Although this grass carp wasn’t raised or magically produced by the system, the quality selected by the system is still trustworthy.

The method for making West Lake Vinegar Fish is inherently simple, using few seasonings, so if the fish is inherently fishy, it will definitely result in an unpalatable dish.

The black membrane on the fish’s back isn’t heavy, but Wang Fan didn’t just leave it alone. According to the requirements in his recipe, the black membrane on the fish skin needs to be scraped off with a knife.

He heated the water to 85 degrees, laid the two pieces of grass carp fillet skin-side up, and scalded the fish skin with the lightly simmering water.

The already cleanly scaled fish skin shrank slightly upon contact with the hot water. Wang Fan picked up the kitchen knife and gently scraped the black off the fish skin with the back of the knife.

After washing it again and wiping the fish with absorbent paper, it looked much cleaner.

Zhuo Qianqian watched Wang Fan’s process and compared it to the one she had eaten before, noticing that the one she had eaten had black fish skin on the back.

"Boss, is removing the black skin a crucial step?"

Wang Fan nodded, "Of course it’s crucial. If you don’t remove it, the fish will be very fishy. It’s okay for methods like braising, sweet and sour, or stewing, but for West Lake Vinegar Fish or steamed dishes, the fishy smell would be too strong. Just the smell alone would make you not want to eat it."

"Uh..."

I not only ate it, but I also had two bites...

Never mind, there’s no need to bring up such dark history to the boss.

Wang Fan didn’t think much of it and continued to handle the fish.

He cut slits on the fish body at 3 cm intervals, covered it with a layer of chopped green onion and ginger, sprinkled some yellow wine for a simple marinade, and finally rubbed a bit of starch on the fish body.

After marinating for 15 minutes, he set about boiling water.

In this dish, the fish can be either steamed or poached. Wang Fan chose the poaching method.

He put the de-fishing trio of green onions, ginger, and yellow wine into the water, added a pinch of salt, and then placed the fish into the pot to slowly simmer on low heat.

After 5 minutes of simmering, the fish’s eyes on the head started to bulge. Wang Fan lifted the pot and moved it to another burner without turning on the heat or uncovering it, allowing it to continue steeping.

Meanwhile, he started another pot and began preparing the sauce.

He poured water into the pot along with light soy sauce, salt, sugar, and a pinch of white pepper, stirring them well before the water reacted.

He added Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar before the water boiled, still simmering on low heat.

Dark soy sauce for color, corn starch for thickening, each step executed perfectly, the thick sauce becoming very viscous in the pot, filling the small kitchen with a rich scent of vinegar.

But because it was simmered over low heat, the scent wasn’t overpowering and was as mellow as well-aged wine.

Using a spoon, he scooped the thick sauce, pouring it down as if it were a thick dark red line that smoothly cascaded down.

Turning off the heat, he lifted the lid of the fish pot. The fish inside was pale and slightly shrunken, completely cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, he gently lifted the fish, keeping it intact, and placed it on a plate.

When the thick sauce was poured over the fish, Zhuo Qianqian couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow."

The transformation seemed magical, like an ugly duckling turned into a stunning beauty after applying makeup.

The poached fish meat, previously pale and unappetizing, was drizzled with the dark red sauce, and the fusion of the two colors surprisingly brightened the sauce’s hue.

The bright sauce with its rich gloss was the perfect description for its current state.

Finally, a layer of finely chopped ginger was sprinkled on top, and this dauntingly delicious dish was completed.

Wang Fan took out two pairs of chopsticks, handing one to Zhuo Qianqian and saying, "Come, give it a try."

Despite having eaten an especially bad version before, owing to her absolute trust in the boss’s culinary skills, Zhuo Qianqian picked up a piece of fish.

"Eh?"

Before even tasting it, just by taking this bite, Zhuo Qianqian sensed something different.

Tender!

As soon as she picked it up with her chopsticks, the word ’tender’ popped into her mind.

The chopsticks easily pulled away a piece of fish, its tender white meat slightly tinged with dark red, giving her a sense of freshness and clarity.

The aroma of the vinegar was strong but not overwhelming, mixed with a hint of sweet fragrance.

She dipped the piece of fish into the thick, dark red sauce on the plate, which wrapped completely around the fish.

Even lifting the chopsticks didn’t allow any sauce to fall back onto the plate.

Wang Fan said, "I’ve cleanly removed the bones, so you can eat it directly."

Fish bones are easier to handle raw than cooked, but it requires special skill and superior knife work that most people can’t manage.

Grass carp inherently has more bones. Larger fish might be slightly better, but their meat isn’t as tender as smaller fish. This complexity is why Wang Fan thinks people often criticize the dish.

Yet our ancestors weren’t foolish. In theory, as long as the method is correct, the dish can be called West Lake Vinegar Fish, whether made with grass carp, bass, or mandarin fish. It doesn’t matter.

It’s just that grass carp and carp are relatively cheap. If a one-pound mandarin fish were used, this dish would certainly cost upward of 200 dollars.

Zhuo Qianqian nodded and carefully placed the fish into her mouth.

For most dishes, she would typically serve Wang Fan first, but the psychological shadow of this dish was too great, so she thought it best to test it herself first.

As soon as the fish entered her mouth, the aroma of vinegar rushed to her nostrils, but perhaps because it wasn’t overly used, it only felt refreshingly sour, not pungent.

As her taste buds on the tongue sensed the sauce, Zhuo Qianqian widened her eyes in disbelief.

The previous dish she ate definitely didn’t taste like this!

The previous one genuinely tasted like separate ingredients—vinegar was vinegar, fishy was fishy, sugar was sugar—whereas the one in her mouth now didn’t have any fishy taste even without a filter.

Moreover, the sourness of the vinegar and the sweetness of the sugar fused perfectly, making it hard to tell if it was sour or sweet.

Then the freshness of the fish and the salt’s saltiness joined in, elevating the mouth’s overall taste experience.

The finely chopped ginger released a mild ginger flavor, which when blended with the other tastes surprisingly gave her a flavorful taste akin to crabmeat’s savoriness.

With a gentle bite, the delicate fish was practically melt-in-your-mouth tender, requiring only the lightest pressure from her tongue to completely crumble, perfectly melding with the sauce, making the fish’s tenderness and unique freshness absolutely explosive.

"Wow, it’s so fresh, completely different from the one I had before!"

Zhuo Qianqian raised both thumbs in praise, "Boss, this is even better than what Louwailou makes."