The chicken was so tender it fell apart, requiring almost no chewing to swallow.
The chicken was coated in a rich curry sauce, the two blending together perfectly. Far from being dry, the chicken had absorbed the sauce, giving it a tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Li Xiao picked up the bread lid on the side, which had been cut into finger-thick strips, and dipped the fragrant, toasted pieces into the curry.
He popped a curry-soaked piece of bread into his mouth. One side was crispy and fragrant, the other soft and tender, and both were coated in the rich sauce. It made a satisfying CRUNCH as he chewed.
A cascade of different sensations assaulted the nerve endings on his tongue, before the spicy curry unified them all into a single, harmonious flavor.
His chopsticks moved nonstop until the entire plate of curry chicken before him was gone.
He was debating whether to eat the bread bowl that served as the container when the waitress brought over the second dish.
This dish was also served in individual portions, each in a small, grayish-white granite stone pot.
"This is the Green Peppercorn Stone Pot Fish."
The waitress carefully reminded them,
"Please be very careful, everyone. The liquid in the pot is boiling, and the stone itself is several hundred degrees, so please don’t touch it."
The broth in the stone pot was scalding hot, releasing fine bubbles and glowing with a rich, golden hue.
An irresistible aroma of fish wafted from the golden broth.
The pickled greens were a vibrant, dewy emerald, their fresh color signaling their quality and perfectly complementing the golden broth.
Mixed in with the tender pickled greens was a hint of sweetness, all of it a lively, fresh green.
The pot was also dotted with fresh green Sichuan peppercorns, which not only added color but also promised a deliciously numbing and spicy flavor.
The color of these green Sichuan peppercorns was a tender green, making the whole dish look richer and more colorful.
The broth in the granite pot bubbled away, clearly still at a rolling boil.
The pervasive fragrance of green Sichuan peppercorns rode the steam that billowed continuously from the pot, filling the air.
The green Sichuan peppercorns were sprinkled over the fish, a fresh emerald color. Even after being cooked, they retained their tender green hue, right down to their stems.
These young peppercorns are more tender and smoother than their mature counterparts. While their numbing effect is slightly milder, their aroma is far more intense.
Because the husks of young peppercorns are so delicate, just a small drizzle of hot oil is enough to fully release their numbing spice.
Unlike mature peppercorns, which require several applications of oil, the young ones are more efficient, preventing the dish from becoming overly greasy.
Furthermore, young peppercorns lack the bitterness of mature ones, resulting in a purer numbing sensation that doesn’t interfere with the dish’s overall flavor profile.
Despite their many advantages, the thin husks of young peppercorns cause them to lose moisture quickly.
Once picked, they must be used within a few days, or they will wither.
This high spoilage rate significantly increases ingredient costs, which is why, despite their benefits, few restaurants use them.
Therefore, only restaurants with a high turnover, who can get them in stock and use them up quickly, will use these young peppercorns.
And Yangcheng isn’t a region that produces Sichuan peppercorns. These had obviously been shipped from a great distance, and the time and expense involved in transporting them couldn’t have been trivial.
’To go to such great lengths just to buy these peppercorns... and all for the sake of making the fish less greasy and slightly less bitter.’
Li Xiao couldn’t help but give a wry smile. ’No wonder Yu Feng Pavilion’s business is always booming.’
’At other restaurants, chefs and owners rack their brains trying to figure out how to minimize ingredient costs and maximize profit margins.’
’But Yu Feng Pavilion does the exact opposite, willingly paying several times the cost just to provide a superior flavor.’
’If any other small restaurant tried this, their competitors would probably scoff at them.’
’They’d pinch pennies over a ten or twenty percent margin, while Yu Feng Pavilion spares no expense in its pursuit of higher quality. That kind of courage is rare.’
The fish Yu Feng Pavilion used was also quite distinctive. Instead of the traditional mandarin fish or sea bass, they chose the Leopard Coral Grouper.
The ones used here were cage-farmed and weighed around a pound. Compared to mandarin fish and sea bass, this grouper’s meat was more tender, its flavor fresher and sweeter, and its texture much firmer.
Although this type of Leopard Coral Grouper was slightly more expensive than sea bass or mandarin fish, it significantly elevated the quality of the dish.
Of course, under ideal circumstances, a wild-caught fish would have superior texture and flavor.
However, for a restaurant that requires a daily supply, securing a stable channel for wild-caught fish is extremely challenging.
The wild fish harvest is often constrained by weather and other uncertainties, leading to frequent ingredient shortages.
After all, relying on trawling is an occupation at the mercy of the heavens.
