Huayu Chef

098, sweet and sour, fragrant and crispy, it's all you!

The Yellow River carp, weighing over six pounds, was quite large, and the plate used to serve it was correspondingly large as well. Zhang Jinxuan brought the prepared braised carp with noodles to the table, and this "grand dish" immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Fine, needle-like baking powder covers the bright golden carp, like a small blanket, while the sweet and sour sauce displays a beautiful bright yellow hue, making the whole dish quite gorgeous in color.

"Brother Xuan, can we eat now?" Jingjing asked, holding up her chopsticks.

"Eat it if you're not afraid of burning your lips."

Is it hot?

"It's extremely hot."

Liu Yushan brought over two bottles of wine and invited everyone to drink fish head wine.

In Henan, people have a custom of drinking "fish head wine" when eating fish. When the fish is served, whoever's head is facing first drinks the wine, and whoever's tail is facing must also drink. The person who drinks the fish head wine is the first to pick up their chopsticks to express gratitude before the others can begin eating the fish.

The number of cups to drink varies depending on the part of the fish, with sayings like "Fish head, one pair, great wealth and prosperity," "3 cups for the head, 4 cups for the tail," "5 cups for the spine, 6 cups for the belly," "Fish entrails, liver and gallbladder in harmony," and "6 cups for two people to clink glasses." A single fish can require up to 108 cups of wine.

Zhang Jinxuan and his friends were just having some fun, and no one got carried away. They followed local customs and jokingly substituted fruit juice and tea for something else to add a bit of ceremony. It was just a token gesture, and they didn't want to miss their flight that night.

Since Zhang Jinxuan hadn't expected the fish head wine, Yao Yao, Reba, and Jingjing sat together. To make it easier for them to pick up the fish, the fish body faced them, the fish head faced Zhang Jinxuan himself, and the fish tail faced Zhuangzhuang.

Well, it's a case of "reaping what you sow."

Zhuangzhuang is truly loyal to his good brother who drinks with him.

After finishing the "fish head wine," Zhang Jinxuan humbly said, "Sister Yao Yao, Reba, you two eat first."

Yao Yao laughed and said, "Don't worry about me and Reba. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Whoever drinks the fish head wine first can start eating first."

Reba urged, "Brother Xuan, eat quickly. If you don't start eating, we can only watch. Jingjing is drooling with envy."

"Don't try to pin everything on me. I heard you swallowing."

Dilraba gave an awkward smile.

Zhang Jinxuan stopped being polite, picked up his chopsticks, tore off a piece of braised noodles, dipped it in the sweet and sour sauce, and said, "The usual way to eat braised carp noodles is to eat the dragon meat first, then the dragon whiskers. But I made too many braised noodles today, so I'm not going to follow the usual order. Eat whatever you want."

After saying that, he put the baked noodles in his mouth and chewed slowly. Then he nodded slightly. It tasted good. The sweet and sour sauce was thick and delicious. The baked noodles were fried until they were fragrant and crispy. When you eat them together, the sweet and sour taste and the crispy texture are intertwined. The rich flavor is a little addictive. You want to eat more after you eat them.

After Zhang Jinxuan started eating, Jingjing, Reba, Yaoyao, and the other three couldn't wait to pick up their chopsticks and taste the braised carp noodles.

"Mmm~~ This is delicious! The dragon beard noodles are crispy and fragrant, and with the sweet and sour sauce, it's so delicious and makes my mouth water." Jingjing said, shaking her head.

Reba smiled with satisfaction: "I like the sweet and sour sauce that Brother Xuan made. The sweet and sour taste is just right, and it's not too sour or greasy. As for the dragon beard noodles, they are fragrant and crispy, but I prefer the texture of each thin noodle breaking apart when you chew them. If they were a little thinner, they would be perfect."

Zhang Jinxuan wholeheartedly agreed: "Guard Ba spoke to my heart."

Dilraba pouted and smiled cutely, then used her chopsticks to pry open the baked dough, looking like a cat stealing fish, and started by taking a bite of the carp.

"Brother Xuan, how do you eat the fish?"

"It's also dipped in sweet and sour sauce, but the most classic way to eat it is with the baked noodles, dipped in sweet and sour sauce. You can try the fish first."

"Hmm."

