Chapter 77 : One Fish, Five Ways to Eat It

Sun Zeyan quickly explained, “I saw a female comrade selling this fish, and she explained its origins to me. This fish is called anglerfish, it lives in the deep sea and has a delicious taste! Especially the liver, which is said to be even more exquisite!”  

“When I heard that, I realized none of us had ever seen or tasted it before! So, I thought we should definitely buy it and let the leaders try it. I also asked that female comrade to prepare the fish herself. She said she would cook it in five different ways!”  

“One fish, five ways?”  

This was the first time Gu Changrong had heard of such a concept.  

“Can one fish really be prepared in five different ways?”  

Sun Zeyan nodded enthusiastically. “As expected of a top leader! You understood immediately, unlike me, I had to ask for details! This fish liver dish should be the first of the five preparations.”  

After hearing this, everyone became curious about the other four ways the fish would be cooked.  

And with the unique aroma of the fried fish liver filling the air, they couldn’t resist trying it!  

Gu Changrong picked up a piece and placed it in his mouth.  

He closed his eyes and savored it slowly.  

The moment the fish liver touched his tongue, he could taste the fragrance of wine and fruit. He bit down gently, and the crispy outer layer cracked, revealing the tender, rich fish liver inside. The flavors instantly melted on his tongue!  

His eyes flew open in astonishment!  

This is amazing!!  

The others had similar expressions of surprise!  

This fish liver was unlike anything they had ever tasted!  

The texture was unique, the flavor unlike any other dish they had tried before it was like stepping into a whole new world of taste!  

Gu Changrong then picked up a piece of the poached snow pear next to the fish liver. It was soft, infused with the fragrance of pear and grapes, blending perfectly with the wine aroma and the richness of the fish fat. It was simply delicious!  

Absolutely delicious!  

Even Sun Zeyan hadn’t expected the fish liver to turn out so exquisite!  

His excitement grew as he anticipated the remaining four dishes.  

Meanwhile, Wang Zhenzhu, who was at the ticket window, had been observing the leaders’ reactions. She had been waiting for them to get angry or at least frown in disgust when they tasted Song Shiwei’s fish liver dish. Even if they didn’t say anything out of politeness, she was sure they would at least grimace or spit it out.  

But what she didn’t expect was the leaders’ astonished and delighted expressions.  

What’s going on?!  

Impossible! How could that woman possibly know how to cook? And fish liver, of all things? That sounds disgusting! I’ve never had fish liver, but I’ve eaten chicken liver, goose liver, and pork liver, they all have a fishy smell and a weird texture.  

How could she make liver taste this good?  

Are the leaders’ taste buds broken?  

They don’t usually react this dramatically to food!  

No matter what she thought, in the kitchen, Song Shiwei had already started preparing the second dish.  

This time, she was making Spicy Fried anglerfish Bones.  

She peeled off the entire fish skin, revealing the translucent, tender flesh beneath.  

She carefully removed the fish meat, extracted the teeth, and took out the jawbone.  

In the throat of the anglerfish, there was a row of small bones, these had to be removed!  

Then, she chopped the remaining fish bones into small pieces and marinated them with salt, cooking wine, five-spice powder, and a bit of starch.  

She heated oil in a pan and, once hot, added the marinated fish bones, frying them until they turned crispy and golden.  

The sizzling of the hot oil and the crunching of frying bones echoed throughout the kitchen.  

After frying, she removed the bones and left some oil in the pan. Into the hot oil, she added a handful of dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, more Sichuan peppercorns (for extra numbness), cooking wine, sliced garlic, and green pepper pieces. She stir-fried everything until the fragrance was released.  

Then, she quickly tossed the crispy anglerfish bones back into the pan, stir-frying them with the seasonings until fully coated.  

Just before taking it off the heat, she added a touch of salt and sugar to balance the flavors. Finally, she sprinkled some white sesame seeds on top.

The spicy anglerfish bone dish is ready!  

As soon as the dish was finished, the entire kitchen was filled with a rich, spicy aroma!  

Many of the kitchen helpers were drooling. While washing and cutting vegetables, they kept sneaking glances at Song Shiwei!  

Even Sun Quan occasionally looked over at her.  

If he had looked down on her before, after seeing her skillfully prepare two dishes especially this one, with its perfect color, aroma, and flavor he had completely changed his mind. Instead of underestimating her, he now admired her talent.  

“This little girl is so young, yet her cooking skills are already so advanced. She’s clearly exceptionally gifted! If I could take her as my apprentice, I would definitely gain fame throughout Qing City. I just don’t know if she’d be willing to follow me.”  

Manager Zhou was busy in the front hall, but as soon as the fragrance drifted his way, he immediately went to the back kitchen. When he saw the spicy fish bones that Song Shiwei had just prepared, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva.  

“It smells amazing! Truly amazing!  

I’ve worked in this state-owned restaurant for so many years, but I’ve never smelled anything this delicious!”  

Even the way he looked at Song Shiwei changed.  

It turned out he had been wrong about her, this girl was truly skilled!  

As soon as the dish was served, the fragrance filled the entire dining hall.  

Sun Zeyan and the others stared at the dish without blinking.  

The moment it was placed on the table, everyone rushed to grab a piece, nearly scrambling for food.  

Who would have thought that high-ranking officials would be fighting over a dish? They were afraid that if they hesitated, it would all be gone!  

The spicy fish bones sold out in an instant.  

Everyone who got a taste of the dish was amazed.  

At first bite, it was spicy and slightly sweet. The fish bones were crispy and fragrant, and the sweetness enhanced the umami flavor, it was incredibly delicious.  

Gu Changrong hadn’t had such a satisfying meal in a long time.  

Ever since summer began, he had felt a loss of appetite, and everything tasted bland.  

But he hadn’t expected that the two dishes he had today would completely awaken his taste buds. Even though his lips were tingling from the spice, he kept eating piece after piece, unable to stop himself.  

Looking at the empty plate in front of him, he still felt unsatisfied.  

Even the chili peppers in the dish were stuffed into steamed buns and eaten, proof of just how delicious it was!  

Sun Zeyan was especially frustrated that the leaders had only managed to taste a single piece. His appetite had been completely awakened, but then he had to stop eating, it was agonizing!  

He secretly vowed to grab a few more pieces from the next dish!  

The third dish was braised anglerfish tai.  

Song Shiwei carefully removed the side fins and tail fin, leaving only the white, tender tail meat.  

She cut the fish tail into a flower-like pattern, slicing it horizontally without cutting all the way through. This way, when cooked, the tail meat would curl up beautifully like a blooming flower.  

She lightly dusted the fish tail with starch, fried it in hot oil until it took shape, and removed it when the surface turned slightly golden.  

Then, she left some oil in the pan, stir-fried minced garlic until fragrant, added the pre-fried fish tail, and poured in cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, and water. She covered the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes.  

Finally, she turned up the heat to thicken the sauce and added a bit of starch water to give it a glossy finish. She carefully poured the thickened sauce over the fish.  

With oil sizzling in the pan and the fragrance rising, the dish was plated and ready to serve!  

She sprinkled some minced garlic on top for extra aroma and a handful of chopped green onions for a pop of color.  

The braised anglerfish tail was ready.  

As soon as it was brought out, the entire kitchen and dining hall erupted into an uproar.  

Countless people crowded near the windows, trying to get a glimpse inside.  

“I’ve been smelling something amazing for a while, what is that?”  

“Yeah! It smells incredible! I’m literally drooling!”  

“I’ve never smelled anything so delicious in my life! How much does it cost?!”