Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe

Chapter 451 - 363: A Visit and the Mysterious Great Xia Oyster Cuisine

Don’t be fooled by the fact that in Romantic Country and neighboring countries the most common way to eat oysters is raw; as producers, they inevitably have their own dedicated research and sales departments.

Steamed oysters, oyster salad, oyster tartar, oyster tacos, fried oysters, oyster pate, red wine braised oysters...

She has tasted at least two or three dozen different flavored oyster dishes, each with both raw and cooked versions, effectively doubling the number.

While many types of oyster dishes are indeed delicious, she still believes that eating them raw best highlights the natural freshness and sweetness of Gillardeau Oysters.

She looked quietly at the promotional screen for a while, and finally, the long-awaited barbecue grill appeared.

Palm-sized oyster shells were neatly arranged on the grill, and the plump, meaty oyster flesh was drizzled with an unknown golden sauce, sizzling over the charcoal, dancing incessantly within their shells as the temperature rose, emitting wisps of white smoke.

The oyster meat, originally looking somewhat flat visually, gradually shrunk and expanded under the high heat, becoming increasingly round and plump.

At this moment.

A full scoop of golden minced garlic was spread over the oyster surface, with a few red chili circles mixed in.

Once the minced garlic was added, the steam became even more pronounced, and the oyster meat immersed in the garlic oil-infused juices trembled constantly, with bubbles bubbling around it.

Then, sprinkle with a handful of bright green scallions, and indeed, the visual impact was strong; just looking at it made it look tasty.

It looked almost exactly like the grilled oyster video she saw on Lucas’s account.

"Whoa!!"

The crowd burst into exclamations, with many gulping audibly.

"?"

Angelica’s puzzled gaze swept across the crowd, seeing expectant faces, she felt deeply confused.

Is this garlic roasted oyster really that delicious?

It doesn’t look much different from garlic butter preparation.

As one of the most popular seafood preparations, she had of course tasted garlic butter-flavored grilled oysters; they did taste quite good.

But they weren’t stunningly good, just a bit better than other preparations.

Could it be that this garlic oil had a different flavor?

Thinking this way, she too became somewhat expectant, eager to try this viral product to find out what kind of deliciousness it actually held.

However, there were quite a lot of people in front, roughly estimating that it would take at least an hour to clear.

And it was only around nine now, so one hour later would still only be ten, a bit early for lunch.

After thinking for a moment, she stepped aside a few paces to avoid the crowd and headed directly toward the food truck window.

"Ma’am!"

Nicole, who was cutting watermelon, hurriedly called out to her, "Please line up over there if you want to buy food."

"Don’t worry, darling," Angelica smiled at her, "I know, I’m here to see Chef Lin."

Nicole furrowed her brows lightly, glanced her up and down, then nodded without saying more.

An older woman, not much of a competition~

"Hmm?"

Angelica keenly sensed the subtle change in Nicole’s expression, paused for a moment, and then curved her lips in an unusual arc.

"Interesting."

She said nothing, merely nodded in return, and continued toward the window.

Lin Chen had, of course, heard the conversation happening so close by, and he looked in confusion at the woman approaching.

He was certain he had never met her before, but could unmistakably sense a strong business vibe from her.

As she approached, there was even a faint tang of the sea moving toward him.

Although they were by the sea, Lin Chen was sure that this scent wasn’t being carried by the sea breeze, but was coming from the woman in front of him.

Just like the smell that Magna always had!

Was she in the seafood business?

"Hello, ma’am, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hello, Chef Lin."

Angelica nodded, with a businesslike smile on her face, and handed over a business card.

"You’ve ordered a batch of premium Gillardeau Oysters from Mr. Magna, correct?"

"I am the head of the local factory for Girado Company. Mr. Magna has entrusted us with the delivery of your order of Gillardeau Oysters. He usually sources his supplies from us as well."

"Huh?"

Lin Chen was taken aback, totally not expecting such a development.

He was aware that the specialized oyster breed like Gillardeau wasn’t something you could just dredge up from the sea; it was a unique breed monopolized by Girado Company.

To buy them, one must place an order through their company.

But such a massive order of several thousand premium oysters, and Magna decided to just pass on it?

Was it due to a manpower shortage?

Come to think of it, he did request that all the oysters be shucked.

With the two or three employees Magna had rotating shifts under him, they wouldn’t be able to finish the task even if they worked all night.

Their sailors who venture out to sea late at night wouldn’t have the time to assist either.

That’s reasonable.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Angelica."

