Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 438 - 350: Why Aren’t You Eating? Are You Afraid?

Even the most terrifying part of the intestines, the large intestine, can be eaten; beef tripe is really nothing.

Lin Chen cut some from three different parts of the beef tripe for them to taste, and then separately swished a few slices of omasum in the marinade.

Nagishiro Sho was not unfamiliar with these foods, just mooching a meal, but Raphael gradually became addicted to the unique texture and taste of these beef tripe.

"This is nice, the texture is tender and juicy, very suitable as a side dish or appetizer, with a shape that’s quite distinctive."

"This one is just so-so, has a texture a bit like beef tongue, but the shape is too thin, and it looks too much like innards, which might psychologically impact the guests. Maybe it would look better if coated in flour and fried?"

"Hmm? Why is this part so crunchy? Can it be eaten after just a few seconds in the water? Seems quite suitable for wrapping some filling."

"Whoa?"

Lin Chen’s eyes were full of shock, is this the experience of a Head Chef?

To be able to guess the correct usage of an unknown ingredient just by tasting one bite!

"Haha, did I guess right?"

Raphael laughed triumphantly and pointed at Lin Chen, feeling indescribably satisfied.

Being led around by this brat all the time, he felt so aggrieved, finally able to let off some steam!

Laugh!

Laugh again!

Lin Chen chuckled coldly in his heart, bent down to grab a piece of hot pot base from the nearby shelf, and threw in a few cloves of garlic and ginger into the milk pot to start heating.

"What are you up to again, kid? It looks really spicy."

The bright red color of the beef tallow hot pot base made the smile on Raphael’s face recede slightly, as he subconsciously gulped.

"I can’t handle very spicy, don’t mess around, or what if I get an upset stomach?"

"Don’t worry", before Lin Chen could speak, Nagishiro Sho quickly patted his shoulder, "This just looks spicy, it’s actually not that spicy, Great Xia’s chili oil mainly serves to enhance aroma."

"Then I’m relieved."

As the beef tallow base gradually melted, the ginger and garlic were slowly sautéed, releasing an enchanting aroma.

The unique fatty scent of beef tallow blended with the sizzling sound made everyone nearby drool wildly, yet they had to forcibly suppress their cravings since today was the organ special.

Although the marinade was also simmering beef shank and tendon, they were cooked with the organs in one pot, and even if told these weren’t organs, visitors couldn’t get past the psychological barrier.

While sautéing the ginger and garlic, Lin Chen fetched a whole piece of beef shank from the marinade pot, and put it in the fridge to cool down.

Technically, you shouldn’t do this, but since today’s stand was over, the fridge was empty, leaving only some garlic, ginger, and green onions, so it didn’t really matter.

"Why cool it down? Can’t it be eaten hot?"

Raphael and Nagishiro Sho were both puzzled by his actions.

Beef shank is also used in Western cuisine, like in Burgundy wine braised beef, which uses beef shank, mainly from the forelegs.

For larger quantities, it’s also mixed and stewed together, as they are pre-frozen and cut into chunks, making it hard to differentiate which is which.

Lin Chen boiled whole leg shank meat like this, Raphael had tried before, but found the texture was not as good due to the tendons and membranes, so he didn’t use it.

This part is also unsuitable for making steak, it’s only good for stewing, which is quite limiting.

"Of course it can be eaten, but once cooled it’s easier to slice, and the beef flavor becomes stronger, and the texture improves."

Lin Chen explained briefly, seeing the ginger and garlic in the pot already slightly golden brown, immediately scooped a few spoonfuls of marinade into the pot, then took a whole bovine brain from a metal basin nearby to display it to everyone.

"Ugh!!"

"Oh my god!!"

"My God, what is that, is it an animal brain?"

The smiles on Nagishiro Sho and Raphael’s faces froze simultaneously, John silently stepped back half a step, while Lucas absentmindedly licked his lips, looking eager.

"Are you ready, my dear chef?"

Lin Chen’s smile widened as he gently submerged the entire bovine brain into the pot, flipping his wrist so that the remaining few brains in the basin also slipped into the red oil.

The small milk pot was almost overflowing after adding five fresh brains, you could even see the pink brain patterns soaking in the red oil, like they were in bloody water.

Raphael shivered suddenly.

How did he forget about this phase?!

This brat, it’s definitely revenge for making him work more before!!!

"Just a few?"

Lucas sighed with some disappointment: "Not even enough to fill the gaps between the teeth."

"How many more do you want?"

Lin Chen pointed at the three in front of him: "All three of them combined might not even finish one, is three enough for you? I’ll just eat one."

"What about Magna?"

"Ehhh..." Lin Chen hesitated, "That guy might not be able to eat it either? He’s only good with seafood."

"What’s that, I heard someone calling my name!"

At the cabin exit.

Magna walked out with a finger hooked around a crate of beer in one hand, and a bag of heavy items in the other.

