The Top Fishing
Chapter 603 - 263: Fan Benefits

Chapter 603: Chapter 263: Fan Benefits

As the crabs tumbled from the trap, a single cage filled half a basket, and Uncle said to Lin Yang, "According to Russian law, individuals catching Emperor Crabs must release those weighing less than three pounds."

"Since we are catching them for our own consumption and cannot eat much, this standard can be increased to five pounds; those weighing less than five pounds should be released. In total, catching about ten to twenty should be enough to eat."

"Emperor Crabs that leave the water will soon lose their flavor as their activity decreases, so the best taste comes from cooking and eating them within two hours of death."

Goodness, a good half of the crabs that just came up are to be weeded out.

Lin Yang spread his hands towards the live streaming camera, "You have heard Uncle Victor’s words. There are national laws and we do not have the means to send them back to China, so we must be extravagant once, keeping the larger ones and releasing the smaller to protect the population. This is a universal hunter’s mindset. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and release those that don’t meet the standard immediately."

While talking, he picked up an Emperor Crab weighing a bit more than three pounds and threw it back into the water.

The three of them picked and chose, and from the half-basket of crabs, only six remained.

The smallest weighed around five or six pounds, while the weight of the largest exceeded 12 pounds.

Lin Yang picked it up to show everyone, and it was larger than a washbasin; if there were a way to transport it to a top-tier restaurant in China, it might sell for tens of thousands or even more.

After the selective picking, the fishing boat moved on, applying the same method to the next few crab trap points.

After pulling up all four traps, the small ones were released, and the large ones kept; the plastic basket was quickly more than half filled with fat and delectable Emperor Crabs, each weighing six to seven pounds or even more.

"The weather is nice today, and the haul is a bit more than expected. If you want to eat the freshest Emperor Crab, you cannot continue wandering at sea; let’s head back to camp," Victor called out and, whipping the fishing boat into motion, he turned around and headed back.

At that moment, the number of people in the live stream had reached an astonishing fifty to sixty thousand, with even more pouring in.

Lin Yang didn’t need to maintain the atmosphere; merely placing the camera on the Emperor Crab, as large as a grinding plate, sent the viewers into a frenzy.

Around eleven o’clock, the fishing boat made its way against the current back to the small dock beside the camp. Uncle Victor moored the boat and then, exchanging greetings with Ivan, carried today’s catch off the boat and strode back to camp.

Meanwhile, Ivan, who followed without lending a hand, carried two plastic buckets filled with seawater down the ramp.

"What’s the seawater for?" Lin Yang asked, his face filled with question marks.

Ivan smiled kindly and explained, "To eat truly authentic Emperor Crab, you can’t cook it in fresh water; it’s more delicious boiled in seawater, and it will be ready soon. You’ll understand once you taste it."

Lin Yang nodded, "No wonder! My knowledge as a foodie has expanded yet again!"

Back at camp, Yue’er quickly came out to greet them. Seeing the enormous Emperor Crabs in the basket, she was incredibly excited, even letting go of Xiong Da’s leash to closely examine the giant crabs, whipping out her phone to take a flurry of photos.

Lin Yang then addressed the camera, "Now we’re safely back at camp, and next, I’ll show everyone how the locals in Russia cook Emperor Crabs. Don’t rush off; it doesn’t take long to boil crabs, and they’ll be ready soon."

Truth be told, without him saying so, the vast majority of viewers in the live stream weren’t likely to leave.

The lively process of cooking live Emperor Crabs from catch to the table is not something one usually sees. Even those fortunate enough to have eaten them in upscale restaurants have only tasted ordinary specimens shipped by air freight, nowhere near top-tier quality.

Next, Uncle Victor brought the Emperor Crabs directly into the adjacent kitchen and retrieved an enormous black pot from behind the door.

This pot, similar to certain field pots, was deep with a straight rim, with the top and bottom diameters the same size but several sizes larger than a small pot. Two buckets of seawater poured into the pot, filling it a little over halfway.

Underneath the pot, pine wood was stacked, and the flames crackled to life quickly.

After about twenty minutes, the water boiled, and the crabs were put in; the pot was covered and boiled for another ten minutes, the Emperor Crabs turned a bright red when they were done.

Throughout the boiling process, except for a brief scrubbing before dropping them in the pot, the original flavor was preserved without any condiments added—not even salt.

When the lid was opened, a savory fragrance already wafted from the pot.

"Look, the Emperor Crabs are ready; we are about to feast!"

Lin Yang called out, and Ivan used a large pair of tongs to lift the cooked Emperor Crabs out, then brought a steaming big basin of crabs to the dining table.

Seeing the bright red Emperor Crabs, both Yue’er and Lin Yang were a little excited, but Uncle Victor’s family was very calm—Tina even found a couple of scissors and handed them to Lin Yang and Yue’er, while she herself did not start eating.

Lin Yang and Yue’er had eaten this delicacy before in China, so they didn’t flinch when it came time to eat, casually setting aside the scissors and picking up a thick crab leg, twisting it backwards.

Previously, the crab shells were a bit soft and not very firm; a counter-twist at the joint easily broke them off, allowing the crab meat to be pulled out from the break and eaten.

But this time, the exoskeleton of the crab leg was much stronger. Lin Yang twisted several times, and despite being misaligned, it remained stubbornly connected.