Fatal Strike: Paladins Mercenary Road

Chapter 839 Wilderness Chef
To get his wife to eat something she liked, Shanying used all his culinary skills.

A large basin of fish roe and fish maw were gently rinsed with warm water to remove the fishy smell and help them set. Finally, the loose fish roe was discarded.

After letting it sit for a few minutes, Mountain Eagle added beer, ginger slices, and salt to the basin, gently stirred them together, and set them aside to marinate.

Serving spicy dishes in a small indoor space would be irresponsible to everyone's noses, so while Xiao Wan was still away, Shan Ying called Zack to go outside and use the remaining ice bricks to build an L-shaped windbreak at the doorway...

A rocket stove can be placed here to cook food, and it also provides an extra buffer space for the entrance and exit of the igloo.

Once the windbreak wall, as tall as a person, was erected, Xiao Wan arrived with the griffin and the cardinal...

Seeing that Mountain Eagle had completed another 'major project' in less than two hours, Xiao Wan came over to check it out with a bit of helplessness, then gave Mountain Eagle a thumbs up and said, "You really have a lot of free time. With this kind of energy, no number of wild wolves would be enough for you to fight."

Seeing that the griffin and cardinal were struggling to unload a rocket stove from the sled, the mountain eagle went over and lifted the over 100-pound cast iron rocket stove with one hand, placing it inside the windbreak wall. After testing its stability, he said with satisfaction, "Bring the firewood in, and then you can go in and wait for your meal."

Xiao Wan took several large bags out of the sled, filled with vegetables, various tools, and seasonings. Then she looked around and said, "Find me a place; I want to cook salmon myself tonight..."

Of course, Mountain Eagle couldn't let Xiao Wan work outside, so he personally moved ice blocks and used the ice to build a workbench in a corner inside the igloo.

He had already prepared salmon; several large king salmon and pre-cut fillets were placed on the rooftop for flash freezing.

But since my wife is going to show off her skills, those pre-cut fish slices can be omitted...

After setting up the control panel, the mountain eagle dug several nearly three-foot-long king salmon out of the snow on the roof, brought them inside, and placed them near the fireplace to thaw.

King salmon are at their fattest and most delicious during this time of year. After thawing, they can be sliced ​​and eaten raw, making for a wonderful delicacy.

Xiaowan prefers to eat salmon in a more refined way, and since there will be a fish soup hot pot that night, she took advantage of the king salmon thawing to place a cutting board on the counter and chopped some scallions, cilantro, minced garlic, and chili peppers. She also prepared soy sauce, rice vinegar, wasabi, sesame oil, and even took out a jar of fermented bean curd that had been ignored in the past...

Mountain Eagle was a sensible man. Seeing his wife's actions, he first lit the rocket stove, and when the flames began to shoot fiercely from the nozzle, he placed the large iron pot on top...

Pour salad oil into the pan, add a handful of ginger slices, and then put the prepared cod into the pan to start frying.

Because it was outdoor cooking, and only fish broth was needed, the mountain eagle's movements while frying the fish were very rough...

Three cod, each nearly two feet long, were split in half, then chopped in half again. After being thrown into the oil and vigorously stir-fried, the fish meat quickly began to brown and change color...

Mountain Eagle doesn't care about keeping the fish intact; he even uses a large spatula to press the fish meat down forcefully, making it break apart faster.

This is the secret to quickly making fish soup in the Mountain Eagle experience...

After frying the fish until it's dry and crumbly, add boiling water and simmer for a few minutes. Then, use a slotted spoon to skim off the crumbs, and a pot of milky white, fragrant fish soup is ready.

But this isn't over yet...

The mountain eagle transferred the fish soup to a large stew pot, carried it into the igloo, placed it on the fireplace, and began to simmer it. Then, after washing the wok with snow, it was reheated...

This time, instead of using salad oil, he cut several large pieces of fatty pork from the pork that Xiao Wan and the others had brought and stir-fried them in the pot.

After the fat in the pork belly was rendered, the mountain eagle put the king salmon bones that had been removed earlier into the pot and fried them until golden brown on both sides. Then, it quickly added boiling water and brought it to a boil before adding the king salmon bone broth to the simmering fish soup.

After the two soup ingredients are mixed, the soup base becomes even thicker and whiter, and it also produces a rich and savory aroma.

The aroma of the fish soup not only attracted the attention of several children, but even the two domestic helplessness, Griffin and Cardinal, began to light up.

Seeing Luna drooling, Angel put down her phone, which was recording the recipe, and looked at Mountain Eagle with anticipation, saying, "Dad, can we try some?"

Mountain Eagle had actually noticed long ago that Angel wanted to learn his cooking skills, but because his tools were too heavy, he hadn't let her help him...

Seeing the children's eyes light up, Mountain Eagle glanced at his watch and said, "Let it simmer for ten minutes first..."

However, we can make some other preparations before that.

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle put his arm around Angel's shoulder and walked to the worktable in the corner, where several bowls were already filled with seasonings that Xiao Wan had prepared.

Mountain Eagle took one out of the stacked stainless steel bowls and basins, then took Angel's hand and taught her how to season it...

Salt, chopped green onions, cilantro... Once the fish soup is almost done, pour the pure white and rich fish soup into a bowl and stir it gently with a spoon.

