Wenzhou stretches for eight hundred miles along the rolling Oujiang River, and borders the East China Sea, a wild sea. In spring, all things revive. Starting from the "Grain Rain" solar term, the magical marine animals "king fish" begin to migrate from the ocean, one after another, to the Oujiang River to lay eggs. That is the most fertile season for "king fish"! During this period, from the beginning of Guyu to the end of the Dragon Boat Festival, the "king fish" completed the task of breeding and spawning, completed its sacrifice as human delicacy, no longer missed it, and left quietly, without a trace since then!
The ocean is as magical as the land, nurturing thousands of ancient and immortal lives. The quality of seafood depends on the depth, saltiness, and strength of wind and waves in the sea. The excellent East China Sea contains rich treasures. The most delicious marine ingredients in China have created a large number of "seafood eaters" with extremely sophisticated taste buds. "King fish" migrate from the saltwater area of ??the East China Sea to the freshwater area of ??the Oujiang River. Their bodies have experienced the dangerous baptism of the intersection of saltwater and freshwater. They are like athletes who have overcome all difficulties and gathered on the shore of the Oujiang River. The body shape of "king fish" is very similar to that of "catfish". It is brown with whiskers, fierce and domineering, and has a vague "king" shape on its forehead, so it is called "king fish" in the Longwan Zhuangyuan area. (And in the Huanghua generation of Yueqing, Called "ray" (the two names have the same pronunciation), the meat is delicate and plump, and its unique freshness is unparalleled!
The cooking methods of Yueqing Huanghua and Longwan Zhuangyuan are completely different. Yueqing people use braised braise and thick oil red sauce. I don’t know how this practice is inherited? But after trying it a few times, I felt it was just average. After all, the thick oily red sauce tends to overshadow the spring essence of the "king fish"! It is similar to how the wise and cunning Fujian people make "yellow croaker with distiller's grains" and "yellow croaker with black bean sauce". Therefore, I have always stubbornly believed that the Yueqing people's braised "king fish" is cheap! The understanding of the top pick "Dried King Fish Meal" comes from the acquaintance with Wen Jing!
Originally, I knew very little about "King Fish", but after I got married, I often traveled back and forth to the Yongqiang and Zhuangyuan areas, and I quickly fell in love with this annual delicacy. We have a good dinner party. Me, Brother Wenjing, and my brother-in-law are all good drinkers, good at eating and drinking, and love to brag. When the three of us are in good condition, it’s not surprising that the three of us can drink three cases of beer. However, Wen Jing, her sister, and sister-in-law hardly drank at all, and they could not finish a bottle of beer. This is a perfect combination, so I often bring my family with me and just eat and drink. Halfway through, the women and children can’t sit still anymore, so they consciously get up and take the children to go shopping in supermarkets and shopping malls, while the men continue to enjoy themselves. After having fun, heartily and happily, he would then call the women and children to come back and drive away.
The first time I tasted "King Fish" was at "A Tao King Fish" next to the Zhuangyuan Cinema. The owner, A Tao, is a bald, middle-aged, simple man who is talkative and friendly. The kitchen is adjacent to the fish pond, in which fresh king fish swim. Kill it and clean it, put it in the pressure cooker, and add various seasonings and spices (the boss Atao sometimes says it’s just some home-made seasonings, and sometimes he says there are secret seasonings. The merchant should have his secret). Of course, ginger and garlic are What you must have is a little chili, cooking in a pressure cooker, and then leaving the deliciousness to time.
So far, I have never cooked king fish myself, so I don’t know if there is a unique secret recipe for king fish cooking. But relying on common sense about fish, the key to cooking fish is to try to extract the fresh flavor of the fish and keep the meat tender but not old. Controlling the amount of "salt" in the king of flavors is extremely important. In addition to the salty taste, only "salt" can best enhance the freshness! "King fish" is extremely fresh and has a strong fishy smell. Therefore, removing the fishy smell is also a skill that experts are skilled in. As for the mellow milk soup, it is the innate natural essence of fresh fish and does not require any other pretense. "King fish" swimming in the fish pond is already a top-quality food. If you add other ingredients randomly, it will be superfluous!
