Chapter 116: Grilled Fish with Sichuan Pepper, Crispy Fried Fish, and Fish Balls – Dedicated to All Fish Lovers!

With fish on hand, of course, they had to eat them!

The two food lovers couldn’t hold back. They immediately started a “selection process” inside the space.

Ming Dai used her spatial ability to make the fish jump out of the pond one by one, while Zhou Sinian stood beside her, picking his favorites. As soon as he chose one, he tossed it onto the shore.

In the end, they had a whole pile of big fish.

“Ming Dai, this is so much fun!”

Ming Dai looked at the fish flopping on the ground and said, “Not only fun, but delicious too. What kind of dish do you want? You get to choose today!”

Zhou Sinian instantly got excited and started circling around the fish.

Even though he had lost his previous memories and had never eaten fish since coming to the Hongqi Commune, he had learned a lot about cooking from living with Ming Dai during this time.

That didn’t stop him from coming up with ideas!

“Ming Dai, Ming Dai! I want fish-filled pancakes! Shredded fish with potatoes! Pickled cabbage fish dumplings! Fried fish! Fish stew with cabbage! Candied fish! Steamed fish with rice flour! Fish noodles! Oh, and grilled fish and fish hotpot too!”

What kind of bizarre dishes were these?!

Ming Dai looked at him speechlessly. “Do you want fish candy while you’re at it?”

Zhou Sinian’s eyes immediately lit up. “Then I want fish candy in White Rabbit flavor! The fruity ones don’t taste good!”

“Ming Dai! Add fish candy-coated skewers too!”

…

Why did she even ask?

Of course, she couldn’t make such strange dishes. Instead, Ming Dai chose three proper cooking methods based on his suggestions.

For lunch, they decided to have grilled fish with Sichuan peppercorn flavor. Luckily, they had fresh green Sichuan peppercorns in storage, and the chili peppers they had grown were finally ready to be eaten. This meal had to happen!

In addition, since some of the fish had fewer bones, Ming Dai planned to make fish balls.

And lastly, she couldn’t stop thinking about crispy fried fish!

It had been so long since she last had it. The moment she saw the big fish, she couldn’t resist—she had to satisfy her craving!

Just listening to her describe the dishes made Zhou Sinian swallow his saliva. He couldn’t wait to get started.

Ming Dai picked out six large fish and threw the rest back into the water.

Zhou Sinian watched regretfully—he thought six wasn’t enough.

When it came to food, his usual obsession with cleanliness disappeared without a trace.

Since the fish were so big, they handled them right by the pond.

After demonstrating once, Ming Dai handed the knife to Zhou Sinian while she took the hose to rinse the fish.

Swish, swish, swish!

Zhou Sinian held the knife skillfully, scaling and gutting the fish with smooth, precise movements. He scraped, chopped, and cleaned without the slightest concern for the fishy smell.

Leaving him to continue, Ming Dai went to prepare the side ingredients.

Soon, the six large fish were laid out on the kitchen island.

She chose a thick grass carp and marinated it with cooking wine, salt, and scallion-ginger water to remove any fishiness. Then, she placed it on the grill, belly down, and put it into the oven to roast for 20 minutes.

The fish was large, and its belly was plump. Before long, sizzling sounds filled the oven.

The sound immediately drew Zhou Sinian’s attention. He crouched down, staring unblinkingly through the oven glass at the roasting fish.

Worried he might burn himself, Ming Dai pulled him over to slice the fish instead.

Zhou Sinian picked a knife that felt comfortable in his hand. Looking at the three big fish on the cutting board, his gaze sharpened. In one swift motion, the knife fell—three fish heads were chopped off instantly.

Watching his precise technique, Ming Dai gulped. She quickly stored the fish heads in the warehouse, planning to use them later for fish head tofu soup.

The remaining two fish were also grass carp. Ming Dai cut them into small pieces, each about two fingers wide, and marinated them with cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, scallions, ginger, and garlic. She also marinated the fish bones that Zhou Sinian had removed.

By then, the fish in the oven was ready. The moment she opened the oven, the rich aroma of roasted fish filled the entire room.

Zhou Sinian kept working while sniffing the air eagerly, full of anticipation.

Ming Dai took out a square electric pot and placed half of the roasted fish inside.

With just one fish head and half a fish body, the pot was already full.

She stored the remaining half in the warehouse, saving it for the next meal.

After heating oil in the pan, she stir-fried the pre-prepared ingredients to make the base sauce. Since they didn’t have red chili oil, Ming Dai added broth and crushed dry chilies instead. The fragrance was so tempting that even she could hardly resist.

Once the sauce was ready, she poured it into the pot with the fish. Then, she took out fresh green Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, scattering them evenly over the golden-brown roasted fish. The vibrant red and green colors made the dish look incredibly appetizing!

Finally, she sprinkled white sesame seeds and sliced garlic on top. Then, she heated some oil until it was sizzling hot and poured it over the Sichuan peppercorns. Instantly, the entire dish’s aroma was brought to life.

Zhou Sinian walked over with his knife in hand, clearly unable to wait any longer.