Angel took the fish soup from the mountain eagle and tasted it. As the delicious flavor exploded in her mouth, the little girl's face lit up with a smile...

"Dad, I've learned it..."

Mountain Eagle gave her a thumbs up and said with a smile, "Now that you've learned it, let's make everyone a bowl to try first."

I have one more big dish to make. You can make it yourselves, but don't eat too much, otherwise everything else will taste bland.

Angel handed the fish soup she had just taken a sip to the drooling Luna, then looked at the mountain eagle expectantly and said, "Dad, can I watch you cook? I want to cook for everyone in the future..."

Upon hearing this, Mountain Eagle looked at the quiet, gentle, and studious Angel, rubbed his nose, and said, "Of course you can learn if you want, but if any boys pursue you in the future, you must bring them to me first. I have a large gun room in Thailand, and if necessary, I can even make him your sister..."

Angel was very precocious. After listening, she covered her mouth and chuckled, then raised her phone, turned on the camera, and said, "Let's begin. I'm sure I can become a great chef, so I can cook for everyone in the future."

Mountain Eagle really wanted to tell Angel that cooking wasn't 'labor' for him. In fact, when his family expressed their enjoyment of his cooking, he probably felt more satisfied than the person eating it...

However, Angel had a stronger need for 'recognition' and 'being needed', so Mountain Eagle smiled and nodded, saying, "Then come on, I'll show you how to cook authentic Sichuan cuisine, I guarantee you'll like it."

After finishing speaking, Shanying took the marinated fish roe and fish maw outside, drained them, and poured vegetable oil into the hot pot. Before the oil was even hot, he added a large amount of scallions, ginger, garlic, millet peppers, and dried chili peppers...

Because the oil temperature was not high, there was not a very pungent smell.

Once the aroma of scallions, ginger, and garlic appeared, Mountain Eagle reduced the air intake of the rocket stove, then poured the fish roe and fish maw into the pan and slowly fried them in warm oil. He gently pushed the fish roe with a spatula to help it gradually set during the frying process.

Alaskan salmon roe is much larger than the roe of freshwater fish that people in Dongda usually eat. The roe, about the size of a mung bean, turns from crystal clear to golden brown under the influence of oil temperature, and then coagulates into clumps.

Once Mountain Eagle felt it was about right, he fully opened the air vents, turned up the heat, and waited for the oil to heat up before adding fermented bean paste, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and pepper to the pot...

After quickly stir-frying to ensure the sauce is evenly absorbed, a handful of Sichuan peppercorns were added. After stir-frying and pushing a few more times, the ingredients were added and the heat was turned on to cover them. Then, the lid and air vent were closed, and the pot was simmered over medium heat.

Because there are many fish offal, it needs to be simmered for about half an hour...

Mountain Eagle instructed Angel, who was standing nearby, to keep an eye on the time and heat. Then, he deftly chopped some green and red peppers to prepare for the fish offal when it was cooked. Next, he took a large cod, quickly chopped off its head, tail, bones, and sliced ​​it.

His knife skills are far more reliable than Xiao Wan's, who focuses on the shape and aesthetics of the finished salmon. A sharp cleaver in his hands performs delicate work, turning a nearly 8-pound piece of cod into crystal-clear fish fillets.

Xiao Wan, who was fiddling with the salmon, glared at the incredibly efficient Mountain Eagle and said, "You go prepare the hot pot. I'll do the cutting of the fish, otherwise other people will think I can't cook..."

With a grin, Mountain Eagle carried the sliced ​​fish to the side and placed it next to the fireplace. They hadn't prepared a proper hot pot; they planned to have everyone drink the soup first and then cook the fish slices in the broth...

Griffins have eaten hot pot before, but they are still curious about this way of eating by eagles...

She had already tasted the fish soup. Cilantro and scallions, as garnishes to add layers to the soup, were not the key ingredients. Just adding a little salt to the bowl was enough to bring out the full flavor of the fish soup.

In the griffin's eyes, this pot of soup should be drunk straight away. If there were a few slices of bread, toast, or bacon, it would be a wonderful treat. But the owner wants to use this delicious soup for hot pot...

Seeing his boss take out two more bags of vegetables, clearly intending to put them in the soup pot to cook, Griffin couldn't help but say, "Sir, this soup is a work of art; eating it like this is a waste of its flavor..."

Hearing that his work had received such high praise, Shan Ying was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "There's plenty of soup, you drink it first, and then we'll have hot pot after you've had your fill."

Trust me, the soup will become even more flavorful after the fish fillets have been cooked.

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle looked at the vegetables in his hand and said, "These things should be put last. Whether it's a lady or a child, it's wrong not to eat vegetables..."

Just as Mountain Eagle was speaking, Angel lifted the curtain and smiled sweetly at him, "Daddy, it's time..."

As Angel spoke, a strong, spicy aroma wafted into the small ice house, causing Yue Yi, who was focused on arranging his ice fishing rods, to suddenly look up...

The little guy clearly loved the rich aroma. He sniffed as he walked over, watching the flames from the rocket stove scorch the bottom of the pot, and a rich, spicy, and savory fragrance rose from the large pot. He exclaimed with delight, "I love this..."

(End of this chapter)