HLM – Chapter 942 Salted Fish Dishes

Salted fish and dried fish were once staple dishes in coastal fishing villages.

In times when resources were scarce, even those living by the sea couldn’t often eat fresh fish.

First, there was the historical maritime restriction. Up to the Qing dynasty, the government strictly controlled the coastlines, forcing many fishing villages inland. Anyone who went out to sea—whether for fishing or sightseeing—was treated as operating at sea illegally and could be executed.

Second, even if someone did catch fish, they had to take it to the market to sell. The principle was the same as with those dressed in fine clothes who weren’t silkworm farmers: those who ate seafood were generally not the fishermen themselves.

Most importantly, in the past people didn’t dare venture far into the sea lightly. They only had rudimentary maritime sayings and observations to guide them, which weren’t enough to warn them of dangerous weather at sea.

Fishermen going out to sea were essentially putting their lives on the line, and it was always possible they might be lost along with their boat. So after catching fish, they tried to extract the maximum profit: sell what they could, and preserve the rest by salting it to eat slowly over time.

Before dinner, there wasn’t much to discuss, so Wang Bo shared some stories he had heard about fishermen with Eva.

“I can understand that. Life was hard. In most of Ukrainian history, people could only eat black bread and a bit of salted meat. So this is similar to your dried food and salted fish, right?”

Wang Bo nodded. “Yes, that’s right. But the difference is that your salted meat is usually eaten simply with bread or made into a soup, while salted fish can be prepared in many ways.”

Eva asked, “I know you can fry it. Then what?”

Father Bo chuckled. “Frying is actually the modern way of eating it. Back then, if there was enough oil to fry fish, who would even eat fish? The money spent on oil could be better used to buy pork.”

Eva was very interested in cooking, though strangely, she didn’t have much natural talent for it.

Hearing that salted fish could be cooked in many ways, she asked what kinds of dishes could be made.

Father Bo noticed her curiosity and said, “Well, occasionally having some salted fish dishes is nice. How about we make them tonight?”

Wang Bo washed his hands. “Then I’ll have to help.”

When eating salted fish dishes, the staple can’t be plain steamed buns or rice. Coarse-grain flatbreads work best—cornmeal or whole wheat flour breads, for instance, which go perfectly with salted fish.

Mother Bo brought out a variety of flours: cornmeal, bean flour, sweet potato flour, and millet flour. She mixed them with whole milk and white sugar, adding egg whites. The steamed breads came out far tastier than regular buns or rice.

“On the go, dumplings; at home, breads,” Mother Bo said with a laugh while preparing the dough. “I also plan to make noodles tonight—some homemade noodles from your aunt’s place. They’re really delicious.”

Wang Bo brought out a bottle of sunset honey. “If you add this honey to the dough, it will taste even better.”

Mother Bo frowned. “Isn’t sugar enough? If it’s too sweet, how can salted fish go with it?”

Wang Bo thought for a moment. “Why not make two batches? One sweet. This honey is very good—it comes from a skilled foreign beekeeper in the town.”

“Is it that Macalu honey?” Father Bo asked.

Wang Bo laughed. “Oh, father, you know Macalu honey too?”

Father Bo snorted. “Don’t underestimate me. Didn’t you always bring a lot back home?”

Indeed, Wang Bo had forgotten about that.

Eva asked if she could help. Wang Bo quickly blocked the stove. “No, dear. Tonight we’re having a family reunion dinner. You don’t need to get involved.”

Mother Bo nudged him and scolded, “What are you talking about? Come here, little one, help Mom with the fire—you can definitely do that.”

Wang Bo laughed. “Mom, that’s insulting! I just don’t want Eva meddling. You’re sending her to manage the fire. And by the way, we’re not even married yet, and you’re already calling her ‘Mom’.”

While chopping the salted fish, Father Bo interjected, “Remember I called saying you’d be back for something important? This is it. This time you come back, and we want you to finalize the marriage arrangements—at least get engaged.”

Wang Bo agreed happily, and Eva shrugged and said yes—everything was her decision.

Wang Bo’s parents were overjoyed. While preparing the breads, Mother Bo poured a pound of peanut oil into the pan.

Wang Bo was surprised. “Why so much oil?”

Mother Bo said, “This is for our son and daughter-in-law. The more oil, the better the taste. Peanut oil makes the breads tastier.”

Father Bo soaked some peanuts, rolled up his sleeves, and heated the oil in a wok. Once hot, he added star anise and Sichuan pepper, followed by chili and garlic-ginger-onion mix. Then he added the fish pieces and stir-fried.

Wang Bo prepared soy sauce and vinegar. Father Bo quickly added the seasonings, poured in hot water, added chopped celery, and finally the peanuts. This was salted fish stewed with peanuts, a cold dish that needed to cool naturally before eating.

Wang Bo made salted fish eggplant casserole. This dish was tricky; only fish meat could be used, which had to be minced. Eggplant was torn into strips and fried, then combined with the aromatic garlic-ginger-onion mixture. The minced fish was added and stir-fried together until the flavors blended perfectly.

While Wang Bo cooked the casserole, Father Bo turned on the rice cooker, wrapped the salted fish in lots of chopped chili, garlic, and ginger, and steamed it in a bowl. This was steamed salted fish, the traditional method in their fishing village—delicious and economical.

Other dishes included braised salted fish, salted fish with pork, and salted fish with tofu. Working together, Wang Bo and his father quickly prepared six or seven dishes.

After the breads were done, Mother Bo brushed oil over the pan and began pan-frying dried yellow croaker fillets. This large-pot fried dried fish was Wang Bo’s favorite type. He had once considered quitting his job in the capital to sell breads and fried fish with his parents.

On the dining table, there were two cold dishes: hand-torn salted fish and crispy pork with salted fish, both prepared earlier and served directly. Hand-torn salted fish complemented drinks, while steamed salted fish was paired with rice.

When the dishes were ready and the aroma filled the room, the robust dog and chubby cat brothers ran back in—they had been playing in the snow on the street.

Mother Bo looked at the snow fox sitting quietly in the corner. “Is that a cat or a dog? So pretty and well-behaved! You finally have a proper pet.”

Wang Bo said, “It’s a fox—a snow fox. You think it’s obedient? Watch this—”

He then grabbed a piece of dried fish and ate it with relish.

The little princess immediately sprang into action, leaping toward Wang Bo to snatch the dried fish.