A night in village again

For tonight dinner, I cook fish as a request from my mother in law. Maybe she wants to eat fish after hearing what Ming Er eat at our wedding night. She already buys a big fish for that purpose. Since Ming Er also want to eat that dish again, so I make that dish for dinner menu tonight.

It's mandarin fish that I made once in our wedding night, but this time I want to make a variation of this dish. Also, the fish that I used this time is different from my previous squirrel mandarin fish. Also, this time I use more spices and ingredients compared with when I cook the previous mandarin fish.

The ingredient that I used are:

2 lbs whole pickerel

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp potato starch

2 eggs

2 tsp flour

3 tsp canola oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp chopped onion

2 tsp chopped red and green pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cooking wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp white vinegar

3 tsp sugar

2 tsp ketchup

a few drops of sesame oil

2 tsp pine nuts

The cooking method is :

1. Clean off fish scales and guts. Fillet the fish with skin on, leaving the collarbone attached.

2. Place the fillets skin side down. Crosscut the fillets in a diamond pattern, without cutting through the skin.

3. Rub the fillets with 1 1/2 tsp salt and a dash of pepper. Lightly dust with potato starch. Beat together eggs and flour. Make sure slices do not stick to each other, then evenly coat with the mixture.

4. Heat canola oil in a deep pot or deep fryer to 200°C. Holding one of the fillets at each end, slowly lower into the hot oil. Gently shake if meat sticks together. Fry until crispy. Repeat with the second fillet and arrange on a serving plate.

5. Heat 3 tsp oil in a pan. Add minced garlic, onion, and green and red pepper. Add cooking wine, stirring until fragrant. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and add vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and 1/2 tsp salt.

6. Add potato starch and cook until sauce has thickened. Add sesame oil, then pour the sauce over the fried fish, sprinkling pine nuts on top to garnish.

Although the cooking process is a bit complicated, the result is quite satisfying. When I'm bringing the finished dish to the dining room, Ming Er's family almost drooling seeing that big fish already turn into something delicious.

"It looks beautiful yet delicious son"

"Thanks, father. Let's eat then….it would taste better when still warm"

"Haha…you're right. Take a seat and let's start our dinner"

I take a seat beside Ming Er and we start our dinner after praying. That big fish which supposed for ten servings already only left its bones when we finish eating dinner.

"Hubby….this mandarin fish tonight seems a bit different than before?"

"Oh yeah, I try to make a modification to that dish because your parent home has so many fresh ingredients available. How about the taste? Is it better or worse?"

"Um…both taste great. I even have my second"

"Not just you Ming Er, your mother also have her second serving too hahaha…."

After dinner over, we all sit together in the family room, watching television while chatting. After changing several channels, Ming Er stops choosing and stay on Dragon TV channel. The program that currently aired is a variety show called 'Master Chef'.

"Hubby, why don't you try to register in that contest? You can show your cooking skill to million people and that will good advertising for our business"

"Me? Join that cooking contest? It looks not easy to enter as contestant there"

"Um, but at least you can try it first, hubby. Doesn't matter if you are selected or not"

"Hmm…okay, but I want to focus to our business first, and after that our child. This kind of show is not just held one or two seasons only, right? Is not too late if I try on the later season"

"Um, if hubby can be the winner, I will become the proudest woman in this village"

"Sis…Don't forget, if your husband becomes the winner, he may be will be swarming with female fans. Are you ready for that?"

"Bro! don't tease me like that! What if your words become jinx"

Ming Er pretends to be angry while pouting her mouth and throw a pillow to her brother

"Hahaha….Don't you trust your husband? If he becomes celebrities that's one risk that you must face"

"I know my hubby will not see other women, right hubby?"

"Right, I only have you in my heart"

I said that while hugging her waist and pull her closer to me

"See brother? My husband is the best husband in the world"

All family members that gather in there laughing when hearing Ming Er words.

"Son, I guess your wife is right. If you can be known through that variety show, and become famous, your enemies can't do anything to you because you're already a public figure. They won't dare to mess with you"

"I'll think about that father. If I can get many benefits from there, why not? But of course, not in this short time, but I will try to join that cooking contest"

"Good! That's the spirit. Don't give up before you even have a try"

"Yes father"

We still talking about some other topic before my mother in law yawn as sign of sleepy and we turn off the television and go to our own room to sleep.