Chapter 120: 108

Chapter 108 Grilled Oyster with Garlic (end)

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

[1] Oysters are a type of shellfish with asymmetrical shells unlike scallops and are usually found in brackish water or around the coast. From her experience, oysters are rarer than scallops, since scallops could travel freely in the sea whereas oysters are generally stuck in one place.

If the entirety of the modern seafood cuisine is expressed by a book, the oysters would represent one of the rich and gorgeous primary colours on the cover illustration.

Shiyu began to collect the oysters, [2] using her knife to pry the oysters off rocks and each other, she was able to chip them out into individual pieces. Since there was such a lot, she was able to collect several baskets worth in a short time. Shiyu had Fat Cat fast freeze them and chuck the whole lot into her space ring. Once she had collected enough oysters, she contentedly climbed back to the boat.

Naturally, when she was climbing up, she had one spare shirt stuffed with a few fish, one large crab and a few oysters. It would definitely stink up her clothes, but there was no helping it. She’ll have to make money quickly and get herself some clothes soon, otherwise, she’d have to wear this shirt/basket.

Once she heaved her dripping self onto the deck, she found that it was close to dinner time. All kinds of enticing smells were in the air. Foodie Shiyu could not help but swallow. How pitiful, ah. To think that a professional cook and once rich Cultivator Shiyu would be reduced to such dire straits! When people say [3] Tides of Fate Turns in a Blink, surely this is what they meant, ah!

There were a couple of braziers on the deck, meant to ward off the cold during winter. Now they sat unused in a corner. Shiyu borrowed one to make her dinner. [4] There were still some [5] half-burnt charcoal inside, which she had already dusted off and set to dry in the sun earlier. Shiyu also found some discarded wires on the side, [5] but most of them had corroded. She found some less corroded ones, but they snapped the moment she bent them.

[5] Shiyu stared at the broken wires in her hand incredulously. What the-

[5] Shiyu glared helplessly at the brazier, then at the broken wires. At first, she had not wanted to use the grill in her space ring because it would attract attention…

[5] Wait.

[5] Space rings were not things limited to Cultivators.

[5] Ordinary people could also use them!

[5] Well, not ordinary commoners, but rich people! She had just told these people that she’s going to get her family to pay them the 10,000 silver taels when they reach the Western Qin Empire so why is she concealing her space ring?!

[5] Feeling a little stupid, Shiyu took out her grilling net from her space ring and placed it on the brazier. It was a little too large but still workable. Since she had already revealed her ultra-convenient space ring, she might as well take out some oil, salt and other condiments for her cooking. Oh, and her least eye-catching knife.

[5] After starting the initial fire and waiting for it to burn down properly with some of her own private stash of charcoal, Shiyu quickly and expertly cleaned the fish with her ordinary knife. She also cut a few scores on the thickest part of the fish before smearing a little salt and oil on the outside and placing it on the fire.

While the fish was being slow grilled, Shiyu started on the oysters.

To be honest, this would be the first time she had oysters in years. It was a rare treat even in her previous life and [6] Shiyu enjoyed eating oysters with lots of condiments. Garlic is a must, of course, and so are chilli peppers. The fish was starting to sizzle a little, so Shiyu flipped it over.

Meanwhile, she had already peeled some garlic. She’s determined to have some Grilled Oysters with Garlic today. Her recipe required the use of garlic paste, but without a mortar and pastle, she’ll have to get creative. [7] She used the flat of her knife to mash the minced garlic into the cutting board until thoroughly flattened before scraping it out with the sharp edge of her knife. By using garlic paste instead of minced garlic, the garlic would cook faster too.

Now that her main condiment was ready, Shiyu began to clean and pry open the oysters. After thoroughly cleaning the meat within the shell with fresh water, it was time to grill.

Of course, before that, she must make sure she has all the necessary condiments. [8] In addition to the butter, Shiyu also got out her trusty little bottle of Mala Oil. Everything is delicious as long as it’s covered in the supreme condiment that is the Mala Oil. Her little block of butter was also taken out and that’s it.

[8] Shiyu placed four cleaned Oyster halves on the grill next to the fish, which she had switched over to a cooler side to keep warm. She carefully scooped up the garlic paste and placed a little teaspoon of it onto each oyster. Then, she places a bit of butter, about the size of the tip of her little finger over the garlic paste. When the shells heat up, the butter will melt and bring the scent of the garlic into the oyster. There was no need to add salt since the oysters were so fresh.

[8] When the oysters began to sizzle, Shiyu observed them carefully. She liked them a little firmer and would cook them until the flesh turns completely white before adding the final touch. A dash of the Mighty Mala Oil!

[8] Oh, oh, the scent of garlic and butter was already permeating the air! Shiyu sighed as her mouth drooled at the idea of biting into a plump, succulent oyster. Nevertheless, there was still something missing in the air.

[8] That’s right, a dash of Mala Oil!

