Free Web NovelChapter 698: Chapter 616: Hengqin Oysters Go Best with Garlic! (Part 2)
It wasn’t until he saw the J-20 aircraft that he realized the Bureau of Strategic Deception wasn’t just fooling those foreigners, he was also among those being deceived.
He really wanted to ask the comrades, how did they make a plane as long as a 7-story building and as wide as a 4-story building look about the size of a pickup truck?
And that uncle, who was eating heartily in front of his stall in the afternoon, turned out to be the test pilot for the battle nation’s air show?
"Wow."
"Impressive."
"Awesome."
The sounds of admiration rang in his ears, and the various dazzling performances truly satisfied these two military enthusiasts, Uncle and Mr. Zhuo. They were still excitedly discussing at the end of the exhibition, and they even made a plan to continue visiting the show the next morning, all while leaving Wang Fan behind.
Once he was sure he really didn’t need to accompany them, Wang Fan planned a shopping trip early the next morning.
When shopping in Zhuhai, it’s only natural to go for seafood, you wouldn’t expect a coastal city to breed especially plump cattle and sheep.
Zhuhai is famous for a type of oyster called Hengqin Oysters. Hengqin Oysters are not a species but refer to oysters cultivated in the Hengqin area.
Hengqin Oysters grow in brackish waters with adequate sunlight exposure. When the tide is high, the water can cover the oysters, and when it ebbs, it reveals them to bask in the sun, which makes the oysters here exceptionally delicious, with a unique texture characterized by being "big, plump, white, tender, and crisp."
Wang Fan’s target for today is them. At a little past 4 a.m., he set off straight to the Western Port in Zhuhai.
The oysters at the port market did not disappoint him. Not only were they large and meaty, but the price was also very friendly, roughly 7 yuan each.
He didn’t buy the really large ones, around 150 grams each was enough. The really big ones are not only expensive but also lose some of the deliciousness.
Also, the oysters he bought were triploid.
Most oysters in the market are either diploid or triploid. The ones you buy from June to October are basically triploid because the diploids are busy falling in love and spawning little oysters, and during this period, diploids taste really bad.
Triploid oysters result from a cross between diploids and tetraploids, like how a mule is the offspring of a horse and a donkey, and just like mules, they are sterile. Thus, these triploid oysters don’t fall in love or have babies, they only grow plump, filling the gap of having no oysters from June to October.
The taste of triploid oysters is no worse than that of diploid. The ones Wang Fan bought had tightly closed shells, and there was no fishy smell, but instead a fresh seaweed scent, indicating a good growth environment.
He returned fully loaded and drove straight to the exhibition area.
Liu Feng was already so happy he felt light-headed while walking. Although the money from the big equipment purchases wouldn’t go directly into his pocket, the multi-billion-dollar order was a cause for excitement.
Prince Matt, on the other hand, wasn’t too excited. He was more interested in what he might eat at lunchtime. After all, with those 35 ever-upgrading truths at home, large-scale wars were unlikely to break out.
When Wang Fan arrived at the exhibition area, he didn’t plan on making anything too complicated. Grilled oysters are something you could eat for a lifetime and never tire of.
Especially paired with the unique texture of Hengqin Oysters, he believed that today’s grilled oysters would be a big hit.
There are many ways to prepare oysters, but his favorite is grilling. During the process of grilling oysters, his nose and eyes could fully engage, allowing him to perfectly control the heat for the grilled oysters.
The 150 grams oysters are about the size of half a palm and feel substantial in hand. They have been washed with a high-pressure water gun, so only a simple rinse is needed, but shelling them is relatively more troublesome.
However, for an adept like Wang Fan, this is not a problem at all.
With a knock, a pry, a cut, and a flip, the luxurious transformation of the oyster meat was complete.
Flipping the oyster so that its belly is facing up makes it look plumper, and Wang Fan casually added a small handful of soaked vermicelli under the oyster meat.
"Wow, Boss Wang’s ability to handle ingredients is truly amazing."
Wang Fan felt a bit embarrassed. After all, this was the prince of a wealthy family, and how many people could be called boss in front of them?
"Are we having oysters today? I really love oyster sashimi, just a squeeze of lemon juice, and it’s an unmatched delicacy."
Wang Fan laughed and said, "Those words really break a chef’s heart, isn’t that just thanking Mother Nature for her gifts? You must try my garlic-grilled oysters today, I guarantee they taste better than sashimi."
Although the finest ingredients often require only the simplest cooking methods, a skilled chef can turn a simple step into the finishing touch, and this is the culinary art that chefs pursue.
Prince Matt seriously countered, "No, no, no, any cooking will only taint the fresh taste of oysters. You must have never tried the top-notch oyster sashimi. I’ll bring some for you tomorrow, and I guarantee it will change your perception."
Wang Fan didn’t argue: "You’ll know once you try it later."
Prince Matt got interested: "Alright, if your grilled oysters are really tastier than the top-grade sashimi I’ve had, I’ll give you a little toy."
If someone says little, it certainly won’t be small.
He pointed at a compartment under Wang Fan’s RV and said, "From my observations, there should be space under your RV for a sports car. I see it’s empty, if your food today is delicious, I’ll give you a little toy to put in there, how about it?"
Wow!
No wonder they’re wealthy, they casually consider sports cars as toys!
"I can’t accept without earning it, making food taste good is my duty as a chef, and a sports car is too extravagant."
Though the wealthy dare to give, Wang Fan genuinely dared not accept. With no familial ties, accepting such an extravagant gift when you’re not related, he understands the saying "one’s hands are tied when taking people’s things."
"You must think you can’t make anything more delicious than sashimi, just say it if it’s true."
"Oh?"
Wang Fan cast a surprised glance at Matt. How well did he understand Huaxia culture to even use a strategy to provoke him?
"Just you wait!"
No man can tolerate being told "you can’t do it," and Wang Fan’s temper flared up instantly.
He had already pried open dozens of oysters, so he might as well open the electric grill and give this wealthy prince a taste of strength.
The wealthy family has money, they can afford all the exotic foods, but their daily meals aren’t that luxurious either.
Hummus, meat mixed rice, samosas, tomato-poached eggs, spicy potatoes, and cold vegetables, along with things like curry chicken, basically constitute their mainstream meals.
Wang Fan decided to really give this wealthy guy a taste of intensity.
Southern oysters don’t endure harsh cold, their texture is tender, sweet, juicy, and delicate, and with his improved garlic spicy sauce, if this doesn’t leave you with juices dripping down your cheeks, then my cooking skills aren’t good enough!
Everyone can grill oysters, but not everyone can perfectly control the heat. Overcooked oysters shrink, changing both taste and texture for the worse, and half-baked oysters are worse than sashimi.
Though it had only been a few short months, Wang Fan’s skills had improved substantially, especially his heat control which had definitely reached a master level.
As the temperature rose, the oysters began to sizzle on the grill, and the oyster meat gradually plumped up, looking more enticing. The delicious juices seeped from the meat, turning into the most flavorful, natural sauce to cook the vermicelli.
With a spoonful of soulful chili sauce, not only did the oysters become colorful, but the rich aroma of garlic and chili started indiscriminately tantalizing everyone’s taste buds nearby.
"Splashing sound..."
Prince Matt felt he was hearing the sound of a waterfall in his mouth.
Until now, he still believed that lemon juice and oyster meat was the most delicious way to eat them, but he had to admit that the aroma now was truly incomparable to sashimi.
After all, it was just garlic and chili, but why did it smell so divine?
