Culinary God in Wilderness

"For true mushroom lovers, a tiny bit of toxicity is no obstacle to enjoying a delicious meal."

"In the southern parts of Great Xia, where mushrooms are abundant, there’s a saying: ’The mushrooms are never wrong, the person is.’ It means if you get poisoned, you don’t blame the mushroom. You blame yourself for not having the skill to cook it properly."

While Lin Chen chatted away to the camera, he finished slicing the two white-stalked boletes. He then slid them into the pan to sauté slowly in fish oil.

"Mushrooms have a sponge-like structure and will absorb any liquid they touch. I’m limited on oil right now, so to prevent these mushrooms from scorching before they’re fully cooked, I’m going to add a little water to the pan frequently."

"The hot steam helps break down the mushroom’s internal structure faster. To put it simply, it makes the mushrooms cook more quickly. Once they’re cooked, they’ll release all the liquid they absorbed, along with some of their own juices. This is what creates that burst-in-your-mouth texture."

"Anyone who cooks often probably knows that mushrooms contain a lot of water. As they release this water, they also release a large amount of umami compounds, mainly glutamic acid and guanylic acid. These two substances are also the main components of MSG."

"To sum up, adding mushrooms to a dish or soup will make the food more savory, especially wild mushrooms."

The firewood CRACKLED as vigorous flames licked at the bottom of the pan.

Under the combined effect of the fish oil and water, the white-stalked boletes slowly sautéed to a tempting golden brown, and glistening droplets of moisture beaded on their surface.

He tore up the remaining oyster and hazel mushrooms and tossed them into the pan to stir-fry. Once everything had noticeably softened, he added the prepared, boneless fish fillets.

He hadn’t skinned the fish today, instead slicing it with the skin on.

The pink salmon flesh, steeped in a shallow layer of savory mushroom broth, changed color at a visible rate.

Lin Chen gripped the handle with his left hand. He first shook the pan back and forth a few times, then with a sharp flick of his wrist, he executed a perfect toss!

Countless fragrant mushrooms, mixed with tender fish fillets, traced a graceful arc through the air before landing precisely back in the pan.

The splattering liquid instantly ignited as it touched the ferocious flames licking at the pan’s edge.

The flames flared up, quickly spreading into the pan itself.

Seemingly unfazed, Lin Chen continued to toss the pan while grabbing a pinch of salt with his right hand and sprinkling it from high above.

The whole process was so fluid and skillful it felt like watching some kind of artistic performance.

The orange-red flames that had erupted in the pan blazed arrogantly for only two or three seconds before quietly dying out.

"If there was more oil, the flames would have lasted a little longer. Food cooked that way gains a unique aroma we call *wok hei*. You can also think of it as a special flavor imparted by a baptism of fire."

As soon as he finished speaking, he removed the pan from the fire.

He took off the GoPro and held it close for a tight shot.

The crescent-shaped slices of bolete were lightly seared on the surface, a tempting golden brown. The half-cooked fish fillets quivered delicately, trembling with his movements as if they would fall apart at the slightest touch.

The irregularly torn strips of oyster and hazel mushrooms, having soaked up the broth, glistened under the light of the nearby CRACKLING fire.

Lin Chen still shook his head and sighed with regret.

"The presentation is pretty average. If I could’ve garnished it with some black pepper and chili powder, added some sliced garlic, green chilies, and Thai chilies, then some chopped scallions, and a dash of light soy sauce and oyster sauce or something, this would have been the perfect dish to go with rice."

"If I were making it Western-style, I could have stir-fried it with some julienned yellow onion, seasoned it with butter, cream, and my favorite herbs—dill, fennel fronds, basil leaves, sage, and so on are all good choices. Then, when I added the fish to the pan, I’d drizzle in a circle of white wine and let the flames really burn..."

Muttering to himself, he placed a pot full of water on the fire, tossed in slices of the wild apple left over from yesterday, and planned to let it cool after boiling to drink as a substitute for lemonade.

"A recipe! He gave us a new recipe again, just as I thought!"

The white housewife, who had just finished a wonderful dinner, excitedly slapped her husband’s arm. "Quick, get your phone and write down the recipe he just said! Those are two completely different dishes. We can try them tomorrow!"

"Yay, yay! We get to eat something yummy tomorrow!"

"Mommy, I want to eat stir-fried mushrooms and salmon too~"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh~"

The other children at the dining table stared unblinkingly at the tantalizing food on the screen. A deep curiosity stirred in their hearts, and they even started clamoring to go on an adventure in the wild, too.

"Kids, we can go on a trip, but exploring in the forest is too dangerous. We don’t have that kind of professional survival knowledge. The chef even said that if you don’t know enough about mushrooms, you shouldn’t pick them in the wild. You could get poisoned."

"But Daddy, I want to see what the little sprites look like~"

...

The man’s mouth twitched. He handed the phone to his wife and patiently coaxed the child, "But after you see them, you’ll never see Mommy and Daddy again. You won’t see your brother and sister either. You’ll just have to lie in a cold hospital bed, and you’ll never be able to eat your favorite chocolate chip cookies ever again. Can you accept that?"

The little kid froze for a moment, then shook their head frantically. "No, no! Then never mind."

The man and his wife exchanged a look, both sighing in relief. They were terrified their child might pick and eat mushrooms when they weren’t looking. That would have been a true disaster.

Thankfully, their child was sensible enough to understand the importance of family.

"Nothing could make me give up chocolate chip cookies, not even little sprites!"

The parents stared at each other, speechless.

...

"It actually has a savory soy-sauce flavor!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

A flash of surprise crossed Lin Chen’s eyes as he licked the residual oil from his fingers.

His combat knife had been used to cut the mushrooms, so he couldn’t use it to eat. He had no choice but to use his hands.

With every chew, a burst of savory juice shot out from between his teeth.

The uniquely thick and meaty texture of the bolete, paired with a faint savory flavor and a subtle sweet aftertaste, combined with the creamy flavor of the Red Salmon oil, created the illusion of a high-end fusion dish.

Creamy flavors are a rare element in Chinese cuisine, whereas foreign dishes like steak, lamb chops, and salmon with butter and cream are often very rich and creamy.

The savory soy-sauce-like flavor, on the other hand, is a signature element of Chinese cooking. When the two came together, they weren’t jarring at all. In fact, they were incredibly harmonious. The different ingredients blended together perfectly, with no single one overpowering the others.

The unmarinated Red Salmon fillets were slightly tough in texture, not as tender as the ones he had boiled yesterday, but they had absorbed the savory deliciousness of the mushroom juices perfectly, giving them a unique flavor all their own.

He devoured the meal in a flash. Content, Lin Chen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, fell straight back, and landed on his soft sleeping bag.