Chapter 280 Izakaya, Warmth

There is such a saying:

Spicy is the most aggressive flavor, and there is nothing more addictive than spicy.

This sentence highlights the importance of "spicy" in gourmet cuisine. Just like all sweet things will make you tired if you eat too much, but spicy food will not be the same!

In daily life, people's diet is naturally extremely colorful.

picture:

Dried fish!

It is a food that many people like to eat.

But aquatic organisms like this generally have a strong fishy smell, and the sources of fishy smell between saltwater organisms and freshwater organisms are not the same!

Marine organisms need to resist the osmotic pressure caused by the high salinity of seawater.

In order to prevent the body from losing water and turning it into a salty fish, it is generally chosen to fill cells with amino acids and amines to maintain osmotic pressure balance.

Marine fish often rely on trimethylamine oxide.

When marine fish die, the originally colorless and odorless trimethylamine oxide in their bodies will gradually be reduced by bacteria and biological enzymes into another substance, trimethylamine.

Low concentrations of trimethylamine have a strong fishy odor.

High concentrations of trimethylamine have an odor similar to ammonia, which is the so-called rotten egg smell.

thus. How to remove the fishy smell is often a question that tests the chef's own ability and level.

…

First, add an appropriate amount of white vinegar to the dried fish in water and soak it for half an hour to remove the fishy smell.

Then dry the soaked fish, wash it 6 times with water and drain the water.

Wash the garlic sprouts and cut into sections.

Wash and chop the chili peppers. Use red chili peppers.

The spicy dried fish made in this way will be even more flavorful!

Immediately afterwards.

After washing the dried fish with clean water, drain the water immediately.

Heat a pan, add a little oil, add dried fish and shredded ginger, stir-fry over medium-low heat until fragrant, add a little sesame oil and fry until slightly brown and spicy, then remove from the pan.

Pour oil into the pot, add chopped chilies, stir-fry until spicy, add white garlic.

When the hot chili oil was poured on it, the aroma of chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns and other ingredients continued to burst out along with the sizzling sound. Alice on the side almost drooled when she saw it.

At first glance, the red pepper on the surface is eye-catching, and the sprinkled sesame seeds are the icing on the cake, like dancing elves dancing with the spicy food!

At the same time, the fragrance emanating from the air was even more ferocious like a wild beast.

Um!

Even if you don’t like spicy food.

Alice also felt shocked and excited at this time.

After all, this scene is simply tempting!

…

"This smell...it smells so good~"

"Mom, I have never eaten spicy food in my life, but this spicy dried fish in front of me makes me feel pungent and full of appetite at the same time!"

Involuntarily, Alice's bright eyes sparkled with joy. She was really looking forward to Zhang Fan's spicy dried fish dish.

"Very good, the next step is to stir-fry until the juice is thickened!"

At this moment, Zhang Fan, who was not affected by the surrounding environment, tightened his eyes and his expression became serious.

Then he quickly added the fried dried fish into the chili pot, then added a little light soy sauce, cooking wine, and a small spoonful of water, and turned to high heat to absorb the juice in the pot.

Finally, put the garlic sprouts into the pot, stir-fry until cooked, add salt and stir-fry evenly.

that's all.

A plate of spicy dried fish is done!

…

"Come on, you two please use it slowly."

"Huh? It's strange. I have eaten spicy dried fish before, but I felt...

When a plate of freshly baked spicy dried fish was placed in front of Leonora's eyes, she couldn't help but move her nose, and felt a strange fragrance coming to her nostrils.

Take a closer look.

Every dried fish seems to be full of the word "spicy".

Under the light, the shiny little dried fish seemed to sparkle like rubies.

Obviously, both in terms of quality and appearance, and the selection of ingredients, the dish in front of her somewhat broke Leonora's previous understanding. Especially the extremely pungent and rich fragrance in the air shocked her even more!

If.

In the past, her understanding of spicy dried fish was always based on the quality of the dried fish.

So, the focus of Zhang Fan's dish is on the word spicy, and more importantly on the control of the taste!

