The Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce

In Shandong cuisine, the preparation of broth is essential. Zane believes that cooking with wine lees exemplifies the essence of Shandong cuisine even more. Making broth requires quality ingredients, while cooking with wine lees transforms leftover wine lees into a fragrant sauce for dishes like Three Whites in Wine Sauce, Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce, Braised Sea Cucumber in Wine Sauce, and Steamed Meat in Wine Sauce, showcasing the magic of turning the mundane into the extraordinary.

Preparing wine lees seems simple, but it requires careful attention. It's not just about soaking wine lees in water. To achieve a clear, fragrant aroma, the proper method involves crushing the lees, adding high-quality rice wine, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, lemongrass, scallions, ginger, and osmanthus flowers, then stirring and letting it sit to undergo a second fermentation, which brings out the unique aroma of the wine lees.

Once the wine lees have absorbed the flavors of the rice wine and spices, they are wrapped in cheesecloth and hung above a wine jar, allowing the essence to drip into the jar, creating a fragrant wine sauce.

Among these dishes, Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce is a common dish in Shandong cuisine.

Along the coast of Jiaodong, yellow croaker is often used, while in Jinan, grass carp or snakehead fish is preferred, but ideally, mandarin fish is used. The best time to catch these fish is in March and April when they are at their fattest and most delicious.

"White egrets fly before Xisai Mountain, peach blossom waters are home to fat mandarin fish."

This poem highlights the quality of the fish, with some saying the fish in August have the scent of osmanthus flowers, making them even tastier.

...

Mandarin fish is chosen.

Using a diagonal slicing method, thin butterfly fillets are made.

The first cut doesn't go all the way through, and the second cut completes the slice, making thin and large fillets that resemble butterflies.

For the bamboo shoots, only the tender tips are used, sliced and blanched in water.

The chicken fillet uses tenderloin, the two strips of meat under the chicken breast, also called chicken tenders. They are thinly sliced and marinated with egg white, starch, and salt.

Heat oil in a wok to 40% hot, then add the marinated fish and chicken fillets separately to slide in the oil. Once the fish fillets turn white, drain the oil and blanch in water to lock in the tenderness and remove excess oil.

Heat the wok again, add the prepared broth, and season with salt and sugar.

Add the blanched bamboo shoots and bring to a boil over low heat.

Then add the fish and chicken fillets, followed by the fragrant wine sauce, gently swirling, and thicken slightly with water starch before serving.

The fish, chicken, and bamboo shoots are all white, yet distinct.

...

When a steaming plate of Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce was presented in front of Rindo, her eyes lit up.

...

The fragrance of the wine sauce can tantalize the taste buds and enhance appetite. At the tavern, the Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce is made from mandarin fish grown in pure water, making the meat tender.

Combined with fragrant wine lees and Shaoxing rice wine, the resulting dish has a clear sauce and jade-like fish fillets, with a rich aroma that made Rindo breathe faster.

To be fair, the dish has tender, slightly sweet, and fragrant meat, deeply favored by foodies, making it a must-try.

"Ah... mmm!"

"Indeed, the flavor of the wine sauce is irresistible."

"It not only masks the fishy taste but also retains the fish's freshness, making it tender and smooth, melting in the mouth, truly excellent!"

At this moment, the foodie Rindo, facing Zane's cooking, felt her previous worries vanish, replaced by excitement.

"The marinated fish fillets, black fungus, green peas, and the essence of the wine sauce, even the fish fillets are large and plump, providing great satisfaction to the taste buds!"

Indeed!

It was very satisfying!

Good food always has the power to heal my fragile soul.

...

When talking about delicious dishes with wine lees, one cannot ignore the wine itself.

To discuss special flavors, Chinese yellow wine must be mentioned.

This is a significant topic.

Zhejiang is the main production area for yellow wine.

Grain and water are crucial ingredients, with Huzhou in the Hangjia Plain being the center of rice cultivation.

During the Song Dynasty, it was known as "the granary of the world."

The top-quality "Golden Chai Glutinous Rice" is unique to Huzhou, also known as Taihu Glutinous Rice.

The Hangjia Plain is backed by Taihu Lake, with famous mountains like Moganshan nearby.

The wine from Shaoxing uses spring water from the Mogan Mountain bamboo forest, filtered through bamboo roots and granite, making the water pure and sweet, perfect for brewing.

...

For a long time.

Grain was precious, and grain-brewed wine even more so.

Only wine lees were used in cooking, with high-quality lees and yellow wine being the foundation of a good wine sauce.

Adding yellow wine and spices and letting it sit allows the yeast in the lees to ferment again.

Finally, strain the clear juice through cheesecloth to obtain the wine sauce.

Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce focuses on two words:

Wine!

Sauce!

Compared to "wine," the cooking technique is crucial.

Marinate the tender fish, coat it, slide it in oil, add wine sauce, thicken it, and serve, creating famous dishes.

If the wine lees are not handled well, the dish will be ordinary.

...

Over these days.

Rindo has grown to respect and admire Zane more, finding him outstanding in many aspects, with strong cooking skills and high talent!

Most importantly, he is very handsome, exceptionally so.

At the moment, sitting in a corner of the tavern, she eats the delicious Fish Fillet in Wine Sauce while sneaking glances at Zane.

For Rindo, this behavior was becoming a habit.

Recently, Totsuki Academy had been plagued by various troubles due to Azami's arrival.

