Reborn in the Great Northern Wilderness in 1982, I farmed and hunted to support my whole family.

Upon hearing "squirrel fish," Young Master Zhao exclaimed.

"What is this thing? What?!"

"Squirrel fish? I've never heard of that. Tell me about it." Young Master Zhao looked at Li Mu with a curious expression.

"Squirrel fish is a traditional Jiangsu dish, named for its resemblance to a squirrel. To make it, the fish needs to be scaled, gutted, and cleaned. Then, cut off the head from the pectoral and ventral fins, split it open, and flatten it."

"Then start by slicing the fish from the body, removing the bones, and slicing it into two pieces with the flesh still attached. Next, make diagonal cuts on the fish flesh, then make diagonal cuts on the fish flesh, deep enough to reach the skin, but don't cut all the way through. The sliced ​​fish flesh looks like squirrel fur, which is very beautiful."

"Finally, coat it with starch, deep-fry it until golden brown and crispy, then drizzle it with sweet and sour sauce, and you'll have a delicious and visually appealing squirrel fish."

赵大

After listening to Li Mu's description, the young master...

"Wow, that sounds amazing! I definitely want to try this squirrel fish! Boss, please make me a squirrel fish!"

Upon hearing this, the shop owner looked troubled: "But I've never made this dish before, and I'm afraid I won't do it well and disappoint Young Master Zhao."

Li Mu patted the shopkeeper on the shoulder and laughed, "It's alright, boss. I've already told Young Master Zhao how to cook squirrel fish. Just follow my instructions, and there won't be any problems. If you don't have enough ingredients, I have some freshly caught fish here."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Zhao was even more delighted: "Yes, yes, yes, let's use his fish! Dahei, you're a true friend, this meal is on me!"

Big Black laughed heartily: "Alright then, I won't be polite. Mu Zi, Tiger, we're in for a treat today!"

So the boss got busy and started making squirrel fish according to Li Mu's instructions, dragging Li Mu into the kitchen in a hurry.

"Brother, I've never made this dish before!"

I've never even heard of it, let alone done it!

"It's alright, boss. This dish isn't difficult to make. As long as you follow my steps, you'll definitely be able to make it. And I guarantee that this dish will satisfy Young Master Zhao."

The boss looked at Li Mu with some skepticism, but decided to give it a try anyway. He asked his assistant to help him while he began to process the fish.

Li Mu stood to the side watching, and saw the boss subconsciously about to make cuts on the fish, but his technique was obviously a bit clumsy.

Seeing this, Li Mu quickly stepped forward to give instructions: "Boss, you're not cutting it right. You should cut it like this, at an angle, and the depth should be even. That way you can fry it into the shape of a squirrel."

The shopkeeper followed suit and successfully cut out a pattern resembling squirrel fur. He looked at the fish meat in his hand.

"Hey! It really does look like squirrel fur! How's my skill?"

"Okay, okay! There are still some details to pay attention to, such as the heat and oil temperature when frying the fish, and the ratio of sweet and sour sauce. These will affect the taste and appearance of the squirrel fish."

As Li Mu spoke, he helped the boss prepare the sweet and sour sauce. He deftly picked up the bowl of vinegar and sugar and poured them into the pot in a certain ratio. He then simmered it over low heat until the sauce became thick and bright in color.

"This tastes great! Awesome!"

"Where's the flour?!"

Upon hearing this, the shop owner quickly took out a bag of flour from the cupboard and handed it to Li Mu: "Here it is, just opened, hasn't been used yet."

Li Mu took the flour, skillfully coated the fish with it, and then placed it in the oil. As the oil temperature rose, the fish gradually turned golden and crispy, emitting an enticing aroma.

"Alright, it's ready to be taken out of the pot."

The owner quickly scooped the fried fish out and placed it on a plate. Then, following Li Mu's instructions, he evenly poured the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the fish.

And so, a delicious and visually appealing squirrel fish dish was completed.

Once served, the squirrel fish immediately attracted everyone's attention. The golden-yellow fish meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce that was both delicious and had an enticing aroma.

The fish meat is shaped like a lifelike squirrel, making it almost too beautiful to eat.

Young Master Zhao's eyes lit up when he saw the squirrel fish in front of him. He couldn't wait to pick up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he nodded repeatedly and praised it: "Delicious! Delicious!"

Big Black's mouth watered at the sight of the fish. He swallowed hard, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and was about to pick up a piece of fish to taste when Li Mu gently clapped his hand: "Hey, Brother Black, don't rush, let Young Master Zhao have a taste first."

Dahei chuckled, withdrew his hand, and said, "I was just craving it, Mu Zi. Your squirrel fish smells so good, I could smell it from far away."

"Of course, my squirrel fish uses a secret family recipe, so the taste is naturally different."

As he spoke, Li Mu placed another piece of fish on Young Master Zhao's plate. Young Master Zhao ate it with relish, praising it repeatedly. The group of people serving Young Master Zhao were stunned, and they all picked up their chopsticks and began to taste the squirrel fish. For a moment, only the sounds of chewing and praise filled the small restaurant.

After eating a few pieces of fish, Young Master Zhao invited the others to sit down as well.

He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, slammed it on the table, and declared with great gusto, "Boss, this meal is on me! And bring me three squirrel fish so everyone can have a taste!"

Upon hearing this, the boss beamed with joy and immediately went to prepare.

Li Mu also went to help, watching the boss work diligently, afraid that he might do something wrong and displease Young Master Zhao.

Today's meal is on Young Master Zhao's dime. If we can satisfy him, the small restaurant's business will definitely boom in the future.

While helping out, Li Mu also guided the owner on how to better prepare squirrel fish, explaining each step in detail, from making the decorative cuts to frying the fish and then drizzling it with sweet and sour sauce, to ensure that the owner could grasp the essence.

The boss listened attentively and worked carefully; in no time, the three squirrel fish were ready.

Dahei and Tian Xiaohu also got to try it, and they praised it repeatedly as soon as they tasted it, saying that the squirrel fish was simply a delicacy, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and sour, and unforgettable.

"Muzi, your squirrel fish is absolutely amazing! It's even better than what chefs in those fancy restaurants make!" Dahei praised, giving a thumbs-up as he ate the fish with gusto.

Tian Xiaohu nodded repeatedly, his mouth full, and mumbled, "Brother Mu! How do you know about this dish?"

Squirrel Fish is a classic dish in Jiangsu cuisine. It was not introduced to the north until the 20th century. At first, the taste was not accepted by northerners because the preparation was complicated and the flavor was sweet and sour, which did not match the strong taste of northerners.

But it's good to have something novel and catchy.

"It's quite a coincidence, I figured it out myself. I had seen a recipe for squirrel fish in a book before, and I thought it was quite interesting, so I thought I'd try it myself. I never expected it to come in handy today."