Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 96
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 96: Grilled Sausages and Grilled Fish
Although Lin Cheng said "what a coincidence," in fact, everything had been pre-meditated.
Xie Xun had an injury on his chest and couldn't hunt with them, so he thought he would go out and show his face, then went back to accompany his wife. Hunting was fun, horse riding was fun, but none of them were as fun as staying with Jiang Shuyao.
But the East Palace officials were a group of cheeky people. They unanimously thought that Xie Xun was going back to eat delicious food.
They knew Jiang Shuyao. How could she not toss around and make some delicious food during the autumn hunt? And for so many years, they were really tired of the food cooked by the palace people during the autumn hunt.
Therefore, a few people followed Xie Xun to the place where the Xie family lived under the excuse of escorting the wounded back. However, lunchtime was about to arrive, but Jiang Shuyao hadn't returned yet. Xie Xun guessed that with her stubborn temper, she should be out for fun. So he planned to eat casually and rest for a while, but the group of people forcibly pulled him up to find his wife.
"The forest is dangerous. Boyuan, we should go and see."
"Exactly, the younger sister-in-law only brought two maids. What if there is danger?"
Xie Xun looked at them quarreling, rubbed his forehead helplessly, and looked at Lin Cheng, who was showing a worried face, "You are worried that she is in danger, so what are you doing with a tube of chopsticks?"
"..."
Later, Xie Xun’s annoyance reached its limit, so he could only follow the maid's direction to find Jiang Shuyao with them.
As a result, when the people in the East Palace found Jiang Shuyao, they found that she had just set up a slate to cook and eat. In fact, they were a little disappointed. After all, what they were expecting in their hearts was the hot pot from before. They saw it in their dreams, but they were separated from it, and they woke up with tears (?) wetting their pillows.
Everyone pulled up Lin Cheng, who was pushed to the ground. Lin Cheng patted the dust in his clothes with one hand, came over, and asked, "Sister-in-law, are we eating lunch here? Are we not going back to eat?"
Jiang Shuyao has been dumbfounded since they appeared. What "lunch"? What "we"?
Lin Cheng got closer, and he could see the sausage on the stone slab more clearly.
The grilled sausages were swollen, the casing had burst, and fat and oil had flowed out. The smooth stone slab was stained with a layer of bright oil, and the aroma was swelling in the air.
He looked left and right and found a place to sit down, "Sister-in-law eats this for lunch. Is it enough?"
Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Xun, who was faceless from behind, and looked at a group of evil wolves with green eyes, and said silently, "I just stopped to rest. I’m just eating randomly to pad my stomach."
The faces of the East Palace people immediately showed regret. You look at me, I look at you, and finally, they hinted at Lin Cheng, their "military advisor." Go ask if we can freeload a meal.
Lin Cheng pondered for a few breaths and asked, "What else did my sister-in-law bring to eat?"
Seeing how hungry they were, Jiang Shuyao thought that it was indeed time for lunch, so she said, "I picked some wild fruits here. You go and catch a fish. Let's make do with it together."
Everyone in the East Palace group couldn't help but leave happily.
Xie Xun approached silently and sighed, "They usually look like this. You will get used to it. Please don't mind."
Jiang Shuyao smiled and said, "Fortunately, I started to get used to it."
Xie Xun nodded and sat down beside her. Jiang Shuyao opened the box and offered him some cakes. Before he could finish a few pieces, the East Palace freeloading team returned.
"The water is too clear here—no fish to catch," they explained. "We had to find another spot."
Their clothes and shoes were soaked, but their spirits were high. Each of them held a small tree branch, a fish skewered on the end, waving them like triumphant flags during a spring outing.
"You give me the fish, and I'll cut it." Jiang Shuyao said.
Everyone in the East Palace quickly refused, "No need, we can do it by ourselves." After all, they were freeloading, and they needed Jiang Shuyao to help grill the fish. How would they dare to trouble her like a useless person?
Jiang Shuyao let them do as they wish.
The group of people squatted by the stream, looking at their fish speared on the tree branches, unable to start. Finally, those who knew how to cut the fish head left first, but they all followed and learned. They stained the riverside with blood, which looked terrible.
