Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 455 - 367: The Wonderful Chemical Reaction—Best Oyster Dish of the Year

Thinking of John, it was only then he realized that Magna hadn’t shown up today.

Logically, since Ms. Angelica came personally, Magna, being the introducer, should at least make an appearance.

That guy even clearly stated yesterday that he would come today for grilled oysters, but what time is it now!?

He looked at the time.

Uh... it’s not even 10 o’clock.

Indeed, it is a bit earlier than usual.

"Forget it, don’t worry about him. He’s an old customer. Doesn’t he know that events require you to come early?"

Thinking of Helena Lisa’s family who came at five o’clock this morning to eat, any bit of guilt in Lin Chen’s heart disappeared instantly.

Anyway, he was notified yesterday. It was his own lack of awareness.

Is it my fault?

"Wow... it smells so good!"

The young driver who had just moved the last box of oysters to the window, his steps barely paused, his nose twitched a few times, inhaling deeply the aroma of garlic wafting through the window.

Under the continuous grilling of charcoal, the garlic oil gradually started to bubble, and the water vapor evaporated at high temperature carried the rich garlic aroma continuously outside.

Angelica, who had been waiting by the window, also began to swallow secretly.

Even though only a spoonful of minced garlic oil was added to the oysters, the visual impact was incredibly strong.

The particularly absurdly rich garlic aroma was something she had never smelled before.

If the aroma of garlic butter is primarily buttery with a secondary garlic scent, with a garlic intensity score of three or four out of ten, the garlic aroma concentration in this garlic sauce was definitely a nine!

Moreover, without the interference of the buttery scent, the garlic aroma became even more potent and pure.

If you sniff carefully, you can even catch the unique aroma of charcoal in the air.

Is that a faint fruity scent?

"Lin, what charcoal are you using?"

Angelica, unabashedly curious, stood on her tiptoes and pointed at the grill.

"Applewood,"

Lin Chen bent down and picked up a piece of the black charcoal from below to show her.

"This is charcoal made from apple trees that died accidentally on our Radison Farm. It has a subtle fruity fragrance and adds a unique aroma to the grilled food."

"Of course, any aromatic charcoal can be used. I just use what I have, you could call it taking the easy way."

"Taking... the easy way? Haha, that’s quite funny."

Angelica twitched the corner of her mouth a few times, forcing a smile.

The aroma alone was more appetizing than any grilled food she had ever smelled, yet to him, it was just taking it easy?

Was it arrogance or humility?

While the oysters on the grill were bubbling in the garlic oil, Lin Chen wasn’t idle either. He placed the oysters one by one on the tabletop, skillfully using a sharp knife to cut through the connection between the adductor muscle and the oyster shell, making it easier for the guests to eat.

Once the table was full of oysters, the food cart was filled with the immensely rich garlic aroma and the faint salty seafood scent of the oysters.

Lin Chen casually picked up a paper box from the side. To fit the Level 0 oysters, he specifically bought an extra-large one, nearly the size of a grown man’s face.

With his right hand smoothly placing the oysters diagonally into the box, he cleverly arranged six oysters in two rows, then lined the bottom of the box with two paper towels to insulate heat.

"Here you are, ma’am, your oysters."

To be cautious, Angelica only ordered a dozen for the time being.

If they were delicious, she could always order more. If they didn’t suit her taste, these oysters could be sold to the customers lining up behind.

Receiving the hefty paper box from the window, feeling the heat penetrating through the thick paper towels, Angelica instinctively turned to look at the queue a few meters away.

Since there were three grills working simultaneously here, for safety, the customer line was moved back a few meters, and four beautiful waitress were tasked with delivering food and taking orders.

Anyway, there weren’t many flavors to choose from, just original and spicy, and there was no need to worry much. Whenever the grill was empty, new ones would be added immediately.

A few meters away, the diners who didn’t get roujiamo or noodles earlier were eagerly staring at the oysters in her hand, swallowing saliva like crazy, their faces full of longing.

The most ridiculous thing was that the family who had just emptied out all the breakfast was now at the front of the line again!

"?"

Angelica had a deep impression of this family because, in all her years, she had never seen anyone pack dozens of meals from a food truck, and even requested them in their semi-raw state.

She couldn’t quite understand it.

Although I tasted it myself and the flavor was indeed okay, it wasn’t to such an exaggerated extent, was it?

