.
"Sizzle..."
When the lard was put into the pot, it melted into a liquid with a sizzling sound, and soon blue smoke rose from the surface of the oil, indicating that the lard had been heated to boiling.
Take out the soaked and whitened pufferfish meat chunks, drain them slightly, and sizzle them into the pot to stir-fry.
A familiar aroma of meat filled the dwelling, and Top's nose twitched slightly; it hadn't smelled this fresh food in a long time.
After stir-frying the guinea pig meat until it was golden brown and fragrant, I added some perilla leaves to remove the gamey smell and enhance the aroma.
With the addition of perilla leaves, the aroma of this dish is elevated to a whole new level.
The unique aroma of perilla, after being stir-fried at high temperature, has perfectly blended with the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside pufferfish meat. This aroma is somewhat similar to the medicinal aroma of dog meat stir-fried with spices.
Perilla, a unique spice, is perfect for stir-frying these kinds of mountain delicacies. It's a pity we didn't have shiitake mushrooms; otherwise, the flavor of this dish would definitely be elevated to another level.
Those fresh black fungus side dishes. I added them last. This fresh mountain delicacy shouldn't be stir-fried for too long, otherwise it will lose its crisp texture and nutritional value.
I placed the stir-fried pufferfish meat on a bright green banana leaf. The lush green banana leaf contrasted beautifully with the golden-brown, fragrant pufferfish meat, creating a sense of rustic simplicity that made my mouth water at first glance.
Top, who hadn't had anything good to eat in a long time, was getting restless and sat next to the pufferfish meat, scratching his head and looking a little anxious.
But it still didn't reach out to grab it; it usually waits for me to come over and eat together.
I didn't waste the internal organs I took out; except for the liver, I chopped the rest into pieces.
Adding a little lard made it just as fragrant when stir-fried, and adding perilla leaves removed the gamey smell and enhanced the aroma. The stir-fried offal was placed next to the pufferfish meat, making it a complete meal.
Next up is the fish soup I mentioned before. The small fish are prepared in the same way as before: first, fry the fish thoroughly until all the fine bones inside are crispy.
Next, stir-fry the perilla leaves in the oil used to fry the fish, infusing the oil with the aroma of perilla.
Pour the oil and perilla leaves over the fried fish in the bowl, allowing the flavors of the fish and perilla to meld together.
Add about half a pot of water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Then add the fish and perilla leaves to the pot and let it simmer for another ten minutes.
Ten minutes later, the fish soup had turned milky white, like milk, and its fragrant aroma made people want to drink three large bowls in one go.
Finally, add the cleaned "thunder god's droppings" to the fish soup and simmer for a while. A nutritious delicacy, comparable to ginseng chicken soup, is ready.
Top had been waiting impatiently for a while. He quickly brought over two bowls, handed one to me, and then picked up his chopsticks to start cooking the fragrant guinea pig meat.
After being sick for so long, this is the first time I've had a decent meal. I didn't hold back, opening my chopsticks to their maximum extent and picking up quite a bit of guinea pig meat with each bite.
The meat of this pufferfish tastes very good, somewhat similar to the tenderness of rabbit meat, but it is also more chewy.
After being stir-fried, the golden-brown outer layer quickly locks in the juices inside. When you bite into it, the tender juices burst in your mouth, and the satisfaction is like floating on clouds, making you want to close your eyes and enjoy it.
I used a wooden spoon to scoop some milky white, fragrant fish soup into a bowl, gently blew away the steam, and took a small sip.
As the rich and fragrant broth moistened my parched throat, I felt every cell in my body cheering with joy.
It has a very mellow and relaxing flavor. The taste of thunder dung is relatively mild, unlike ginseng, which has a strong medicinal smell.
It's a subtle yet unique flavor, enhanced by the natural freshness of the fish soup. The feeling is indescribable, like a gentle spring breeze or a light, drizzling rain – truly magical.
If the stir-fried pufferfish meat is likened to an erupting volcano, then this fish soup is like a tranquil spring nestled deep in the mountains. It's not a matter of which tastes better, but rather that they each have their own merits.
At first, Top and I were able to enjoy the food like gentlemen, but later on, we hadn't had any fresh food for a long time.
Like two tigers that have been starving for months and have been released from the mountains, they devour the food in front of them in a whirlwind.
Finally, Top finished eating and even couldn't help licking all his fingers, his monkey-like eyes slightly closed in satisfaction, just like a drug addict who had just enjoyed himself.
I know my body has only just recovered a bit, and this kind of overeating is bad for my health, but we still couldn't help doing it.
Top and I devoured the entire pot of fish soup and guinea pig meat; our bellies were round and full.
This is the most filling and best meal we've had since we arrived here.
...
The chirping of various insects echoed deep in the jungle, and a campfire flickered in a crevice on the mountainside, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the elongated shadows of a man and a monkey.
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