[8] Shiyu was very generous with the Mala Oil, pouring nearly a tablespoon of the stuff into the corner of each oyster. The butter had melted and pooled around the oyster flesh in a yellow/brown colour. When the Mala Oil was added, the two oils cut a Yin Yang pattern with the plump little oyster in the middle. It was very pleasing to the eye.

The combined scent of garlic, chilli and butter suddenly caused Shiyu to swallow. A beer, ah! She wants a cold beer now! How nice would it be to enjoy a cold beer with piping hot, fresh off the grill oysters, ah?

When the oysters have been cooked to the desired specification, Shiyu lifted one off the grill. As someone who had gone through trials of fire, literally, she was not afraid of a little heat from the boiling butter and mala oil in the oyster shell. Some of the oyster broth had been boiled out of the oyster and she sipped that first. The taste of the sea along with the powerful scent of butter and the stinging sensation of the chilli ignited her appetite.

Shiyu broke off a piece of the fish, which had been grilled to a lovely brown crust on the outside, and took a bite. Her teeth broke past the crunchy grilled skin and she chewed up the tender white flesh in the middle. 

[9] It was actually quite difficult to grill fish to this perfect state, one has to have good fire control and deep knowledge of the ingredient that is fish. The spiciness in her mouth was neutralized by the fresh taste of fish, allowing her to enjoy the powerful, spicy flavour bomb that is the next Grilled Oyster.

Shiyu had tucked herself into a corner to cook and eat her meal. However, there was no hiding the fragrance that was gradually being dispersed by the sea breeze. The first people who caught the scent were the sensitive Cultivators staying on the third storey. Their five senses were especially advanced, so it was no wonder they were the first ones to detect this anomaly.

At first, the smell of seafood being cooked was merely noted and dismissed. They were mainly focussed on their Cultivation and did not care about worldly matters. After some time, however, the scent grew stronger and soon noses were sniffing the air and they could almost picture the delicacy at the end of this scent. The image was so vivid that they could nearly taste it.

At one of the third-floor windows, the man with the thin ink wash eyebrows had also taken noticed of this. He swept his eyes across the deck once and immediately spotted the little girl squatting by the brazier. She was enthusiastically eating her dinner by the brazier.

The sight caused no other reaction. His eyes were like floating snow, cool and indifferent.

A person would have many encounters in their life. However, as long as they do not take the initiative to make contact, more than half of life’s trouble might have been avoided. Moreover, too many of these people were fated to be passersby, so why waste time meeting them over a momentary impulse?

The tea in his cup was long gone. The man got up and placed the tea set back in its place. When he returned to his seat, he found that the little girl was now surrounded by people. Even without his good hearing, he could tell that the people were asking the girl if they could buy her food.

Now that the girl had eaten, she looked livelier than before. There was no hesitation as she chirped agreeably and went off to rent some cooking tools from the crew.

What a smart little girl. [10]

After that little thought, the man closed his eyes and began to Cultivate.

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On the deck, Shitu got very busy. She planned to keep the oysters for herself and share them with Grandpa and the rest of the family. So, the food she planned to make for these people are Spicy Crab and Spicy Lobster. So, she dove into the sea once more and collected a couple of baskets worth of these creatures.

The crabs and lobsters here were quite large. Just one creature was enough to make its own dish. Large crustaceans are not only nice to look at, but the meat is thick and easy to remove from the shell.

While she was busy getting her ingredients and aromatics ready, her potential customers all gathered around, staring apprehensively at the twitching creatures in the basket. [11] These bug-like creatures with their many legs and bulging eyes looked rather creepy. Too creepy, ah! What kind of thing is this little girl planning to feed us?!

[12] Then, the girl grabbed hold of the longer looking bug thing and stabbed it in the spine. The people flinched. The girl mercilessly ran her knife down its spine until the creature was split in half and tossed onto the grill. Before the horrified eyes of the people, Shiyu cracked open the crab and cleaned out its guts before breaking the crab into easily grilled parts. She also cracked opened its large claws before placing them on the grill.

[12] By now, the lobster had turned a little red. Shiyu had placed it cut side down first to sear the meat before flipping it over. She then brushed her prepared spicy chilli sauce over the lightly toasted meat and moved it to the indirect heat side. She did the same for the crabs too. Soon, a wonderful spicy fragrance began to permeate the air.

[12] The meat of these creatures, which had looked a little translucent and creepy just now, had turned into plump white flesh. The ominously coloureds shell had turned bright red from cooking. The combine colours, red and white, coupled with the wonderful fragrance in the air made the whole spectacle irresistible.

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Instead of pondering over whether these creatures were edible or not. Everyone was now wondering when it’s time to eat!

[Gumihou: *sigh* Shiyu you philistine. I had great difficulty with this chapter.]