Jiang Shuyao couldn't stand it anymore, and while asking her maids to come forward to help, she put the sausage on the cleaned leaves, calling them to come over, "Come and eat some sausage. Let the people who are killing fishes continue."
The group of East Palace people didn't even struggle. They sat around her after washing their hands.
Fortunately, Lin Cheng brought a tube of chopsticks. Otherwise, Jiang Shuyao's tableware would not be enough. They were very embarrassed with chopsticks in their hands. After all, it was a bit too much to come prepared to freeload other people's food.
The grilled sausages were not many, so each person could only get one. They were just taken off the stone slab, and it was hot and greasy. With the chopsticks, you could feel the soft and tender meat inside and full of elasticity. The oil and juice flowed straight out along the chopsticks.
The group of people thanked Jiang Shuyao in unison and raised the sausage to their faces. The oily scent instantly penetrated into their nasal cavity. The outer transparent casing was glowing with an oily luster. The meat squeezed out from the inside was red and delicate, and the fatty meat had long been roasted until only sporadic white spots are left.
With one bite, the heat trapped by the casing slammed out, with the fragrant meat flavor and rich juice. It was so hot, they quickly removed the sausage from their mouth.
When the heat was gone, they put it in their mouth again. The fat but not greasy juice awakened the taste buds, and the fresh fragrance bloomed from the tip of the tongue. The casing was tough and springy, but the inside was very soft and tender. The meat was so delicate that it had a glutinous feel, but it retained the meat flavor. The melted fat was soaked into the meat, adding a rich aroma to the sausage.
Who knew what spices were added to the minced sausage meat. The umami taste was enhanced without being overwhelming. It was sweet when it was eaten, but the juice and oil were mixed to form a doubled deliciousness.
They held the grilled sausage, reluctant to finish them. They used their teeth to tear off the casing little by little and then bit the meat with their front teeth while blowing. Their action made them look like primary school students who spent their saving to buy grilled sausages at their primary school entrance
After eating the grilled sausages, they smacked their lips, licking the oil in the corners of their mouth, and the way they looked at their "feeder," Jiang Shuyao, changed, full of strange... admiration.
Jiang Shuyao opened the box, "There are some more, do you want to eat more?"
"Eat, eat."
"Is one enough?"
"Enough. It is enough, thank you, sister-in-law! Sister-in-law is really nice."
After Jiang Shuyao put the grilled sausage on the stone slab, she clapped her hands. She was worried about the maid's fish-cutting technique, so she said, "You can turn it over yourself. I'll deal with the fish."
After she finished speaking, everyone from the East Palace was about to hand in a dagger that they were carrying, but they saw her open the box and dragged another smaller box from the bottom. Once opened, it was shining brightly under the sunlight, almost blinding everyone from the East Palace.
When they took a closer look, they saw a stack of shiny... kitchen knives of various shapes, thicknesses, and lengths lying in the box.
When they saw the box next to Jiang Shuyao, they thought it was the kind of box that their sisters like to bring when traveling, to put all sorts of small flowers. It was very elegant and wild. Who knew it was a box full of kitchen knives. What?!
God, what a strange woman she is.
Their eyes moved to Xie Xun's face and looked a bit complicated for a while.
Xie Xun raised his eyes, and a group of people quickly lowered their eyes. They cleverly put their hands on their knees, pretending that nothing happened.
Jiang Shuyao cut the fish very quickly. After three slices, she tidied up the fish. She took it and put it on the stone slab. It happened that there was a thin layer of grease on the surface of the stone slab, which was just right for grilling fish.
No one ever set foot in this place. The stream was clear, and the big fish grew up eating small fish and shrimps. Their meat was tender and free of any earthy smell. Once thrown onto the stone slab, a savory aroma would soon fill the air.
Jiang Shuyao took out the pre-packed seasonings from the box, sprinkling one after another over the fish. Unlike the conventional method of marinating, this approach avoided overpowering the fish, allowing its natural sweetness to shine through.