…

“It’s full of spices and the ingredients look rich.”

"It seems that Zhang Fan, your current cooking skills are becoming more and more extraordinary!"

Raising her head slightly to glance at Zhang Fan, Leonora's impression of him had changed a lot at this time.

Then she regained consciousness for a moment.

I started to pick up the chopsticks and tasted it carefully.

The entrance felt a little numb, and then a spiciness burst out quickly, filling every part of her tongue, catching her off guard.

And the fishy smell of fish is gone, only the heavy fish fragrance keeps reverberating in the mouth!

Every time I take it into my mouth, I feel that the fish meat is tender and delicate, oily but not greasy. The appropriate cooking time makes the fish meat more elastic and firm, and the strong and spicy flavor continues to penetrate the nose.

Fragrant, spicy, numb, fresh, hot... a simple plate of spicy dried fish is always full of such complex flavors.

These abnormal sensory experiences made Leonora hooked on the spot.

…

It is said that one portion is spicy and the other is fragrant, and a piece of fish comes with another flavor.

This kind of spicy dried fish is a combination of numbing, spicy, fresh and fragrant. It tastes really unforgettable.

"It's amazing. Not only does it bring out all the deliciousness of the fish, but even if you chew it a little, your mouth will be filled with that numb and spicy taste!"

"At first, I was naive."

"All the spicy dried fish in the world are pretty much the same no matter how they are cooked."

"At most, it's just the quality of dried small fish, isn't it good?"

"However, I really didn't expect that the spicy dried fish in this izakaya once again exceeded my knowledge and imagination!"

In fact, the hotter the place, the more spicy food you eat.

In colder places in the world, such as Northern Europe, people there don't eat spicy food.

They usually want to keep the original flavor of the food, so they add less spices. They must not be used to the strong taste of chili peppers.

therefore.

From a worldwide perspective.

The idea that eating spicy food can dispel dampness and dispel cold still needs to be verified!

The bright red peppers and golden dried fish contrast with each other, creating a colorful picture.

They sparkle alluringly under the light, making people want to take a closer look.

Regardless of whether it is Leonora or Alice, every time they take a bite of the spicy dried fish, the rich spicy taste and the delicious fish meat are intertwined in their mouths, like a feast for the taste buds!

In Zhang Fan's eyes, once Chinese cuisine goes overseas, a certain degree of localization is inevitable.

However, localization is not about adjusting the presentation and order of dishes, or simply putting a "suit" on Chinese food. It is also not about completely discarding the charm and tradition of Chinese food, abandoning the original taste, and then completely "westernizing" it.

We should accurately grasp the tastes of diners and improve the dishes. At the same time, we should draw inspiration from Western food and constantly introduce new ones.

right!

This is a real improvement!

…

It's 2 o'clock in the evening.

It’s finally time for the izakaya to close.

Nakiri Senzaemon and Leonora left early, but Alice stayed at the izakaya!

A cow, only after it is slaughtered, will gradually become stiff due to the excessive stress of being killed.

During the slaughtering process, if some temperature and humidity control can be carried out, the protein enzymes contained in the beef itself can start to act and gradually disintegrate the collagen tissue and muscle fibers of the beef.

This will allow the beef to soften naturally and greatly improve the tenderness of the beef.

This process, to put it bluntly, is to throw the beef into a suitable temperature and humidity environment.

Wait for the power of time to let the inside soften naturally.

…

Sizzle, sizzle!

In the izakaya after closing, Zhang Fan started grilling steak.

I could see the fragrant steak sizzling on the iron plate, wisps of hot steam rising in the air, and the olive oil, wine, and lemon juice poured on the steak, exuding an alluring aroma!

At this time, Alice on the side stared at the steak on the iron plate with pitiful eyes.

Because like Erina, she stayed in the izakaya temporarily.

So the thing that makes her happiest now is being able to eat Zhang Fan's cooking "for free" like this.

Not even an exaggeration.

Today, Alice has become a "foodie" under Zhang Fan's training.