I didn’t look much, just glanced and quickly averted my gaze to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

The box of oysters in my hand had an even stronger visual impact up close compared to when they were on the grill, especially when taken off the heat, Lin Chen sprinkled some green scallions as garnish.

The scorching hot oyster shells seemed to become insulated containers, locking in most of the heat, with only a few wisps of steam rising and stirring up the unique fresh aroma of the scallions.

Angelica licked her lips and eagerly used a spoon to scrape underneath the oyster meat.

As she lifted the plump, white oyster meat, a visible puff of white steam rose and quickly disappeared from sight.

If it weren’t summer, where the steam is less visible, she would even feel the visual effect more intensely.

"Here, your oyster."

The driver also received his box of grilled oysters, with both having a full box of six, ready to taste before deciding.

Lin Chen placed the cooked oysters from the grill onto the edge and moved the prepped oysters on the table to the middle to start cooking, then continued to use his knife to replenish the supply.

While cutting the adductor muscle, he kept a side eye on the expressions of the two outside the car.

Since this lady is from Girado Company, he would inevitably have to interact with her for business in the future.

If she liked the garlic oysters, that would be great.

If not, he would have to think of other flavors for her to try, as building this relationship was crucial.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Angelica was apparently experienced, gently blowing a few times instead of eating right away, then cautiously moved her mouth to taste the garlic on top.

Her tongue rolled in her mouth, lightly pressing, and the savory garlic melted instantly, releasing an intensely rich garlic aroma.

It was distinctly different from the garlic butter flavor she was familiar with. The garlic had a coarse texture, retaining a strong garlic taste and sweetness, and even absorbed some of the oyster’s seafood essence, giving her a wonderful illusion.

Although she didn’t bite into the oyster meat, she felt like she was already savoring its delicious taste. The sauce was rich and savory, with a slight hint of spiciness and a clear sweet aftertaste.

Not bad?!

Relieved, she opened her mouth wide and bit half of the oyster meat.

"Phew!"

The scalding oyster meat burst in her mouth like a water balloon, unleashing an unparalleled fresh sweetness.

Paired with the abundant garlic granules and the fresh scent of scallions, the garlic oil mixed with the oyster juices, creating a mesmerizing symphony with every bite.

Angelica’s eyes instantly lit up.

At that moment, she finally understood why this dish sparked so much discussion online.

Though it was just a simple spread of garlic sauce on the oysters, the true challenge lay in controlling the heat and the balance of flavors.

Gillardeau oysters, known for their premium quality, achieved the pinnacle of balance in every aspect, but because of this, any slight misstep in cooking could disrupt this balance, causing the oysters to lose their original delicious taste.

It might be fine for cold dishes, but cooking them like this was even more challenging.

The generally acknowledged best method was actually frying, which could perfectly retain the oyster’s overall flavor and juices, leaving additional seasoning only on the batter’s surface.

Typically, seasonings would just be garlic, onion, chili powder, or seasoned mayonnaise, not overly intense to maintain the oysters’ freshness.

However, directly seasoning the garlic, creating a sauce with perfectly balanced flavors, and then grilling with the oysters completely shattered her preconceived notions about garlic oil.

This garlic oil’s advantage was its unique taste, being rich without overshadowing the oyster’s inherent freshness, and even allowing the seasoning to seep into the meat through a soaking-like process, creating a synergy greater than the sum of its parts.

Especially the light sweetness, which she considered the core flavor of this sauce, acting as a kind of neutralizer.

Without this sweetness, the sauce probably wouldn’t meld perfectly with the sweetness of the oyster meat.

After chewing quickly for a dozen seconds, not even swallowing the food in her mouth, Angelica eagerly stuffed the remaining half oyster meat on the spoon into her mouth.

The blissful sensation of her mouth being filled with a delectable food was precisely the right way to enjoy oyster dishes she had been seeking!

"Holy crab!!"

A cry of surprise came from beside her.

The driver, with pale blue eyes wide open, stared in disbelief at the steaming oysters in the box, his mouth stuffed full, with oil stains still visible at the corners.

Chewing while pointing at the oysters with his spoon, gesturing repeatedly to her.

"Boss, this is too delicious, I declare this the best oyster dish I’ve had this year!"

"It’s true indeed."

Angelica nodded in agreement, her spoon lifting another plump and juicy oyster.