I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

Chapter 309: Chapter 293: Going Fishing for Mandarin Fish

Afterward, Li You asked his dad if he had ever eaten this type of fish before.

His dad shook his head, saying he’d never had it. He added that even if someone gave him this fish, he wouldn’t know how to cook it.

Li You smiled. ”The simplest way is just to steam it. We’ll steam it for dinner tonight.”

His dad nodded.

Li You went into the kitchen and got to work. ℴℴ𝘮

First, he had to prep the fish.

When prepping a mandarin fish, you have to be careful not to get pricked by the sharp fins on its back.

The fins are venomous, and getting pricked would be extremely painful.

The rest was the same as prepping other fish like carp or crucian carp: descaling, gutting, and removing the gills.

After a bit of work, both mandarin fish were prepped.

After rinsing them clean, he scored the backs of the fish, rubbed them with a bit of salt and cooking wine, and laid shredded scallions and ginger on top to marinate for a while.

He also prepared some more shredded scallions and ginger to set aside.

After marinating for about 10 minutes, he placed the fish in a steamer and began to cook.

Ten minutes later, he took them out.

He poured off the liquid that had steamed out and removed all the scallions and ginger.

He then laid fresh shredded scallions and ginger on top.

Next, he drizzled on some steamed fish soy sauce. Finally, he heated some oil and poured it over the fish.

Done.

The delicious and savory steamed mandarin fish was ready.

It was very simple.

Just then, a voice echoed in his mind. ”Host has been detected completing a steamed fish dish: Steamed Mandarin Fish. The host is now rewarded with one recipe: Steamed Fish.”

The voice was a wonderful surprise for Li You. ’I can’t believe I got such an unexpected reward just for making steamed mandarin fish.’

’And it’s a ”Steamed Fish” recipe, not just a ”Steamed Mandarin Fish” recipe. This means it must contain the methods for steaming all kinds of fish.’

Besides mandarin fish, other fish suitable for steaming included perch, turbot, yellow croaker, pomfret, bream, crucian carp, carp, and so on.

’With this, the number of dishes I can offer will increase dramatically.’

This was too great a surprise!

He found the recipe in the Storage Pavilion and immediately learned it.

Soon, the optimal methods for steaming all sorts of fish filled Li You’s mind.

Naturally, this included the method for steaming mandarin fish.

Comparing it to the method he had just used, Li You found that his own technique was generally correct. However, there were significant issues with the finer details and his control of the heat.

If the heat wasn’t controlled well when steaming fish, it would have a huge impact on the texture.

Another thing was that the steamed fish soy sauce shouldn’t be drizzled directly onto the fish. Instead, it should be combined with ingredients like onion, ginger, and scallions to create a special steamed fish sauce, which would then be poured over the fish.

In short, if Li You were to make steamed mandarin fish again right now, the flavor would be much better.

But the two mandarin fish were already steamed. It wasn’t like he could just throw them away.

Besides, he didn’t have any more mandarin fish.

So, tonight, they would still eat the two mandarin fish he had just cooked.

Although the flavor was far from top-tier, it was still delicious. He believed his dad and mom would love it.

And so, they began to eat.

Each of the two mandarin fish weighed about a pound and a half. So, these two fish were more than enough for dinner.

After his dad and mom each took a piece of fish to taste, they both declared it delicious and savory.

After trying a piece himself, Li You also felt the flavor was already quite good.

”I never used to like steamed fish; I always thought it was bland. I didn’t expect this steamed ’sow-shell’ to taste so good,” his dad said.

Li You said, ”This ’sow-shell’ is also called a mandarin fish. The meat is excellent—very delicate, tender, and rich. Plus, it has few bones, making it a top-tier fish. One variety, the Songhua River Mandarin Fish, is even one of our country’s Four Great Famous Fish. So, of course it’s delicious even when simply steamed.”

His parents were surprised to hear this. This ”sow-shell” had such a prestigious background? It was one of the Four Great Famous Fish?

