Free Web NovelChapter 1109: Chapter 452: The Secret to Delicious Fish Head with Flatbread! How Many Steps Does It Take to Turn Dundun into an Arab Prince?
Lin Xu didn’t immediately make the fish head soaked pancakes, but started fiddling with the fish body.
Fish head soaked pancakes need to be made and eaten fresh; for now, it’s still a bit early, so we have to wait a little longer to start.
Taking advantage of this time, he sliced the meat off the fish body, removed the rib bones, and prepared to make a dish of sauerkraut fish that allows you to eat meat and drink soup.
The other half, meanwhile, would be made into lotus root fish ball soup with crispy lotus root.
Aunt Sun was waiting to learn how to make lotus root meatballs and fish head soaked pancakes, and seeing Lin Xu busy, she asked:
"Lin Xu, if you need me to do anything, just let me know. I’m idle anyway."
Mi Lan, standing nearby, also said:
"Although my cooking skills are average, I can definitely help out. You just tell me what to do."
Since that’s the case, Lin Xu didn’t hesitate:
"Aunt Sun, please start on the dough for the pancakes. Make it a bit softer, so the pancakes will turn out more tender... Mi Lan, wash those lotus leaves and soak them in warm water. Press them down with something while soaking to soften the dried lotus leaves."
No matter what delicacy is being prepared, whether it’s Beggar Chicken, lotus leaf chicken, or lotus leaf pork ribs, dishes needing dried lotus leaves always require the leaves to be soaked until soft before use.
This not only increases the toughness of the lotus leaf but also activates its fragrance in advance, making the dish’s lotus aroma more intense and delicious.
Lin Xu first marinated the fish slices for sauerkraut fish, then picked up the fish meat from the other side and started scraping fish mince.
If you want fish balls to be tasty, the meat shouldn’t be blended or chopped with a knife but scraped little by little with a vegetable knife until it’s fluffy mince.
This method makes the fish balls more chewy and delicious.
Once the fish mince was scraped, Lin Xu marinated it in scallion and ginger water, while the remaining fish skin was soaked in water for later blanching with cilantro and serving as a cold dish.
During the marination, he brought over the crispy lotus root, first scraping the skins clean, then slicing the lotus root vertically, laying it flat on the cutting board, and using the back of the knife to pound the lotus root.
When using lotus root as a filling, the best method is not to dice it but to pound it into small pieces with the knife, enhancing the texture when mixed into the stuffing.
Cut lotus root chunks evenly, but too small lacks texture, while larger pieces are tough to chew.
With this pounding, even large pieces won’t be tough, offering a crispy yet soft texture that’s naturally delicious.
Plus, the varied size of lotus root pieces combines perfectly with the meat filling.
"Lin Xu, will you prepare the meatballs the same way later?"
"Yes, lotus root used as filling can be pounded like this."
Aunt Sun found it very novel; she’d always diced the lotus root uniformly when using it as stuffing before but never thought of pounding it with the knife back as an alternative.
Lin Xu said:
"This pounding technique requires skill, avoiding pounding continually until it turns to paste. Keep some space between each hit, much like chopping vegetables, except using the knife’s back."
Aunt Sun closely observed and found it to be true, with spaces of few millimeters between each hit, resulting in crushed but not powdered lotus root, forming small granules instead.
Next, Lin Xu prepared fish balls, washed fish trimmings, and meanwhile dissolved some dry soy sauce with rice wine.
With everything ready, he started making the fish head soaked pancakes.
Hearing about this delicious dish, not only Aunt Sun and Mi Lan gathered around, but even a few other helpers in the kitchen came over, keen to learn a trick or two from Lin Xu.
This scene made Lin Xu chuckle helplessly.
How did I, a decent chef, end up being a friend to these women?
He shook his head and began preparing the ingredients for the fish head soaked pancakes.
Cut the scallions into sections, ginger into peanuts-sized cubes, and gently crush the garlic with a knife to use whole.
Besides these, you’ll also need the dissolved dry soy sauce, a few star anise for flavor, several dried chili peppers, four or five fragrant leaves, lard, crystal sugar, and boiling water.
At home, it’s not too particular.
But in the restaurant, boiling water is replaced with stock.
Compared to boiling water, stock enriches the fish head’s aroma, thickens the soup, and improves its taste.
Once everything was ready, Lin Xu placed a large spoonful of lard in a wok for cooking.
Fish ingredients need lard to make the dishes even more savory.
"Lin Xu, what if there is no lard at home?"
Aunt Sun realized that fewer people bother rendering lard at home anymore, often opting for store-bought oil instead.
Lin Xu said:
"Slices of pork belly can be fried in the pan as an alternative; for tasty fish, lard is essential."
He proceeded to add several prepared star anise into the oil.
If spices are needed in cooking, they must be added before the oil gets hot to release their flavors.
Adding them when the oil is hot can not only temper the release but also risk burning them.
Using a gentle heat to fry the star anise, they turn slightly blackish before adding dried chili peppers and fragrant leaves, briefly stir-frying, then adding scallion, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry together.
Dried chili peppers and fragrant leaves don’t withstand frying but need heat to release their aroma, hence stir-frying them briefly before adding scallion, ginger, and garlic with enough moisture to lower the oil temperature and prevent burning.
Once scallion, ginger, and garlic emit their fragrance, add the dissolved dry soy sauce.
The dry soy sauce is the soul of fish head soaked pancakes; it not only removes fishiness but also limits the need for other seasoning.
Adding dry soy sauce reduces the need for additional seasoning, making the cooking process simpler and easier.
This is actually Beijing’s dining habit.
Sesame sauce, dry soy sauce, sweet noodle sauce, soybean paste, chive flower sauce, fermented bean curd, and all sorts of sauces shape Beijing people’s daily dining.