She sprinkled fine salt over the tender, tofu-like flesh of the fish. As the skin charred and crisped, she drizzled a layer of sweet and sour sauce and finished it with a sprinkle of minced ginger, enhancing the flavor and freshness without overpowering the fish's natural taste.
In the concave corner of the stone slab, she prepared a spicy dipping sauce using chili, minced garlic, cumin, oil, and other ingredients. If the fish's flavor wasn't bold enough, they could dip it into the sauce for an extra kick.
The slab grew hotter, the sizzling intensifying. The fish skin trembled, and the surrounding white flesh became impossibly tender, releasing an irresistible aroma.
She took a stroke of the chopsticks and felt that the fish had been cooked thoroughly. The fish skin has been roasted into a crisp golden yellow, full of fresh fragrance. She put out the fire, and the residual temperature still makes the fish sizzle.
"You can eat now," she said.
Though the group had eaten in the wild before, it was their first time grilling fish on a stone slate. The fresh, savory aroma filled the air, and the sight of the glistening fish made any concern for propriety vanish.
After thanking her in unison, they eagerly reached for the fish with their chopsticks.
The fish was plump and succulent, with few bones and an incredibly tender texture. They handled it delicately, afraid of crushing the soft flesh. After blowing on it lightly, they took a bite and were instantly captivated by its fragrant, melt-in-the-mouth flavor. The fish, nurtured by the pristine waters of the green mountains, seemed to carry the essence of the stream—crisp, refreshing, and subtly sweet.
The surface of the fish was crispy, wrapped in a thick sauce, and separated from the tender and white fish when it was pulled. It was crispy and sweet in the mouth, and it was stained with a slight aroma of pork sausage and the sweet and sour sauce. The flavor fusion makes it more delicious.
The group of people breathed in a huff and couldn't wait to pick a chopstick.
In their eagerness to claim the fattest piece of fish, their chopsticks clashed like tiny swords, each person vying for the best bite. It was a chaotic yet lively scene—chopsticks darting back and forth, each one determined to secure more of the grilled delicacy. They were like a pack of wolves, devouring the fish with unrestrained enthusiasm.
"Stop making trouble." Jiang Shuyao said.
A group of people hurriedly shrank their heads and lined up obediently. They are standing in line with chopsticks to pick fish in turn.
At this moment, Xie Xun, with his indifferent expression, stretched his chopsticks of sin towards the fattest piece of fish.
Everyone's eyes widened suddenly, and they watched him pick out the fattest piece of fish and put it in his mouth gracefully.
The freshly cooked fish was tender yet firm, its texture perfectly balanced. The heat intensified its natural sweetness, making each bite plump and succulent. The sweet and sour sauce added a rich, mellow aroma, while the aftertaste lingered—endless, full-bodied, and delightfully sweet.
"There is a dipping sauce." Jiang Shuyao reminded.
It was so good to be treated as a family member. She was still urging people to eat.
Before the group of people sighed, they saw Xie Xun's chopsticks stretched out to the fattest part of another fish again. What a good fellow. One chopstick took out three chopsticks worth of meat.
Everyone's eyes widened again, looking at Xie Xun in disbelief.
They stared, gritted their teeth, and swallowed while watching Xie Xun slowly tasting the fish. But Jiang Shuyao was there, so no one dared to say anything.
In the past, whenever they fought over food, they always believed the crown prince was the most cunning—no one could ever snatch food from him. But today, with the crown prince absent, a new contender emerged, proving to be even more ruthless in the battle for the best bites.
After the crown prince grabbed food, his face would show a trivial smile. They were so angry that they gritted their teeth. But now they realized that the attitude of this "flower in the distant mountain," who looked indifferent after grabbing food, as if he was not fighting or stealing, was the most ruthless.
They thought that today the crown prince was not here, so they could be presumptuous, but...
Oh, Xie Boyuan. The love and time of the past few years has been spent wrongly!
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[T/N: The above is a quote from a famous TV series "Legend of Zhen Huan" (in Netflix, Empresses in the Palace) when Zhen Huan learned that the emperor used her as a stand-in for his late wife.]
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