Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 287: Chapter 195: Lemongrass Grilled Fish, One Fish Three Ways (Part 2)

After about two minutes, he flipped it over.

He maintained a steady rhythm throughout the entire process, flipping it once every two minutes.

During this process, the fish skin slowly roasted to a tempting golden-yellow before his very eyes, while the marinade inside the fish’s belly released a faint, clean citrus aroma under the high heat.

Lemongrass and grilled fish are a perfect match, a pairing used extensively in Southeast Asia. It eliminates the fishy smell while imparting a unique, fresh fragrance to the meat.

You really don’t need any extra seasonings. For fresh fish, simple sea salt is delicious enough.

The allspice was just a substitute for black pepper to add a bit of spicy heat. The wild garlic leaves took the place of garlic, and the unique cilantro’s natural citrus aroma happened to overlap with the lemongrass, leaving only the distinct fragrance of the cilantro itself.

The fresh bay leaf wasn’t anything special. Amidst so many intensely fragrant spices and herbs, it could only contribute a whisper of leafy freshness.

"Why do you keep flipping it? Can’t you just grill one side until it’s browned and crispy?"

Erica sat at the mouth of the cave, her chin resting in her hands, her face a picture of confusion.

"It would burn easily that way, and it wouldn’t cook evenly."

Lin Chen held the tiger grouper up to her. "Take a close look. What’s the difference between this and the ones you grill?"

Although he had never seen her grill a fish, he could roughly guess how it would turn out.

Erica stared intently at the already very tempting grilled fish, examining it from top to bottom and front to back several times.

"The skin doesn’t look completely scorched and crispy yet, the fins around it are still intact, and the head isn’t charred brown... so that’s how it is. I get it now."

After pondering for a moment in thought, she suddenly clapped her hands in a flash of understanding.

"Is it the same principle as searing a steak? You control the surface temperature by flipping it repeatedly, allowing the core temperature to rise steadily without burning the skin?"

"Oh? Not bad. I haven’t even said anything, and you figured it out on your own. Looks like I can actually look forward to seeing your cooking skills after all."

"Wow, that’s so mean! Who are you looking down on?!"

Lin Chen just smiled and said nothing. He had a feeling that if he kept engaging, he would definitely lose an argument against this woman with her peculiar way of thinking.

But his reaction only further provoked Erica’s pride. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms.

"You just wait! Tomorrow, I’m going to catch a fish and show you what I can do!"

"Alright, I’ll be waiting."

As they talked, the tiger grouper was just about done.

In just one or two short minutes, the once golden-yellow skin had been roasted to a crispy, charred brown, and the edges of the fins and head had started to turn a brittle, grayish-black.

He removed the grilled fish from the fire, sprinkled a little sea salt evenly over it, and showed it to the camera.

"A simple dinner: salt-grilled tiger grouper. Fresh ocean fish like this doesn’t need much seasoning. The marinade stuffed inside is just to add some aroma. If you don’t have it, that’s fine too. A little salt is delicious enough."

After showing it off, he pulled out his combat knife and prepared to carve the fish.

"Wait!"

Erica suddenly grabbed his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Isn’t it obvious? How are we supposed to share it if I don’t cut it?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

She snatched the grilled fish away, clutching it tightly in her hands like a mother hen protecting her chick.

"The best way to eat grilled fish is to hold the whole thing and gnaw on it! If you cut it up, can you even call it grilled fish anymore? You absolutely cannot cut it!"

With that, she held the grilled fish to his mouth.

"Open up. You eat first."

"I can get it myse—"

"Just eat it!"

Before he could finish, Erica thrust her arm forward, forcefully shoving the grilled fish between his lips.

Left with no choice, Lin Chen could only open his mouth and take a small bite.

"CRUNCH"

The crispy fish skin made the expected cracking sound. It had a texture like a potato chip, combined with the aroma of the charcoal fire and the rich, savory flavor of the sea.

The meat inside was exceptionally soft, tender, and juicy. It was as delicate as tofu, falling apart with the slightest pressure, yet it still retained the firm resilience of fresh fish.

Seeing him take a bite, Erica eagerly leaned in as well and took a huge bite from the fish’s back.

Ocean fish generally have far fewer bones than river fish, and since this one was grilled, they didn’t have to be as careful while eating. Grouper, in particular, is a well-known species for being fleshy with few bones, so they could eat without worry.

"CRUNCH"

There was that familiar potato-chip-like sound again.

Erica’s bite was more than twice the size of Lin Chen’s.

A mouthful of fish nearly stuffed her small mouth completely. As she chewed, scalding hot, delicious juices flowed freely in her mouth.

The surface of the skin was indeed roasted to a crisp, but the part closest to the flesh still retained the skin’s natural smoothness and sticky, gelatinous texture.

The marinade was clearly only placed in the fish’s belly, but even the meat on its back had a faint citrus aroma.

The fish grilled with this constant-flipping method was obviously much more tender than the grilled fish she was so proud of. A single bite was enough to completely win her over.

He clearly hadn’t added any special seasonings, yet this fish tasted exceptionally savory.

If she hadn’t watched with her own eyes as the raw fish was cooked bit by bit, she probably wouldn’t have believed that Lin Chen could grill such a delicious fish using almost nothing.

"I admit, the way you grill fish is really delicious, and that’s something worth learning from. But I’ve already learned your method. I’ll definitely be able to grill a fish that tastes just as good as this tomorrow!"

Seeing her full of confidence, Lin Chen didn’t try to crush her spirit, just smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I’ll be waiting. If I don’t get to eat it tomorrow, I’m kicking you out of my shelter."

"Huh??? Hey, hey, that’s not what we agreed on yesterday! How can you just add new conditions last minute?"