Chapter 71 The violin you asked for is here
Fabian came prepared this time, with the trunk full of beer, determined to get drunk with Xiao Peng again. Fabian was a very good drinking buddy and he didn't cheat when drinking.
Xiao Peng went to the kitchen to cut some ham, grabbed some peanuts he had fried specifically for drinking, and made some green onions and basil as a side dish. The two of them went to the roof together.
"Hey, today's drinking treatment is better than last time. There are even snacks to go with the drinks!" Fabian joked.
"Eat it or not!" Xiao Peng placed the appetizer on the table. "I'm also cooking crabs, but I want to remind you that if you have a weak stomach, crabs and beer can easily cause diarrhea!"
Fabian laughed. "I'm a Maasai! I learned to eat crabs before I even learned to drink milk! My favorite is crab. Mediterranean green crab or Atlantic blue crab?"
Xiao Peng said, "The latter. Green crabs are harder to find now than blue crabs! This morning, when I went to the dock, there were only blue crabs. The green crabs were all reserved by restaurants in town!"
Fabian laughed and said, "That's great! I love blue crabs! Only those stupid tourists eat green crabs."
"Huh?" Xiao Peng was stunned. "I thought you were also worried about invasive species!"
Fabian shook his head and said, "Worrying is for scientists! If I had known earlier, I should have cooked the crabs myself. No one on this planet enjoys seafood better than us Maasai!"
Both green and blue crabs are actually swimming crabs. The difference between the two is the color of their shells. The Mediterranean swimming crabs have green shells, while the blue swimming crabs are native to the East Coast of the United States.
Since 2012, the blue swimming crab has crossed the Atlantic and appeared off the coast of Spain. It feels like paradise for these crabs, while the local green crabs have been decimated. This has become a serious biological invasion in the Mediterranean, and how to solve this problem has many scientists racking their brains.
But for ordinary people, this is a good thing. After all, this blue swimming crab is more active, larger in size and more delicious to eat.
"Fabian, just brag to me! You Maasai people either boil or grill them, wasting the good stuff!" Xiao Peng said, "Alright, wait here for me. I'll show you how to really eat crabs!"
The history of the Chinese people is essentially a history of struggle against hunger. It's said that "food is the most important thing for the people." However, since ancient times, China has been plagued by scarcity. To conserve energy, people have resorted to the most energy-efficient cooking method: steaming. Furthermore, of all cooking techniques, steaming is the most effective at preserving the original flavor of ingredients. Steaming is also the most common way to prepare crab in China.
This is different in Europe, where crabs are often cooked by either roasting or boiling. For example, the famous French crab gratin is made by first boiling the crab meat and cutting it into small pieces. The crab meat is then cooked with butter, shallots, wine, milk, flour, and other ingredients. The crab meat is then placed in a crab shell, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and cheese, and baked in the oven.
This is because they prefer to eat seasoned food, including crab. The most common way to prepare crab in Marseille is to boil it, adding ingredients like rosemary and saffron. After cooking, it's topped with lemon juice. They believe this method best preserves the original flavor.
Today, Xiao Peng will show him what the real "original flavor" is. The big crabs are steamed, while the small crabs are coated with batter and fried.
Steaming crabs is a skill in itself: live crabs must be washed with seawater to revitalize them. Then, steam them in hot water, not cold water. This significantly shortens the steaming time and tightens the crab meat, solidifying the roe and paste quickly, preserving the crab's flavor.
Deep-frying crab is relatively simple: simply cut the crab in half, coat it with batter, and deep-fry until the shell turns red. The only important thing to note is that the oil must be hot before frying. The batter locks the oil into the crab meat, allowing the aroma of peanut oil and the umami flavor of crab meat to blend perfectly.
When Xiao Peng brought the crabs to the roof, Fabian had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the steamed crabs, he was stunned: "Isn't this just boiled crabs?"
Xiao Peng shook his head. "This is called steamed crab. Forget it. Try it yourself and see if there's any difference. I got you some lemon juice. If you like, you can pour it on yourself."
"What about you?" Fabian asked curiously.
Xiao Peng said, "I've prepared some ginger juice, but I'm afraid you might not be used to it."
The so-called "ginger juice" is actually minced ginger mixed with rice vinegar. In Xiao Peng's hometown, ginger is a common dipping sauce for seafood. Even within China, the dipping sauce used for crab varies. Some regions prefer soy sauce, others aged vinegar, and still others rice vinegar. The key lies in local dietary habits.
Everyone has different tastes. Take fried crab, for example. Even in Xiao Peng's hometown, people prefer to eat it plain, but Xiao Peng likes to dip it in salt and pepper. It's just a matter of personal preference.
Fabian really likes Xiao Peng's steamed crab, saying it tastes more natural and delicious. However, he is not used to using sauce and must use lemon juice. As for fried crab, he likes to scoop out the crab meat and mix it with butter.
Xiao Peng understood why Fabian preferred to eat the "exotic species" blue crabs, which were larger and had fuller shells.
After opening the crab shell, the plump crab roe and crab paste are so fresh, fragrant and tender. The crab meat in the crab claws is silvery white. Compared with the swimming crabs in my hometown, the muscles in the blue crab claws are tighter and very elastic when eaten!
This kind of crab is more suitable for frying!
The crab shells are crispy and easy to chew, while the crab meat inside is still juicy and tender! Deep-fried with peanut oil and batter, they have a rich aroma and flavor!
Fabian had originally planned to chat with Xiao Peng over a drink, but once he got his hands on the crab, he couldn't stop eating it. How could he have time for business? They say the French eat elegantly, but that probably doesn't apply to the people of Marseille. Fabian grabbed a fried crab and gnawed it hard like he was gnawing on a chicken drumstick, his expression a ferocious one!
Xiao Peng couldn't bear it any longer: "Fabian, don't you say that eating should be elegant? Look at the way you eat!"
"Elegant?" Fabian put down the crab, wiped his hands with a wet towel, and pulled out his phone to play a song. "Look, there's music on the side. Isn't it elegant enough? If you think it's not elegant enough, how about I ask someone to play the violin next to us? It's like a romantic dinner for lovers!"
Just as Xiao Peng was about to answer, he heard the sound of a "big saw" coming from outside the room.
"Bang! What's that sound?" Fabian was startled.
Xiao Peng shrugged: "The violin you asked for."
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