If the stewed soup from before had merely surprised him, then the current pan-fried wild yellow croaker was nothing short of stunning.
At this moment, he even felt the urge to call the manager over and have him help reserve a fresh large yellow croaker.
After all, the one before him was just chilled, not live, and it had already scored a high 96 points.
’I can’t imagine how high the system’s score would be if this dish were made with a live yellow croaker.’
Live wild large yellow croakers were truly a rare find.
It was impossible to get one without reserving it in advance.
After hesitating for just a moment, Li Xiao decided to go for it. It was only a little over three hours from Yangcheng to Shantou.
When the time came, he could just trouble his little assistant or Huang Zhiyuan to act as a driver and bring him over.
’Three hours is nothing. I can just scroll through TikTok or take a nap, and it’ll pass in a flash. But I can’t miss out on this fresh large yellow croaker.’
He quickly pressed the service bell, and the door was pushed open a few seconds later.
The waitress who had served the dishes earlier came in and asked politely,
"How may I help you, esteemed guests?"
Li Xiao quickly spoke up.
"I’d like to reserve a wild large yellow croaker—a live one. How do I go about that?"
The waitress replied with a polite smile on her face.
"Reserving dishes needs to be discussed with the manager. Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. I’ll go get him right away."
The waitress quickly closed the door behind her.
A moment later, the same manager who had helped Li Xiao order reappeared in the private room.
Hearing Li Xiao’s request, the manager showed no surprise. The pan-fried large yellow croaker was, after all, their restaurant’s specialty.
Many customers who tried it became regulars, and it wasn’t uncommon for people like Li Xiao to want to reserve a live wild yellow croaker immediately after finishing their meal.
The manager said,
"Of course, you can make a reservation, but live wild large yellow croakers are quite expensive."
"What weight are you looking for, sir? If it’s a lighter one, the chances of finding it are higher. But if you want a larger one, that’s truly a matter of luck."
Li Xiao pondered for a moment. It was true that the bigger the yellow croaker, the better it tasted. But just as the manager said, catching a large one was extremely difficult.
It was hard enough to catch one at all, let alone to bring it in alive.
So, he lowered his expectations.
"1.5 jin or heavier. If you have two that are over one jin each, that would also work."
The manager breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Li Xiao’s request wasn’t too outrageous. Although live large yellow croakers were rare, it was still possible to find one of that size if they kept an eye out.
He quickly did some mental calculations and quoted a deposit amount.
"For a fish of this size, you’ll need to prepay a deposit of around 20,000 yuan. As for the final price, we’ll contact you again after we’ve purchased the fish."
A 20,000-yuan deposit wasn’t expensive for a live large yellow croaker.
Without much hesitation, Li Xiao nodded in agreement.
"No problem. Just add the deposit to the bill for this meal."
After the manager left, the second dish was quickly brought out.
Perhaps because Li Xiao had requested the yellow croaker be split into four portions, the waitress had divided this dish into four portions in advance as well.
"This is the Braised Goose Platter, made with a four-year-old Lion-Head goose. Please enjoy, esteemed guests."
Looking at the platter placed before him, Li Xiao’s gaze was immediately captivated by the mouth-watering delicacy.
[PS: The Lion-Head goose is the largest breed of goose in the world. A mature Lion-Head goose can weigh over 20 jin.]
The Braised Goose Platter before him featured different parts of the goose.
The Lion-Head goose’s head was skillfully cut while preserving its complete shape.
Its skin was a golden-yellow, cooked to perfection, with a slight sheen on the surface.
The head’s skin was thin and the meat tender. With a gentle bite, one could feel the delicate texture and faint aroma unique to goose meat.
The brain, in particular, was considered the height of delicacy, with a tender texture and rich in nutrients.
The goose meat was sliced evenly, revealing a tempting light red color. The meat was firm yet juicy.
Each slice of meat, slow-cooked in the braising liquid, had fully absorbed the flavors of the spices while retaining the goose’s own natural savoriness.
The meat was smooth and tender in the mouth, soft in texture, with a faint medicinal fragrance and the complex aroma of the braising liquid.
The goose liver was a major highlight of the dish. It was dark brown, glistening slightly with oil, and revealed a smooth cross-section when sliced.
The liver’s texture was delicate and rich, its flavor intense with a unique mellowness. The rich texture lingered in the mouth, like eating a piece of exquisite cheese.
During the braising process, the goose liver absorbed the essence of various spices, making its flavor even richer.
The goose intestines were cleaned impeccably. They retained a little of their snow-white fat but had no impurities, and their surface showed a natural, pale yellow color.
After cooking, the intestines retained their original elasticity and were incredibly flavorful, having fully absorbed the aroma of the braising liquid.
However, the chef’s control over the cooking time was masterful. The goose intestines had a subtle springiness in the mouth. With every bite, one could feel the delicate texture of the intestine and the aroma of the brine fusing together, creating a unique mouthfeel.
After carefully tasting each different part on the platter, Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
The four different parts each had their own unique characteristics, yet all were exquisitely prepared, which was quite rare.
At the same time, the system’s notification sound rang in his mind.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 46th encyclopedia entry.]
[The food encyclopedia entry you have unlocked is: Braised Goose Platter]
[Dish Rating: 93 Points [Excellent]]
[As the dish rating is Excellent, reward is multiplied by 4.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Braising Liquid Recipe]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Braised Goose Platter Recipe]
···············
Honestly, Li Xiao was growing more and more satisfied with this private kitchen.
’No wonder so many rich people come to taste the food here, despite the run-down environment and high prices. The flavors are just too outstanding.’
Braised dishes were very simple to make. With a pre-made spice packet for the braising liquid, even an ordinary family could easily prepare them. But by the same token, it was a dish that was easy to learn but difficult to master.
Setting everything else aside, just a pot of good braising liquid was exceptionally rare.
The braising liquid used for the platter before him was very special; it wasn’t the common, heavy-flavored type.
Li Xiao could tell that this braising liquid had been simmered with a large amount of medicinal herbs, yet its own flavor leaned towards the lighter side.
As a result, the braising liquid didn’t overpower the meaty fragrance of the Lion-Head goose. Instead, the two complemented each other, forming a perfect pairing.