[1] This paragraph is identical to the one found in Chapter 101, but at least we’re not hunting for oysters on the beach anymore

[2] Additional Information for Clarification: the word used here is 撿, which has the connotation of ‘to collect’ or ‘to pick up’. I guess Author-san thinks oysters loiter around sandbanks?

[3] Tides of Fate Turns in a Blink – the fortunes of people changes 

[4] Gumihou has something to say – This is a very cluttered ship. If the braziers were meant for winter use, they should not be brought out until winter. It would be more realistic to say they’re used to keep the night watchmen warm at night.

Also, discarded wires? 

Heh

If they’re iron wires, they should be kept in a dry place away from sea breeze, because any metal on ships will corrode within a few days and cannot be used to cook food. Also, did you know that in ancient times, metal items are kept in barrels of honey to keep them from corroding? Metal things are precious and you won’t find any ‘discarded wires’, especially on a ship.

Tsk, tsk.

Why not use your own personal grill from your space ring? Oh, don’t want to be seen with a space ring. Well, explain where you get your salt and oil from, not to mention your garlic, also your chilli peppers. Don’t tell me you keep them in your underwear or something. Fine, all those could be kept on your person without the space ring if you tie it with a cloth and wrap around your tummy, but-

But what about your butter!?

Where do you keep your butter?!

In your mouth!?

Shiyu! Author-san!

Think this through, please! Butter is not a packet of seasoning. It will melt! 

Also, if the people know you have a space ring, it will lend credibility to your identity as ‘a daughter of a rich family’ as you’ve portrayed yourself. Shiyu, you really haven’t thought this through.

Since Gumihou cannot stand the stupidity of these minor concealments, she will change the details a little bit.

[5] Changed Details to Make Sense of Things: If only because keeping butter on your person without a space ring is stupid. Unless it’s winter, but it’s not wintering yet, it’s probably mid-autumn at best.

Details have been changed to accommodate the space ring. Also metal corrosion, because salt and water exist in that world.

[6] Changed Details to Make Sense of Things: Shiyu’s way of cooking oysters is abominable. It utterly destroys the natural taste of oysters and overcooked them to the point of depravity. However, as Shakespeare once said, ‘In the Question of Taste, There is No Argument’. Gumihou will just calmly and logically interpret it as Shiyu’s … ‘unusual’ taste. After all, this is the same uncultured philistine who enjoys eating very thin, half-frozen sashimi with ‘Wasabi Sauce’ back in Chapter 50. See Note 4 of Chapter 50 if you’re curious about Gumihou’s opinion on Shiyu’s Sashimi.

[7] Making Garlic Paste without mortar and pestle: All you need is a fairly wide knife, a clean cutting board and some salt

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-garlic-paste-with-just-salt-amp-a-knife-234558

Because in the original Shiyu said ‘Garlic paste is made from finely chop/cut/mince garlic’

…

No…

Finely chopped garlic becomes finely chopped garlic. Minced garlic becomes… minced garlic.

To get garlic paste, you either pound garlic with a mortar and pestle, blitz it with a blender until it’s mushy or use the knife and cutting board scrape technique.

[8] Rant 1: What is this Nightmare!!

Because the condition is not ideal Shiyu: place the oysters on the fire > put a little oil in each shell > add garlic paste > stir until mixture is light yellow > remove oyster from fire > chilli peppers are treated the same > twin fragrance danced in the air 

Next Para: Shiyu placed the oysters on the grill (again?) > place a little garlic (again?) and chilli peppers into the shell > add butter 

Next Para: with the fire below, the garlic oil and chilli oil (when did these two appear T_T) > sizzled > tender white oyster change colour (cooked oysters are white, did you started with cooked oysters?!) > garlic turned golden yellow > chilli more vivid

…

T_T

I’ll just… yeah

By the way, you CANNOT make garlic oil from minced garlic or garlic paste on its own. You must fry it in neutral flavoured oil and turn said neutral flavoured oil into garlic oil. The process is the same as making Mala Oil.

Right

I’m just… going to eliminate all the things that are impossible here. The dish will still be horrid, but at least it won’t be impossible to make.

[9] How to properly grill fish: Hot fire first, until you can lift the fish off the grate, turn once. When the fish no longer stick to the grill, move to indirect heat to rest and reabsorb the liquids.

https://www.weber.com/US/en/blog/tips-techniques/5-tips-for-grilling-fish/weber-48952.html

[10] ¯\_༼ ಥ ‿ ಥ ༽_/¯

[11] Added Ugly Description for Dramatic Purpose

[12] Rant 2: Who ‘grills’ spicy food with Whole Crustaceans?!

Why would you cook whole crustaceans and put sauce on the shell and then just ‘But as the food became a little more done, Shiyu cut the crabs and lobsters horizontally to reveal the tender and white meat inside.’

Why?

And how do you cut crabs horizontally!!??

Just crack out your stupid wok! If you want to grill, crack your crustaceans open and brush spices on the meat as it cooks, you nitwit! 

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