Ming Dai waved her hand. “Go wash up! Let’s eat first!”

Happily, Zhou Sinian put the knife down, picked up the pot, and carried it to the dining table.

Ming Dai asked him to get some rice from the storage while she opened the pot. In no time, the broth inside began to boil.

The numbing, spicy fragrance spread throughout the room. The two of them couldn’t wait any longer—they each picked up a piece and popped it into their mouths.

With just one bite, Zhou Sinian completely lost himself. He didn’t even lift his head after that, and his chopsticks moved so fast they left afterimages.

Ming Dai was equally satisfied. The resentment she had felt from being scared to tears that morning completely vanished.

As expected, good food could cure everything!

They finished the entire pot of fish, leaving nothing behind.

Zhou Sinian even ate the crispy roasted fish bones and soaked rice in the broth. Apart from the Sichuan peppercorns, not a single bit was wasted.

After experiencing the deliciousness of the roasted fish, he became even more excited about the other two dishes.

He was so eager that he skipped his afternoon nap and immediately picked up the knife to continue slicing fish.

Ming Dai, unable to sleep because of the noise, knew that unless she cooked the remaining fish, he wouldn’t calm down.

Sure enough, when he saw Ming Dai put on her apron again, Zhou Sinian smiled in satisfaction.

Time to get to work—she wanted crispy fried fish too!

So, neither of them had any time to rest that afternoon.

After Zhou Sinian finished slicing the fish, Ming Dai handed him two cleavers and told him to mince the fish into a paste.

Meanwhile, she prepared the sauce for the crispy fried fish.

Considering their different tastes, she decided to make two versions—one with extra sugar for Zhou Sinian and a mildly sweet one for herself.

She had often made this dish at home in her past life, so it came naturally to her.

By the time the sauce was simmering in the pot, Zhou Sinian had finished mincing the fish.

Ming Dai had him transfer it to a bowl and knead it vigorously to develop elasticity.

As the sauce in the pot bubbled and thickened, a sweet aroma filled the air.

Letting the sauce cool for a bit, Ming Dai moved on to handling the marinated fish.

For crispy fried fish to taste great, two things were crucial: the right sauce ratio and perfectly fried fish—crispy and golden, neither undercooked nor burnt.

She poured half a pot of oil into the pan and heated it until it reached medium temperature before adding the marinated fish pieces.

The golden oil bubbled and danced as the fish slowly turned a rich, golden hue, releasing an irresistible fragrance.

Even though he was still full from lunch, Zhou Sinian’s eyes stayed glued to the frying pan, carefully watching Ming Dai’s every move.

Once the fish pieces were fried to a crispy golden brown, she fried them a second time to lock in the crunch. While they were still hot, she transferred them into the cooled sauce, ensuring every piece soaked up the rich, sweet-savory flavor.

The aroma was too tempting. Ming Dai couldn’t resist and secretly took a bite. The fish had the perfect crunch, yet the meat inside remained tender and bouncy. Combined with the sweet and salty sauce, it was unbelievably delicious.

However, her little act didn’t escape Zhou Sinian, whose eyes had been locked onto the fish the entire time.

“Ming Dai!”

The food-guarding puppy had been activated!

Before his voice even fully landed, he had already teleported from the kitchen island to the stove.

While he shot her a look of disapproval for sneaking a bite, he swiftly grabbed a piece himself and popped it into his mouth. The moment he tasted the crispy fried fish, all thoughts of scolding her vanished.

Ming Dai scooped out some crispy fried fish to eat immediately, while the rest was placed in a large bowl and stored in the space warehouse, ensuring the texture wouldn’t harden over time.

Meanwhile, Zhou Sinian had finished kneading the fish paste until it was perfectly elastic. After adding some seasoning and starch and mixing it well, Ming Dai began shaping the fish balls.

She formed them one by one, while Zhou Sinian diligently followed her instructions, scooping them out as they cooked.

The snow-white fish balls tumbled in the boiling water. Unable to resist, Zhou Sinian sneaked one into his mouth. The taste was fresh and sweet, with a satisfyingly bouncy texture.

“Ming Dai, this is delicious!”

Ming Dai proudly lifted her chin. “Is there anything I make that isn’t delicious?!”

Zhou Sinian thought for a moment. “That cold marinated cilantro with sunflower seeds—not tasty!”

Ming Dai was speechless. He just didn’t know how to appreciate it!

The two of them worked for over two hours before finally finishing the fish balls.

A massive bowlful—enough to last until the New Year.

By dinnertime, Ming Dai was too exhausted to cook, so she had Zhou Sinian use the fish ball broth to make handmade noodles. He added the fish balls and served them alongside the crispy fried fish, concluding their meal.

Completely satisfied with the new fish dishes, Zhou Sinian enthusiastically took on the responsibility of feeding the fish.

Every day, he cut fresh pasture grass and tossed it into the fish pond, occasionally adding some cornmeal.

At one point, the fish even surpassed the silly deer, becoming the number one delicacy on Zhou Sinian’s food ranking list.