After greeting, Lin Chen instinctively looked toward the direction the woman came from, and indeed saw a refrigerated truck parked by the roadside not far away.

"Mr. Lin’s order is for four thousand processed oysters, with a backup of two to three thousand oysters that may or may not be needed, right?"

"Yes."

"Our truck has brought four thousand premium Gillardeau oysters that have been processed, and Mr. Magna also ordered an additional four thousand for personal resale."

"If Mr. Lin’s side runs short, he can purchase from Mr. Magna, who is already processing them, which is why I’m here to deliver the goods and meet new friends in the process."

Oh, that’s how it is!

Lin Chen suddenly realized, it made sense.

Magna’s usual oyster sales volume surely wouldn’t be large, especially for premium ones.

The advantage is that Magna is also a seafood expert, ensuring the survival rate of the oysters in the short term is easy, and can maximize the selling cycle of this batch of oysters.

Even if he doesn’t need them ultimately, Magna can handle them on his own.

If he does need them, even better.

"Then I won’t disturb Mr. Lin’s work anymore. If it’s convenient, could you make some meals for me and the driver? We’ll be staying here briefly, when will Mr. Lin be done?"

"Sure, sure, no problem at all. Ms. Angelica and Mr. Driver, do you have any food preferences or allergies? Our ingredients will be sold out in about an hour, thank you."

As he spoke, Lin Chen casually grabbed two finished meat sandwiches nearby and handed them over.

"Here, have some of this to fill your stomachs."

Angelica didn’t stand on ceremony, as Lin Chen was from the Radisson Group and a Chef Marchello-level employee, making long-term stable cooperation possible.

She’s already offered the lowest price, showing full sincerity, so what’s wrong with accepting a meal?

"Just not too spicy, and nothing else. We’d like to save some room to try the grilled oysters, so don’t prepare too much; just a little of each type to taste."

Taking a meat sandwich from Lin Chen, she didn’t touch the other one, gesturing towards him.

"We can share one between the two of us, guests first."

Saying that, Angelica grasped the sandwich with both hands and tried to tear it in half.

As soon as she applied pressure, visible juice flowed from the bottom of the bun, instantly soaking the paper bag.

"?!"

Angelica quickly ceased her actions, leaning slightly forward to avoid any oil stains on her pants.

She had been busy watching the promo film earlier and didn’t pay attention to how the diners were eating.

Thinking back, this hamburger-like food did have a spoonful of meat broth added during preparation.

It wouldn’t be easy to divide now.

"Give it to me, I’ll cut it for you."

Lin Chen thoughtfully offered to have Old Chen near her sandwich swiftly cut in half, adding a bit more broth and repacking it, discarding the soggy paper bag.

"Thank you."

Angelica took back the sandwich, licked her lips, and eagerly took a big bite.

"Crunch"

Indeed, as she’d just heard, the surface of the muffin-like bun was baked to a crispy finish, with a rich wheat aroma, and biting into it revealed a notably tender interior.

This tenderness wasn’t the soft kind of bread, but a firm texture with some elasticity, similar to a baguette but softer, not taxing the teeth.

The shredded pork inside was completely minced, yet the muscle fibers were distinctly visible, blended with broth and pork fat, glistening under the sunlight.

Applying a slight force to the bun with her fingers squeezed out a stream of juice.

This time, she was much more cautious and quickly took another big bite, enjoying the explosion of meat juices mixed with wheat in her mouth.

"Ma’am, I suggest you try a spoonful of this chili oil; it’s not spicy at all, and it will definitely elevate the flavor."

Lin Chen hadn’t added chili oil to her portion yet, fearing she might not handle any spice.

Noticing she’d tasted the original flavor, he quickly pitched his signature chili oil.

"Chili oil?"

Angelica raised an eyebrow, her gaze landing on the bowl of red liquid in the condiment area.

"Since it’s chef recommended, I must try it."

She came this time to explore new flavors, as authentic Great Xia cuisine is relatively mysterious and hard to come by.

If the taste is good, she might consider recruiting two or three chefs skilled in Great Xia cuisine for her research team.

Or perhaps directly collaborating with the people in front of her would be even better.

"If you can handle spice, scoop some chili from the bottom; if not, just add the oil from the top."

Angelica nodded, cautiously scooping half a spoon of chili oil onto the meat filling and tasting it.

Indeed, a fascinating aroma several times stronger than before immediately filled her mouth, with the overall taste becoming more harmonious.

The most important thing was that it wasn’t spicy at all!

Her eyes brightened, and without hesitation, she reached for the spoon in the chili oil box again.