Therefore, to guarantee a stable supply, Yu Feng Pavilion chose the more controllable cage-farmed Leopard Coral Grouper. While its flavor might not match that of its wild counterpart, it better suited the restaurant’s needs.
Li Xiao adjusted his camera, focusing it on the still-boiling pot of stone pot fish.
"This golden broth pickled fish looks absolutely mouthwatering. I’ll have the first taste for all of you."
He picked up a slice of the Leopard Coral Grouper. Its brilliant red skin was dotted with faint blue spots.
Though the spots had dulled after the fish’s death, it didn’t detract from its gorgeous coloring.
He placed the slice of fish, coated in a thin sheen of oil, into his mouth. The rich fragrance of the Sichuan peppercorns immediately conquered his taste buds. A tingling numbness shot along his nerves, spreading instantly from his tongue to his toes.
Then, the tingling sensation seemed to rush back up from his toes to the tip of his tongue. In this recurring cycle, his taste buds went numb, recovered, and went numb again.
By the time his tongue reawakened, the fish had already fallen apart with just a few bites.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 21st entry in your Food Compendium.]
[Food Compendium entry unlocked: Golden Broth Fish with Pickled Greens]
[Dish Rating: 92/100 (Excellent)]
[Reward multiplier for Excellent rating: x4]
[Congratulations! You have received: Golden Broth with Pickled Greens Recipe.]
[Congratulations! You have received: Tips for Selecting Grouper.]
[Congratulations! You have received a Special Reward: Your success rate while sea fishing is increased by 20%.]
[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward: 800,000.]
...
Though he’d just acquired a skill that would make any angler ecstatic, Li Xiao paid it little mind. His attention was completely captivated by the food in his mouth.
Li Xiao praised it with satisfaction.
"The bracing sourness of the pickled greens, the fragrant numbness of the Sichuan peppercorns, the zesty tang of the chopped chilies, and the fresh, tender smoothness of the fish are all perfectly fused within a single slice."
"The Leopard Coral Grouper’s firm texture allows it to withstand a longer cooking time, which lets the flavors of the fish and the broth meld together seamlessly."
"The two complement each other without the slightest hint of discord."
"Often, when restaurants use sea bass or mandarin fish for boiled fish dishes or fish with pickled greens, they worry that cooking it for too long will make the meat tough or cause it to fall apart completely."
"So, they usually pull the fish out right after flash-frying it, only adding it back into the golden broth once the broth is finished."
"While this keeps the fish tender, it prevents the flavor of the broth from properly infusing into the meat. The fish tastes like fish, the broth tastes like broth, and the two feel completely separate."
"To compensate, chefs have to make the broth incredibly salty just to make up for the blandness of the fish."
"However, by using the higher-quality Leopard Coral Grouper, that problem is completely avoided."
"The grouper’s flesh is much firmer, so it can be left in the broth for an extended period. The heat allows the broth’s flavor to completely permeate the meat, letting the two fuse into one."
In the livestream chat room.
"Leopard Coral Grouper? What kind of fish is that? I’ve never heard of it."
"Leopard Coral Grouper is a saltwater fish, relatively expensive. I guess only coastal cities would have it. Even if inland cities have it, the price would be very high."
"Using Leopard Coral Grouper to make fish with pickled greens? Isn’t that too extravagant?"
"I just saw the price, 188 for one portion. I thought it was expensive, but now it seems like they’re selling it too cheap."
...
Li Xiao picked up another piece of fish. He’d been so stunned by the seasoning before that he hadn’t savored the fish itself.
The fish slid smoothly past his lips and teeth. It was incredibly slick and hadn’t become tough despite soaking in the broth for so long. This was another clear advantage of using the Leopard Coral Grouper.
Then again, even cage-farmed Leopard Coral Grouper wasn’t cheap. And you couldn’t get that many fillets from a one-pound fish.
The head and tail, from which you couldn’t get fillets, could only be used to make the soup base. So while this made the broth exceptionally flavorful and elevated the entire dish, it also made the cost... eye-watering.
Some might ask, why not use a larger Leopard Coral Grouper?
That’s because once the grouper gets too big, its texture changes. It goes from tender to extremely firm, losing the delicate smoothness required for a dish like this.
The pickled greens in the dish were also wonderfully crisp. The sourness wasn’t overwhelming, and it lacked that unpleasant, funky odor, which meant the fermentation time was perfect.
’In a restaurant like this, it’s highly likely they pickle the greens themselves.’
Li Xiao was surprised to even taste a faint sweetness within the crisp pickled greens. He couldn’t quite explain where that hint of sweetness came from.
But the sensation was simply too marvelous. ’Forget everything else,’ he thought. ’Just these crisp, slightly sweet pickled greens could probably be the main attraction for an entire little restaurant.’