Reba tore a piece of fish meat off the fish, dipped it in sweet and sour sauce, and put it in her mouth. She chewed and swayed her body slightly, smiling with a happy look in her eyes.

The fish, coated in sweet and sour sauce, is tender and delicious, without any fishy or unpleasant smell. While it may not be particularly amazing, its pure flavor is very pleasant.

Moreover, because the carp is fried and then simmered in sweet and sour sauce, the fish meat is very flavorful and has the taste of sweet and sour sauce.

The spiciness of ginger, the aroma of scallions, the fragrance of rice wine...

The rich aroma bursts forth as you chew, completely enveloping the minced fish and constantly stimulating your taste buds, making you very hungry.

Reba swallowed the fish and gave it a big thumbs up: "Everyone, don't just focus on eating the noodles, try the fish too, it tastes amazing!"

Zhang Jinxuan took a bite of fish, his brows furrowed slightly, and he quickened his pace, attempting the classic way of eating braised carp with noodles.

The fish and baked noodles are dipped in sweet and sour sauce and eaten together. This way of eating tastes great. You can enjoy the crispy baked noodles and the chewy and delicious fish. One dish satisfies the desire for both noodles and fish.

It's very special and delicious.

Braised carp with noodles is a dish that doesn't last long. There's not much meat on the fish, and once you've got your appetite, it seems like you're left with only fish bones after eating very little.

Having gotten used to eating fine bran, eating roasted flour on its own feels a bit lacking; the texture isn't as rich as when the two are eaten together.

Zhang Jinxuan put down his chopsticks and said to Dilraba, "The seafood feast might not be served for a while, Dilraba, let's film the ending of 'Wild Kitchen' first."

"I mentioned the three key pieces of information for the next episode's preview and guessing game, right?"

"Yes, have you memorized the words?"

"I've memorized it."

"Okay, let's start filming."

Zhang Jinxuan and Dilraba walked to the designated spot and stood side by side facing the camera.

Seeing the senior from the directing department make a gesture, Zhang Jinxuan opened his mouth and said, "There's an old saying that people who live near mountains live off the mountains, and people who live near water live off the water. Kaifeng is near the Yellow River, so they'll definitely be living off the Yellow River for the rest of their lives. The people of Kaifeng are too clever; they've been doing this for thousands of years."

"As I mentioned before making braised carp, Yellow River carp has been a famous dish for thousands of years and holds a very high place in the hearts of people in the Central Plains."

"Does anyone know what the star ingredient is on a Henan person's dining table?" Zhang Jinxuan turned his head and prompted, "Does Dilraba know?"

Dilraba knows nothing about this.

She cleverly asked, "Yellow River carp?"

"That's right, it's the Yellow River carp. Since its debut, the Yellow River carp has maintained its leading position. Some important banquets, weddings, and funerals can't be held without carp. The Yellow River carp represents the climax of the banquet, which has led to the drinking custom of drinking fish head wine."

"In some places, a feast is incomplete without chicken or fish, but in Henan, a feast is incomplete without carp."

"Braised carp with noodles is a representative dish of Yellow River carp dishes and is known as the top of the ten famous dishes of Henan. We chose to make this dish today because the method of making braised carp with noodles is very typical."

"The braised carp with noodles can be considered as two dishes: sweet and sour braised carp and deep-fried dragon beard noodles. The dragon beard noodles are made using the ramen-making method. Judging from the process of perfecting and improving this dish, it has absorbed the techniques and characteristics of other regional cuisines, which perfectly matches the characteristics of Henan cuisine: 'harmonious five flavors, moderate taste and texture, not losing tradition, and especially good at innovation.'"

"Sweet and sour fish and baked noodles are not simply put together; they have undergone systematic improvement and optimization. From the selection of ingredients to the matching of flavors, to the cooking techniques, and finally to the preparation of the sweet and sour sauce, they all demonstrate the local chef's cooking philosophy and ingenuity."

"Personally, I think that braised carp with noodles, like Peking duck, is a product of innovative thinking in Chinese cuisine. I hope there will be more and more famous, delicious, and innovative dishes like this."

"In the afternoon, my fellow guards and I followed Uncle Liu to learn how to cast nets to catch fish. We were lucky, and on my first cast, I caught a Yellow River carp weighing over six pounds. Then, I used this Yellow River carp to make braised carp noodles."

"We've already eaten the food, so now I'll do my usual self-evaluation."