The coup at Totsuki, the establishment of the Central Gourmet Institute, the abolition of all research societies, labs, clubs, etc., each incident was bothersome!

Especially with the ousting of Ten Masters like Eishi, Satoshi, and Kuga, making her feel disheartened.

So, she drank alone.

After finishing the last sip of wine, Rindo placed the empty bottle in front of Zane and softly said, "Zane, the wine is gone, can I have another bottle?"

"Hmm?"

"You can still drink?"

Zane took the empty bottle and slightly raised his head to look at her.

Seeing her delicate, beautiful face already flushed from the alcohol, she looked even more charming under the light.

"This wine isn't strong, so I can still drink more."

Rindo exhaled a thick breath of alcohol, her eyes slightly dazed.

"Alright, I'll get you another bottle, but this will be the last one, okay?" Helplessly, Zane brought out another bottle and handed it to Rindo.

"Don't worry, I'll control myself."

Rindo smiled faintly at Zane and continued drinking.

After that, they said no more.

...

Whether it's the bitterness of life or joy.

Every diner can find temporary solace at the tavern. Zane's tavern always has the same atmosphere.

Regardless, these diverse diners bring a sense of warmth and connection.

There are laughs.

There are tears.

There are stories.

And simple home-cooked dishes.

Speaking of Rindo, she is a genuine person.

Faced with the Ten Masters wanting to oust Senzaemon and support Azami, she always watched with curiosity, thinking, "This decision will make things more interesting."

In fact, Rindo is somewhat similar to Joichiro.

She also feels there's not much to learn at Totsuki, finding the "elite education" philosophy dull.

So, she loves to travel and appreciates any good food.

Deep down, she doesn't support Azami.

Rindo uses precious ingredients, making her dishes superior to ordinary restaurants.

But to Zane, Rindo seems like Soma, always using ingredients to elevate her cooking!

So, people like her certainly oppose Azami's cooking philosophy!

At the same time.

She is generous and open-minded.

She respects her opponents and knows how to praise them.

In other words, among the Ten Masters, she has the most basic principles.

...

Pies and tarts are often confused like twin sisters.

Like dumplings and wontons, tangyuan and yuanxiao, many people can't tell them apart.

Tarts!

Originated in romantic France.

In French: TORTA, translated as "tart," meaning "round bread."

France, known as the city of bread, has created many classic desserts, including the tart.

Using butter pastry as the base, topped with seasonal fruits, tarts are usually small for easy sharing, perfect for picnics or gatherings with friends.

Pies come from England, entirely different from French tarts.

After spreading the fruit filling on the butter pastry, a layer of pastry is placed on top to retain the filling's juices, embodying the understated yet rich British gentleman style.

In short.

A firm base is a tart.

A flaky crust is a pie.

...

Caramelizing sugar in a pot until it turns brown, then adding water to liquefy the caramel.

Peeling and coring the apples, slicing them thinly, and cooking them in the caramel sauce in a skillet until soft, then setting them on

 parchment paper.

Adding a small spoonful of lemon juice, mixing, then adding 15g of fine sugar and mixing.

Finally, adding cinnamon.

Boiling cream and vanilla pod, removing the vanilla, then reheating to a gentle boil.

Preheating the oven to 220℃, baking for 10 minutes.

Lowering the temperature to 200℃ and baking for another 25 minutes, resulting in a golden apple tart!

...

Caramel apples are an eternal dessert topic, always yielding creative variations.

But Zane made his unique style, using simple ingredients to create a bright surprise. So, Momo, eating the apple tart, truly admired it.

"Mmm~"

"No water in the recipe."

"The butter amount is only half of the flour."

"This apple tart is more like a crispy cookie than a flaky puff pastry, really makes me like Zane's dessert cooking!"

With that, Momo took another bite of the apple tart, finding it sweet and soft, with a balanced sweetness and a slightly cool, smooth texture.

...

Many people dislike tart crusts.

Often they eat the filling and discard the crust. Also, the outer crust can be affected by freezing time and method, impacting the final texture.

However, good tart crust and filling, combined in the right proportions, should melt together in the mouth, presenting the perfect taste. The bitterness of caramel also fully reflects a mature flavor.

Adding caramelized apples highlights the unique flavor of this apple tart.

The absence of oil makes this tart a warm dessert!

"The internal structure is perfect, with a porous honeycomb structure and evenly expanding bubbles."

"Each bite doesn't collapse."

"The outer layer is dry, while the inner layer is like jelly, with only a rich creamy taste, not greasy at all!"

Thus, Momo was amazed by the apple tart in front of her.

...

Momo.

She shares some traits with Erina.

Especially in emotional matters, they both tend to suppress their feelings.

To be honest, tonight, Momo didn't initially want to come to the tavern.

But due to the recent unpleasant events at Totsuki Academy, Rindo insisted on bringing her along.

In the end, after Rindo's persuasive efforts.

She foolishly followed to the tavern.

She has a deeper understanding of dessert cooking than many others!

However, this apple tart made her feel it was fragrant, soft, sweet, and smooth. As soon as she tasted it, this familiar yet delicate flavor left Momo with a sense of satisfaction.

"I didn't expect to taste such a delicious dessert in my lifetime."

Momo opened her eyes and murmured, highly appreciating Zane's cooking.

"Here, have some cherries to cleanse your palate!"

At this moment, Sonoka warmly brought a plate of cherries.

"Thank you."

Seeing this, Momo quickly nodded and thanked her.

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