Li You said, ”This ’sow-shell’ is a big-eye mandarin fish, so it’s a little different from the Songhua River Mandarin Fish. But since they’re both types of mandarin fish, the texture and taste of the meat aren’t too far off.”

His parents both nodded. Even so, it was still fair to say the ”sow-shell” had quite the reputation.

’Who on earth came up with the name ’sow-shell’ for this fish?’

’What nonsense.’

”By the way, besides the Songhua River Mandarin Fish, what are the other three of the Four Great Famous Fish? This is the first I’m hearing of them,” his dad asked curiously.

Li You replied, ”The other three are the Songjiang Perch, the Yellow River Carp, and the Xingkai Lake Bream.”

It was easy to understand: perch from the Songjiang River, carp from the Yellow River, and bream from Xingkai Lake.

His dad and mom knew what perch and carp were.

But what was a bream? Neither of his parents had ever heard of it.

Li You explained, ”This fish is also called a white fish. They live in rivers and lakes. The meat is pure white, rich in fat, tender, and delicious, making it perfect for steaming. You can find white fish in many places, but the ones from Xingkai Lake are the most famous, which is why they’re one of the Four Great Famous Fish. The white fish from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province are also quite well-known.”

His parents nodded. After Li You’s explanation, they understood.

They continued eating.

The three of them slowly finished both fish.

Li You ate with great satisfaction. His parents were also quite happy with the meal.

’Next time I get my hands on some mandarin fish, I’ll steam them again.’

’But when will that be?’

’I wonder if there are any mandarin fish in the deep pools of Jiulong Gorge?’

’If there are, then it’s simple. I can just go fishing for them.’

’Maybe I should go try fishing tomorrow? It’s been a while since I last went, and I’m starting to miss it.’

’That settles it. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the deep pools in Jiulong Gorge and try to catch some mandarin fish.’

Having made this decision, Li You started clearing the table and washing the dishes...

After he finished, he joined his parents in the living room to watch some TV.

Life at home was quite pleasant.

...

「The next day.」

In the morning.

Li You once again made three bowls of beef noodles, and after eating with his parents, he rode his motorcycle back to the restaurant.

He opened the shop, did some simple prep work, and then left Da Bai and Xiaohai to watch the restaurant. He was going to the gorge to fish for mandarin fish.

Since he’d decided to go fishing, he was going to follow through.

You could use small live fish, shrimp, or even small loaches as bait for mandarin fish.

Small loaches could only be found in the fields. But small fish and shrimp were plentiful in the gorge. Li You had a fish trap that he always kept in the gorge, so there should be plenty inside.

Therefore, Li You didn’t prepare any bait, instead setting off with just a bucket.

As for his fishing rod, it was stored in the Storage Pavilion.

Since he was alone, there was no need to take it out in advance. He could just pull it out when he arrived at the spot.

He went straight to the spot in the gorge where he’d set his fish trap.

He pulled up the trap to check his haul.

There were stream gobies, crucian carp, and crabs. There were also plenty of shrimp and some other small, unknown fish.

He had indeed caught small fish and shrimp—he now had bait for mandarin fish.

He put the stream gobies, crucian carp, and crabs, regardless of their size, into the Spatial Fish Pond.

He poured the shrimp and small fish into his bucket.

The shrimp were a type of river shrimp, about three centimeters long, not counting their antennae and claws.

This size was quite suitable for catching mandarin fish.

After pouring all the shrimp and small fish into the bucket, he placed the trap back in its original spot.

After a while, he could come back for another harvest.

’A fish trap is a pretty awesome tool.’

After that, Li You carried his bucket and began searching for a fishing spot where mandarin fish might be lurking.

When fishing for mandarin fish, choosing the right location is quite important.

Generally, you want to choose a spot that isn’t too deep and has underwater rock piles or lots of depressions.

This is because mandarin fish are voracious eaters; they like to hide in dark places, wait for small fish and shrimp to pass by, and then attack.

The rock piles and depressions on the bottom provide excellent hiding spots for them.

Therefore, it was best to fish for them in waters with these conditions.

Li You searched along the way.

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