…

"Zhang Fan, when can we eat steak?"

Alice just moved her nose and smelled the scent of meat in the air, and she couldn't help but become intoxicated.

Her impetuous and greedy heart made her have the urge to eat all the steaks on the iron plate.

"Don't worry, just wait a little longer!"

Despite his busy schedule, Zhang Fan couldn't help but raise his head and chuckled at Alice.

"Well, Zhang Fan, can you give me the biggest steak later?"

Hearing this, Alice blinked her bright blood-red eyes and said to Zhang Fan in a slightly coquettish manner.

have to say.

She pretended to be so delicate that Zhang Fan couldn't help but feel a little fondness in his heart when he saw her!

"No problem, I'll give you the biggest one!"

Zhang Fan continued to smile.

He looked at Alice, who had an exquisite face.

After that, he smelled the distant fragrance in his nose, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little stirred.

…

Finally, time passes slowly.

Wait until the poached eggs on the side have a round golden yolk on the white white, and the steak is exuding an alluring aroma along with the heat.

The delicious grilled steak is finally ready!

Alice, who couldn't wait next to her, couldn't help but shine when she saw that the grilled steak was finally finished.

She quickly found a seat and sat down obediently, holding a fork in her left hand and a knife in her right hand. Then when Zhang Fan brought the largest piece of steak in front of her, Alice couldn't help but eat it.

When I first entered my mouth, I just felt the taste of steak, which was tender and juicy.

The medium-rare degree has completely destroyed the beef. All the unique aroma of meat comes out, and the bitter taste of raw meat is gone.

And when biting with teeth.

The sweet juices inside the steak began to explode rapidly with the chewing of the teeth!

The rich fragrance spreads in an instant, filling every part of the tongue.

Obviously, this unique taste and texture make Zhang Fan's grilled steak no longer ordinary.

"Well, it sure tastes great."

"What kind of steak is this grilled? It tastes so soft... It's like being held in a mother's arms. It feels really warm and comfortable!"

As soon as she took a bite, Alice said excitedly.

…

Good beef actually has two most important indicators.

One is the natural impact of the environment on meat quality during the growth process; the other indicator is the freshness of the meat during transportation.

The two together determine the taste of the grilled steak and the richness of the juice.

Therefore, an excellent bite of beef must have the taste characteristics of its location, and more importantly, the experience of the beef's rich juices bursting in your mouth.

And all these conditions are met in the steaks that Zhang Fan grills!

That is to say:

Don’t underestimate the grilled steaks in front of you.

Whether it is his cooking techniques or the use of various cooking methods, Zhang Fan has done an excellent job.

…

"Come on, Erina!"

"Eating steak is more enjoyable if you pair it with some wine~"

At this moment, Zhang Fan took out a bottle of fragrant red wine, opened the cork, and personally poured a glass of red wine for Erina who was eating steak.

Unexpectedly, Erina, who glanced at the red wine, turned slightly red: "I... don't drink well, so..."

"fine."

“This wine is not very concentrated.”

"You only drink a little bit, I'm sure you'll be completely fine."

Zhang Fan patted his chest and promised.

"Then... well, I'll just drink a little bit so as not to disturb your fun."

Unable to resist Zhang Fan's kindness, Erina could only pick up the wine glass and take a sip.

…

When the grape wine enters the mouth.

I felt that the acidity of this wine was very solid, the layering of the wine was exquisite and complex, and the tannins were silky and powerful!

Moreover, the unique wine aroma also brings a rich taste, which is enough to resolve the greasy feeling caused by the rich steak.

If the steak is based on sauces such as garlic, onions, and rosemary, it can add a herb flavor to the steak or make the steak more spicy and sour.

At this time, a red wine with a firm structure, non-angular acidity, smooth tannins, and obvious fruity aroma is needed to smooth out the outstanding taste of this type of steak.

Obviously, Zhang Fan’s red wine is the best match for this type of grilled steak!

"Huh?"

"This red wine... tastes really good!"

Can't help but.

Erina couldn't help but close her eyes and began to reminisce.