On the first weekend back in Los Angeles, the BAU team gathered once again for a "team-building" event. The two large grills Jack had recently bought, along with a huge assortment of seasonings, finally came in handy.
Hannah made a special effort to wake up early and arrived at the Newport Beach seafood market before 5:30 AM, bringing back an assortment of incredibly fresh seafood.
Among the haul was a black cod weighing nearly 10 pounds, a few large red-eyed groupers and sea bass, and a huge pile of coral shrimp and stone crabs.
Coral shrimp, also known as peony shrimp, are semi-translucent with a light orange hue, and their heads have white stripes, making them visually appealing and delicious. The price, however, was steep at $32 per pound.
May is the peak season for coral shrimp, and the little rich girl swept up the entire stock from one stall. Each shrimp weighed between 150 and 200 grams.
When the group arrived at the Wolf brothers' farm, they discovered that Rossi had actually roped Professor Hubble into a late-night fishing trip by the river. The two old men had stayed up for half the night, their eyes slightly bloodshot from lack of sleep, staring intently at their fishing floats.
Unfortunately, the bucket was empty; they hadn't even caught a single bass, commonly known as the "dumb bass" in California.
Jack set up the grill by the riverbank and began prepping the ingredients. There were a lot of people today—not only the BAU team, but also a few colleagues from the LAPD who had come to join the fun.
Mainly, John and Garriss were nearing their wedding date, and under the guise of testing Jack's culinary skills, they came for a free meal.
Thus, Captain Grey, along with his wife Luna, Tim, Lucy, Angela, Wesley, and their six-month-old son all appeared as well.
Even though they were crashing the party, each person brought a small gift they had prepared in advance.
Unlike the usual American custom of bringing signature homemade dishes or desserts, ever since they'd been won over by Jack's cooking, people had switched to bringing various raw ingredients or fine wines. For example, Captain Grey's wife, Luna, brought a large piece of Iberian ham suitable for raw consumption, and John contributed a hefty portion of Stilton blue cheese.
Wesley, the wealthy heir, was in charge of supplying the wine for lunch. His rich mother had recently purchased a winery in France, and he and Angela had brought several cases of wine, practically wholesale.
Though the winery wasn't famous, the quality of the wine was exceptional and earned high praise from Rossi.
Tim and Lucy were also planning their wedding, slated to follow John and Garriss'. However, compared to Lucy's rather privileged background, Tim, being on his second marriage, was in a slightly less favorable position.
Fortunately, his ex-wife had cut him some slack during the divorce, and he'd recently been promoted to superintendent. Although he was temporarily strapped for cash, things would soon turn around.
They brought a truckload of Budweiser, affordable and abundant, along with a cooler full of ice, which was met with cheers on this slightly warm day.
There were so many people that Jack couldn't handle everything on his own. Everyone pitched in, helping to clean and prep the ingredients. Those who weren't very handy, like Captain Grey, wandered off to give the two old men some fishing advice.
Though most of the people at the gathering were young, Captain Grey's age was closer to that of Rossi and Professor Hubble, and the three quickly became close friends. Despite Grey's African heritage, his fishing skills were solidly European.
Thanks to Captain Grey's guidance, the two old men finally had some success, pulling in two bass weighing 6 and 7 pounds each.
California bass, also known as black bass, was a common fish Jack used to eat. Originally from America, it had been introduced to Seris long ago for farming, along with carp and silver carp, becoming a staple on Chinese dining tables.
California bass has a pleasant texture and no small bones, making it one of the few freshwater fish Americans enjoy.
Usually, it's steamed, which is excellent on its own, but Jack, wanting to cater to everyone's tastes, went the extra mile and made squirrelfish.
The Wolf brothers called a few farmhands to help set up the venue. They arranged long tables by the riverbank and built a makeshift stove. With the crackling of firewood, the whole scene took on the vibe of a rustic American barbecue.
Besides the seafood Hannah had purchased and the spices and side dishes Jack brought, most of the ingredients came from the brothers' small farm, especially the various meats.
Fresh, dewy celery, freshly dug potatoes, and carrots were provided, and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, and kale that weren't grown on the farm were sourced from nearby that same day.
California, known for its industrial prowess, is also an agricultural powerhouse due to its climate. The proximity of major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles is no coincidence.
With the short time that morning, Jack couldn't prepare too many dishes alone, so he kept it simple with a few large pots of stew: beef with potatoes, creamy corn and mushroom soup, and several different salads.
There was also the grilled fish that Justin had been longing for. A few fat groupers and sea bass were cleaned, stuffed with various vegetables, coated with different sauces, wrapped in foil, and placed on the grill.
And then there were the coral shrimp, for which Hannah had spared no expense. The shrimp were exceptionally sweet in May, their breeding season, and nearly all of them were filled with roe.
In Japanese cuisine, coral shrimp are often served raw as sashimi after being chilled, but Jack disliked raw seafood, so he boiled them with scallions, ginger, and salt.
To retain the shrimp's sweet, tender texture, Jack boiled them quickly, taking them off the heat just as their bodies lost their translucency, and served them immediately.
Aside from the somewhat labor-intensive squirrelfish, the only other dish that required deep frying was the stone crabs. Resembling mitten crabs, these were chopped in half and stir-fried in hot oil with chili paste, Jack's homegrown chili peppers, and rice cakes from the Asian market. A steaming dish of spicy crab came out of the pan, its aroma so strong that Justin, who was diligently taking notes nearby, sneezed several times in a row.
Jack didn't prepare any staple dishes for lunch; aside from the table full of delicious food, there were also massive steaks grilled by Chris and freshly fried French fries, paired with chilled beer for a full-on western feast.
After everyone had eaten their fill, it was time for some post-meal activities. Since most of the group dealt with guns in their daily work, a few farmhands who had enjoyed the food enthusiastically started setting up.
In less than half an hour, they had constructed a makeshift shooting range using old tires, frying pans, empty soda cans, and glass bottles.
Angela squealed when she saw the array of guns the Wolf brothers had brought over, abandoning her baby to rush over to the firearms. Fortunately, the little one didn't seem to mind, as he now had a playmate.
Hotchner had brought his wife, Haley, and their baby, who was just under three months old. JJ spread out a large plastic sheet on the grass by the riverbank, where she played with the two little ones.
Jack could barely open his eyes, dazzled by the maternal glow JJ exuded. Then, as he turned around, he saw that even Hannah, instead of playing with the guns, had enthusiastically joined in babysitting.
The sight of this "terrifying" scene sent Jack into a panic. Just as his brain raced, thinking of ways to escape the potential "bombs" these two girls might throw his way, a phone call saved him.
It was the Hunters calling from New York. After nearly two months of effort, they had to admit defeat and were now calling Jack for help.
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