American Farmers: Facing a Cutoff at the Start

"Okay, okay, let's cook."

"Let me see what ingredients you've packed in your bag!"

Fett put the fish aside and took Lyra's backpack.

The bag was neatly organized, with various ingredients in sealed bags and old glass jars arranged in an orderly fashion.

Onions, carrots...

Although Lyra couldn't move, her mouth didn't stop. Every time Fett pulled something out, she would introduce it:

"This is unsalted butter, it's best for frying fish."

"That small, clear bottle contains white wine; it's not much, but it's enough."

"And that biggest round box contains my mother's special creamy white sauce. You have to add it when stewing fish, otherwise the soup won't be white enough or fragrant enough."

Her tone carried a hint of regret:

"I was originally planning to show off my skills by making an authentic French creamy fish stew for you, but now it's up to you to do it."

"But I can guide you from the side!"

But Fett had other plans in mind.

He doesn't usually cook; he just eats as long as it fills his stomach. He's not picky about food.

Now it's my turn to cook. Facing such fresh wild sea bass, adding cream, white sauce, or other random condiments would only mask the natural sweetness of the fish, which would be a waste.

"No need, just stay put and do as I say!"

Fett took the knife but didn't find a clean place to cut the vegetables.

We're missing a cutting board.

He stood up, looked around, and soon found a smooth bluestone slab on the riverbank, its surface flattened by the river's flow.

He washed the stone slab clean and carried it back.

Then, he held the fish up to the side of the cast iron pot and gestured with it.

The whole fish was too big to fit inside.

He glanced at the stone slab that was to be used as a cutting board.

This stone is thin; it would be nice to use it as a baking pan.

"Then let's cook the fish two ways."

With a swift motion, Fett deftly sliced ​​the plump sea bass in half with his kitchen knife.

The left half of the fish head, along with the thick fish bones and half of the spiky belly meat, was chopped into pieces the size of mahjong tiles by him, and used to make soup.

The thick, boneless fish fillet on the right side was left intact. He made several fine cross-shaped cuts on the fish skin to prevent it from shrinking and deforming during frying, and also to make it easier for the flavors to penetrate.

I chopped some onions and carrots and set them aside as side dishes, and the food preparation was complete.

To stew fish, you have to pan-fry it thoroughly first, then add boiling water to stew it. But we only have one pot, so where do we get the boiling water?

You can't fry it directly in a pan.

In that case, it makes sense to fry the fish on a stone slab first and then put it in a pot to stew.

Fett rinsed the stone slab clean and placed it on the stones surrounding the fire.

The stone slab was quickly heated to a scorching heat by the glowing red charcoal underneath.

Fett cut a small piece of butter and tossed it on.

"Sizzle—"

The butter melted instantly upon contact with the scorching hot stone, producing fine bubbles. The golden fat flowed along the stone's texture, releasing a rich, milky aroma.

Even without scallions and ginger, onions are still excellent at removing fishy smells and adding aroma.

Fett grabbed a handful of diced onions and threw them onto the stone slab to sauté. With a sizzling sound, the unique spicy and sweet aroma of the onions was instantly released.

Next, he poured the fish pieces he had prepared for the soup onto the top.

"Sizzle sizzle..."

The fish skin made a pleasant sizzling sound as it came into contact with the oil.

Fett didn't rush to turn the pages, but waited patiently.

He didn't flip the fish piece until one side was set and the edges were golden brown, until he had gently lifted it with his knife and fork.

Pan-fry both sides until golden brown and slightly charred, the skin of the fish will tighten and lock in the moisture.

"Whoosh—"

Fett unscrewed the small bottle of white wine, intending to use it as cooking wine.

The wine was poured around the edge of the stone slab, and upon contact with the hot stone, it instantly vaporized!

A rich aroma of wine mixed with the scent of caramel rises into the air, carrying away the last trace of fishy smell from the fish.

"It smells so good..." Leila sniffed, her eyes fixed on the sizzling, oily fish pieces, and swallowed hard.

"Would you like to make pan-fried fish pieces? That would be nice."

Fett didn't answer. He tore two thick pieces of moss from the made-up bed to cushion his hands and picked up the scorching hot stone slab.

"Watch out! The stone slab is very hot!"

Leila gasped and involuntarily leaned forward!

Before she could react, Fett flicked his wrist, dumping the sizzling fish pieces and chopped onions from the stone slab into the boiling cast iron pot next to him.

"Sizzle—Boom!"

With a loud boiling sound, the hot oil collided with the boiling water, stirring up a cloud of white steam.

"What are you doing? Weren't you frying fish?! Why did you pour it into the pan?"

Leila stared wide-eyed at the fish chunks bubbling in the pot, a look of utter bewilderment on her face:

"Won't pan-frying the fish like this make it tough and chewy? Will it still taste good after stewing?"

Fett added the chopped carrots, covered the pot with the heavy cast iron lid, and turned the heat to low to simmer.

"That fish fillet was pan-fried, while these fish pieces are specifically for making soup."

"As for whether it tastes good or not, you'll find out once you try it."

While the soup was simmering, Fett cleaned the residue off the stone slab and then spread a thin layer of butter on it again.

He first sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper evenly on both sides of the fish fillet to marinate it, then patted it a few times to let the fish absorb the flavor, and then placed the fish skin-side down on the hot stone slab.

"Sizzle sizzle..."

The fish skin shrinks and caramelizes rapidly under high temperature, with golden-yellow oily edges curling up, while the originally translucent fish flesh slowly turns white.

Fett patiently waited until half of the fish meat turned white before flipping the fish fillet over.

Instantly, a smoky aroma mixed with the scent of oil filled my nostrils—the ultimate fragrance produced by the Maillard reaction.

Fett squeezed a few drops of lemon juice on it, the sour aroma mixed with the caramelized scent, which was particularly domineering in the cold air.

"It smells so good..."

Leila's stomach cooperated by making two "gurgling" sounds.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and moved forward a little, like a little gluttonous cat waiting to be fed, staring longingly at the sizzling, oily fish fillet, wishing she could pounce on it and take a bite right now.

Fett glanced at the fish fillet; the skin was already fried to a golden brown and crispy.

He pulled a small jar of crushed rosemary from Leila's spice packet and tossed it onto the sizzling, oily stone slab.

When rosemary is heated, it instantly releases a unique fragrance.

Fett used a spoon to scoop up some melted butter and repeatedly poured it over the fish, allowing the aroma to permeate every fiber of the fish.

almost.

He took two thick slices of bread out of his backpack and toasted them on a rock next to the fire until they were slightly browned.

Then cut the fried fish fillet in half and place each half on a piece of bread.

The bread absorbed the oil and juices from the fish fillet, transforming into a natural and delicious dish.

"Here you go, the soup needs to simmer a little longer, try the fish fillets first."

He handed one of the portions to Leila.

Leila took the bread, cut off a small piece of fish with her own portable knife and fork, but instead of eating it herself, she first offered it to Fett's mouth, her eyes sparkling:

"The head chef should try it first."

Fett didn't refuse and ate the piece of fish.

The first sensation upon tasting is the crispy skin and rich aroma of butter, followed by the tender and juicy flesh of the fish.

The spiciness of black pepper, the saltiness of sea salt, the slight tartness of lemon, and the unique herbal aroma of rosemary intertwine and explode in the mouth, creating an amazingly rich and complex flavor profile.