Food: How come this boss knows everything?

Chapter 218: Fish and Chips in a Small Shop and Strange Customers
After the dinner rush,

It's supper time in the shop.

For the boss, there is more freedom in operating at this time.

Customers are no longer bound by the menu when placing orders.

At nearly midnight, a strange customer came to the store.

He is a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

He looks to be around fifty years old, and is dressed very stylishly. The long trench coat makes him look chic and handsome.

It was just that he was wearing a pair of sunglasses late at night, which made it hard to figure out what was going on.

The customer wearing sunglasses asked as soon as he entered the store:
"Boss, do you do anything here?"

Li Rui nodded to the customer.

"As long as I know how to do it, what would you like to eat?"

The man in sunglasses looked at the various fried chickens on the menu and guessed what the boss had: "Do you have fish and chips?"

"How about Chinese fried fish and chips?"

"Not that it's impossible. I just want black pepper and sea salt for seasoning."

Li Rui was familiar with the seasonings in the store, but he was not sure whether the salt in the store could meet the customers' standards.
"Salt, only the fine salt from the local Jianghai Salt Field."

The man in sunglasses was surprised at the shop owner's carefulness and meticulousness.

He smiled slightly,
"Of course it's sea salt. Thank you for your help, little boss."

He then took his cell phone out of his pocket, hung his coat on the wall behind him, and sat down in an empty seat at the bar.

The boss in the kitchen asked the diners to wait.
Then he started busying himself in the kitchen.

Li Rui uses sea bass, also commonly known as spotted sea bass, to make fried fish.

This fish is very common in coastal cities like Jianghai.

Of course, it may not sound as high-end as the Atlantic xx fish, but the area where rivers meet the sea is where the striped bass forages.

Because they eat well, they grow well.

The meat is very tender.

More importantly, the store happened to buy fresh sea bass today.

Remove the scales and head of the spotted sea bass and clean it.

Then use a knife to slice out two large pieces of fish fillet along the spine.

Then cut it slightly and marinate it.

The pickling techniques and ingredients are traditional Chinese cooking methods.

Only some onion, ginger and rice wine were added to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor, and light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar and pepper were added for seasoning.

Compared with freshwater fish, the growth environment of marine fish is cleaner in terms of humus, and the fishy smell itself is weaker.

And because fish have a wider range of swimming in sea water, their muscles are more elastic.

When mixing, you can clearly feel the firmness of the meat.

After the sea bass meat is mixed and marinated, pick out the green onion and ginger and sprinkle a layer of dry flour on it.

Then start wrapping the batter.

The batter used for coating is the same as that for fried chicken.

It’s just that fish is easier to cook than chicken, so the batter doesn’t need to be too thick.

When the oil temperature reaches 70%, put the fish fillets into the pan.

At the beginning, keep the fire high so that the surface of the fried fish can be quickly formed.

Then lower the heat and fry the fish until the surface is golden brown.

The fish fillet is sizzling in the oil pan.
It is also the process in which high-temperature oil penetrates into the surface, making the crust crispy and the fish meat mature.

Only by controlling the heat and frying time can the fried food taste crispy and not greasy.

Li Rui also felt pleased when he looked at the fried fish he made.

It looks like it would be very good with a little sweet and sour sauce.

However, the customer with sunglasses only used black pepper and salt as seasoning, so Li Rui mixed the two seasonings and then sprinkled them evenly on both sides of the fish fillet.

Serve with French fries.

The aroma of the fried fish itself is strong enough, although it may not be too obvious under the smoker.

But when it was served on the table,
The smell of fried fish will make the diners around you look at them slightly sideways.

"Oh, it smells so good."

"What's that smell? Is it fried fish?"

The man in sunglasses was also quite satisfied with the aroma. He didn't say anything, nor was he in a hurry to taste it. Instead, he picked up the chopsticks and poked the crispy shell on the surface of a piece of fish fillet.

Listening to the crisp sound of "click",

Watching the heat from the fried fish drift into the air,
The fragrance is more intense.

The customer wearing sunglasses couldn't help but smile.

Then he put the fried fish into his mouth.

The crispy shell is fried until golden brown and retains a relatively flat shape. When you put it in your mouth, it will transmit a pleasant sound to your mind as your teeth touch it.

Under the crispy shell is tender and juicy fish meat.

Simple marinating preserves the flavor of the fish to the greatest extent.

Sweetness intertwined with a slight spicy aroma.

Endless aftertaste.

Next to the customer wearing sunglasses were two girls in their twenties.

They also looked at the fish and chips with envy.

The one who was closer to the uncle naturally greeted him.

"Uncle, can I try your fried fish?"

Customers wearing sunglasses are very generous.
He pushed the plate towards them, then held out his hand, indicating that they could enjoy the meal as they pleased.

The two of them didn't hesitate and each took a piece.

The delicate texture of the fish itself, paired with the crispy crust and the aroma after being fried, is indeed very satisfying.

But the seasoning is relatively simple.
I'm not quite used to their taste preferences.

"Uncle, I think you can try this mashed potatoes. We haven't dipped them yet."

The man in sunglasses hesitated for a moment. He looked at the bowl of sticky black pepper mashed potatoes and really wanted to try dipping the fried fish in it.

But considering that I had to return it, I decided to pour out some of the mashed potatoes and put them on the plate.

The girl next to him noticed his hesitation.

"I'll give this to you. We can use one for both of us."

Then he reminded: "It tastes better if you dip it in."

The customer wearing sunglasses took the mashed potatoes and tried the way they recommended.

Bury the fried fish in the mashed potatoes.

The mashed potatoes are dense and textured.

After being wrapped with fried fish, it adds a bit of solidity to the freshness of the sea.

The roots growing from the soil on land and the fish swimming in the sea have been reunited in a different way.

The taste is fascinating.

“It tastes good this way.”

After finishing their midnight snack, the two women left their seats and walked out of the shop.

After leaving the store,

They started discussing quietly:

"Do you think the person sitting next to me just now looks familiar?"

"That old man?"

His companion laughed and said, "You ate his fried fish and called him old man. That's really rude."

"He is indeed very old, with gray hair at the temples. But now that you mention it, he does look a little familiar."

"Right, right, but I can't remember who he is."

The "old man" in the store did not leave after eating.

He looked around the shop and felt that the atmosphere here was very good and met some of his standards.

The craftsmanship of the shop owner brought him many surprises.

"Boss, what else do you have in your restaurant? I see you have barbecue and stir-fry?"

Li Rui nodded.
"Well, we have everything on the menu that night."

"Are you open during the day?" the customer asked again.

“It’s only open in the evening now, but it will be open until the early morning.”

The old man in sunglasses took a photo of the contact information in the store, then put on his coat and left with interest.

(End of this chapter)