"The food’s here, the food’s here, can we start the fish and offal hot pot?"

"You came just in time."

Lin Chen waved at him and pointed at the pot.

"Do you dare to eat this thing?"

"Is there anything I wouldn’t dare to eat? Impossible!"

Magna scoffed confidently, "I can even eat fish brain, could there be anything more...?"

He quickly walked over to the serving cart, but his expression froze when he saw the tender brain soaked in red oil inside the pot.

"Nope, he can’t do it."

Lucas shook his head without hesitation, "I’ll take all three, add some braised flavors and fish parts and that’s about enough to eat."

"Wait a minute! Why am I the only one who can’t do it??"

Magna’s mouth twitched a few times, his eyes widened, looking utterly unconvinced.

"I just haven’t seen what animal brains look like, I wasn’t prepared for it, but I can eat it!"

"Alright, alright, just try a bite later, don’t be stubborn now."

Lin Chen chuckled and shook his head, saying nothing more as he immediately started preparing the fish gut hot pot and asked John to bring some fresh ingredients.

With so many people here, just eating fish guts and fish roe wouldn’t be enough; they’d have to add some more ingredients.

Originally, he was wondering what flavors to use for secondary processing of the braised dishes.

Now it’s easy, after finishing the fish parts, you can just toss the braised flavors into the fish broth, and it’s another new dish.

About forty minutes later.

The red oil brain and fish gut hot pot were served one after the other.

No need for plating, they were directly placed on the table with the pot, and Lin Chen quickly whipped up some fried rice to heat the already cooled rice.

Along with these two main dishes, he also put together a platter of braised delicacies, including previously sampled braised intestines, braised beef tripe, and plenty of braised beef shank and tendon mixed in.

The six of them didn’t sit, each holding a box of fried rice and standing around the table, digging in heartily.

"I never thought fish roe could be cooked like this, no wonder that old guy Magna specifically brought the ingredients over, it is quite tasty."

"The texture of the fish bladder is really unusual, sticky and glutinous yet slightly crunchy. Combined with the mild spice and the fragrance of perilla, it somehow feels quite satisfying?"

"Why aren’t you all eating the fish head, scared? Haha, a bunch of cowards, watch me!"

This time, Lin Chen didn’t thoughtfully remove the fish head bones like last time, just simply split it in half and stewed it inside.

Facing this frightening presentation, Raphael and John both chose to avoid it, as did Nagishiro Sho and Lucas, with their first chopsticks picking up fish roe and fish bladder, including Lin Chen himself, which strangely gave Magna a strong sense of confidence.

Though it was his first time eating a full fish head, with the experience from last time, he wasn’t scared at all, using a soup spoon to scoop an entire piece of fish head onto the rice, casually picking up a bony part and sending it to his mouth.

The fish head was fully stewed, many large bones could be effortlessly pulled out whole, and the fish meat left on the bones was tender and fell off easily, with a sweep of the tongue it was cleaned up entirely.

"Eating the fish head is just eating the fish head, why so much talk?"

Lucas scoffed, reaching over to move the milk pot in front of him, his chopsticks diving into the thick beef oil, precisely picking out a whole piece of brain and placing it onto his rice.

After being stewed for so long, the brain had completely lost its initial terrifying appearance, but it still looked rather odd.

Especially after falling apart, separating into three parts—the brainstem, cerebellum, and the white vascular wall at the connection.

Everyone present was either a chef or involved in the cultivation industry, all had some anatomical knowledge.

Seeing the brain scattered into this form, Raphael and John’s faces turned slightly pale, Nagishiro Sho was slightly better, but not by much.

Even Magna, who was sucking on fish head bones, had his smug smile frozen at this moment.

Lucas seemed unfazed, as if he couldn’t care less that this thing was a brain, and even swiftly used his chopsticks to mash the brain, mixing it with the rice, and shoveled the mixture into his mouth joyously.

"Gulp..."

Someone swallowed, everyone’s eyes were glued in stunned fascination, only then realizing that the reactions of those around them weren’t much different from their own.

Only Lin Chen had no reaction and picked up a piece of brain with his chopsticks into his bowl.

But instead of mashing it, he began chewing in large chunks.

As if it was not pig brain, but ordinary pork.

John glanced at Magna’s bowl with the fish head, clenched his teeth, and proactively reached out with his chopsticks to fish out a piece of brain from the red oil.

However, since he wasn’t very adept with chopsticks, before he could pick it up, the brain scattered.

Instead of being worried, he actually looked pleased, immediately picking up the smallest piece into his bowl, and without much hesitation, opened his mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Hurry up! Even I’ve eaten it, aren’t you two head chefs brave enough to try?"

"Why don’t you chew it then!"

"I’m waiting for you guys!"

"If you eat, we eat, no one backs down!"

"Why did you only pick such a small piece?"

"As if you picked a big piece, spit it out and compare?"

"Stop talking, I’ll count to three, then everyone chew together!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!!"