Atao’s pressure cookers are lined up in a row, and the piercing screams exude the elegant fish fragrance! During the fish season, the side dishes to go with wine are diverse and exquisite. There is no need to choose. They are all top-quality: double-covered small river crabs (exchange hard shells for soft shells); red paste shrimp paste; thick-meat dried cuttlefish; small eels; peeled Dried fish, sesame-oiled duck, pork head meat, etc. are all available in a dazzling array. It’s really not easy to find a defective product. The owner A Tao is very confident in purchasing carefully selected ingredients, and he also has a full conscience, so he has reason to stick to it. This undefeated business! The "King Fish" served on the table came belatedly in Wang Chuanqiu Shui. It was full of a big basin, yes, it was the basin for washing your face. High-quality dried powder is used as an auxiliary ingredient. The dried powder is tasteless and absorbs the essence of the extremely fresh fish soup, instantly doubling its value.
First take a big spoon, no matter how steamy it is, fill it up with a bowl of fish soup and taste it, it is like jade liquid and nectar, it is fragrant in your mouth and captivating your heart and mind, how can you have time to drink? The fish meat is fresh and tender, and the dried noodles are delicious. The dishes are made in a big way, the spoons and chopsticks never stop, and the children are rushing to be the first----------! Okay, boss, "King Fish," three more pounds! A down-to-earth gourmet store like this will satisfy adults, make children happy, and make the whole family happy. How can one, two, or three visits be enough? After each meal, the boss would considerately present a plate of watermelon and chewing gum to clear the taste, and the children would compete with each other by blowing the gum, and they were so happy! The knowledge worth popularizing is that as time goes by, the physique of "King Fish" changes every other day. As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the roe of "King Fish" is well developed and granular as the size of broad beans. It is extremely fresh and elastic when chewed. There are many People are fascinated by this wonderful taste and fall in love with it, although this is only a short period of time, a glimpse!
Therefore, people who like "king fish" will eat it every once in a while, because even in the most plump season, it has various different flavors! There are four or five famous stores in Zhuangyuan, such as "Zhang Zhi", "Tomato", "Lazy Yueping" (Lazy Yueping and his wife both passed away in recent years, so let's pay a silent tribute!), etc., and the taste is comparable! We all often go there to taste and savor the little precious time in this year, and this time is also commemorated by me as the "King Fish Festival". Compared with the long life, it is just a flash in the pan!
Several shops are very prosperous, but the one I admire the most is "Atao King Fish". In addition to being preconceived, I also think that the owner Atao is a pure and understanding person. The other shops are open all year round. , in addition to the king fish season, it has also been operating other seafood. But Boss Atao's shop only opens on the "King Fish Festival" a year. When the king fish comes, the shop opens; when the king fish goes, it closes. This happens every year. In his spare time, Boss Atao likes fishing, traveling, the world far and wide, and the colorful life. I like his attitude towards life, so I have become his friend, and I also like his cooking. The "king fish" loves the house and the crow! "Eating" is an attitude towards life, and only people with a positive and humorous attitude towards life will not lead a boring life!
The years are silent, but we are overcoming all obstacles! When the "King Fish" migrates to the Oujiang River, you must taste it as usual. Otherwise, you will miss the season and regret the time! In each reincarnation of the "King Fish" migration and departure, we have gained a lot and lost a lot. Therefore, we must cherish the deliciousness of the "King Fish"! Recalling the gathering in the West Pond in the past, the meandering herons flew together. Hand in hand, who is here today? Clear dreams fade away by the sun, but beauty changes in the mirror.
Spring is gone, and there are thousands of sorrows like the sea!
When a fish migrates, it is due to fate. When the fish returns, the fate is gone!