Chapter Forty-five: Should We Squeeze Some Lemon Over a Fried Baby Shrimp?
Waiting for the clams to desand is too long! So we decided to turn a blind eye to the price drop and sell them together with the delivery batch! Watching Mr. Ville, Mr. Xenon, and Mr. Ed take the cooler box away, Ms. Aria and I start preparing for today’s launch.
First, while it’s still daylight, we need to gather some branches for firewood to secure our fuel supply… For now, we collected all the dried branches we could find, thick or thin. There was one log-sized piece, but Ms. Aria was able to drag it over by tying a rope around it! Let’s keep that as a last resort in case we run out of fuel.
Once we have gathered enough fuel, I should prepare the portable grill and everything else I need… Then, it’s time for the enjoyable preparation of the meal!
“Hmm, it’s probably not a good idea to keep going back and forth between the Camping Car’s kitchen and the campfire outside.”
“…I can keep an eye on the campfire, but cooking…”
“I think both tasks are pretty similar though…”
Monitoring the heat of a campfire and monitoring the heat for cooking seem pretty much the same to me. Anyway, I’m going to start making a bouillabaisse-style fish soup, so let’s prepare a broth first. As long as I have broth, I can make a soup!
I sprinkle salt over the sea bass heads, arrange them on a baking sheet, and roast them in the oven until they’re golden brown. Meanwhile, I slice one onion and sauté it with olive oil and garlic until browned…
“Smells… good…”
“Onions are high in sugar, so browning them a bit gives them a nice roasted aroma.”
“I see.”
“…And once they’re the right color, I’ll add the roasted sea bass heads and sauté them slowly until they also get a nice sear.”
Twitching her cute, pointy nose, Ms. Aria peers into the gradually browning pan.
Doing it thoroughly like this means we can extract a broth without any fishy odor, no need for water changes or profound rinsing.
Once the onions and sea bass heads have turned a nice golden-brown color, I add the precious tomatoes I had set aside for the spicy stir-fried squid. A bouillabaisse really needs tomatoes. Having those rich, umami-packed tomatoes in there makes a big difference in flavor, I think. Bouillabaisse is basically just a Western-style fish stew after all, so having a delicious broth is the minimum requirement. Simmering fresh tomatoes like this really concentrates and intensifies their flavor amazingly.
Once the moisture from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture starts to thicken, I’ll add some water and simmer it gently… just enough to make the surface shimmer. I’ll also add the bay leaves that were in the spice box. Ingredients are fresh, so I don’t think there’ll be any off-flavors, but just to be safe.
“While the broth is simmering, I think I’ll prepare the small shrimp.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll lightly fry them after coating them in salt, pepper, and flour. When the guys get back, I’ll double-fry them so the shells are nice and crispy to eat whole!”
We caught quite a pile of small shrimp, enough to make a little mountain on a small strainer. They didn’t feel too hard when I touched them, so I think if I fry them well, we can eat them with the shells on, crunchy and all! They’ll make a great snack with some drinks!
Since I washed off any dirt or debris before we departed, I think I just need to give them a quick rinse now. Pat them dry thoroughly with a paper towel… Then: I put salt, pepper, and an appropriate amount of flour into a plastic bag, toss in a shrimp, lightly tie the top, and vigorously shake it! Shake! Shake! Shaaaaake!
This way your hands don’t get messy, and the flour doesn’t go flying everywhere making a mess of the kitchen. It’s super convenient once you get the hang of it! For things with antennae, spines, or protrusions, using a double bag prevents it from ripping easily.
I pour a little more oil than usual into a shallow frying pan and add the small shrimps before turning on the heat. By frying them slowly over low heat, the moisture is drawn out thoroughly, making them delicious to eat with the shells on. If you fry them at high heat right away, they’ll just burn, so in the Takanashi household, we like to get the color on the second fry. While I’m at it, I’ll also add the leftover garlic cloves whole.
I tilt the frying pan from time to time to pool the oil, making sure the shrimps are fully submerged as they fry. The door and windows are open for ventilation, but the kitchen is still filled with an amazing roasted aroma.
…Come to think of it, I wonder how effective the concealment really is. We’re not going to get found out by the smell, are we?
Carefully flipping them from time to time, I continue to fry them slowly, slowly… drawing out the moisture.
“…Frying in garlic oil?”
“Exactly!”
“Really?”
“…No. It’s just fried small shrimp.”
As the sizzling sound gradually changes to more of a shushing noise, it means the moisture is evaporating. I’ll scoop them out onto a tray to drain off the excess oil, then I can double-fry them once everyone’s back!
… But you know, might as well!
“Ms. Aria, Ms. Aria, they’re piping hot but here!”
“Rin…! A-Are you sure?”
“Yes, yes. We need to taste it now to know how to adjust the seasoning properly.”
On the toothpick I offered Ms. Aria, there were small shrimp still sizzling in the oil. The shells, visible through the thin coating, had turned bright red and looked perfectly crispy.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ms. Aria clasps her hands in front of her chest and looks at me with a prayerful expression. I smile warmly and nod in response.
Hmm? Does it look like a corrupt religious idol luring an innocent maiden to gluttony?
I know, I know, just leave me alone!
But can you really call it fried food if you don’t taste it fresh out of the fryer?! What’s the point of frying then?! Fearless of burning your mouth… unconcerned if the crispy shell cuts the roof of your mouth… following your desire to simply devour it!
I gently pass the piping hot shrimp to Ms. Aria’s trembling hand, then immediately pop one into my mouth.
“Ahh! Aahh! Ah-ahh!”
“Hahh! Hahh! Ah, shogood!”
This always happens when you eat something fresh out of the fryer, doesn’t it…?
Even blowing on it doesn’t completely cool the scorching hot shell that threatens to burn my tongue. Still a tad firm, but not too hard to bite through. Crunch through that shell and the sweet shrimp juices and rich shrimp flavor burst forth, filling your mouth. You want to keep your mouth closed to savor that flavor, but the intense heat forces you to open wide, gasping for air.
…It’s understandable, right…? It’s so hot that even the relatively warm outside air feels cold…
Although there’s a slight saltiness to the coating, the shrimp itself retains just the right amount of saltiness from the seawater, making it delicious even without any additional seasoning. The densely packed meat is full of flavor, and with each bite, the umami and sweetness turn into juicy drips. The thin legs have a satisfying crunch, leaving a delightful aroma on the tongue.
I’ll quickly chase that scorching mouth with a big gulp of cool barley tea…!
“Puuhhaaa! Sho good! But sho hot!”
“But thish would go great with shome beer!”
Exhaling to dispel that lingering heat sensation on our tongues, Ms. Aria and I slap our raised palms together triumphantly.
They’re still a tad firm now, but the second fry should take care of that no problem.
“Hey, Rin. Just one more… just one more, please? Pretty please? Please?”
“N-No, I can’t! Ms. Aria, how many times are you going to say ‘just one more’!?”
“Until they’re all gone!”
“That’s a no-no! You call that ‘just one’!?”
I’ll note here that the pleading gaze of the beautiful lady ultimately led to another shrimp being granted… Damn it! She is irresistibly cute and charming!
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