Ikan Pepes Bumbu Merah (Spicy Fish Baked In Banana Leaves)

Pepes is an Indonesian Traditional Steamed Cooking Style that's very popular around West Java (Jawa Barat). Pepes dish locks the original aroma and taste. It also help the spices to be better absorbed.

Carp fish is often used to prepare the dish, but I personally prefer Patin Fish (Silver Catfish) it's more greasy and tasteful.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole fish (carp or snapper)
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 stalk green onion
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 5 salam leaves
• 50 g kemangi leaves (sweet basil)
• salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbl. salad oil
• banana leaves or aluminum foil to wrap

Spice paste, grind the following ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 shallot
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 cm turmeric
• 50 g fresh chili pepper
• 5 candlenut
• 5 g tamarind
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 25 cc water

Directions:

1. Scale and clean the fish.
2. Take out the intestines but not the egg.
3. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish for spice paste flavor to immerse.
4. Marinade the fish with salt and tamarind for 15 minutes then wash the fish with a bowl of water to remove excess salt.
5. Add cooking oil to the spice-paste, mix.
6. Coat fish with spice paste.
7. Put kemangi leaves, salam leaves and sliced lemon grass for the flavor.
8. Wrap the fish in banana leaves or aluminum foil.
9. Steam with medium fire, 30 minutes. Use pressure cooker for faster cooking time and better taste.
10. Let it cool and grill the wrapped fish over charcoal fire.

Explore The Excitement of Southeast Asian Taste through a Very Comprehensive and Reliable Source :
"Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia's Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali"


Recipe source:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pepes_Ikan

Image sources:
http://www.desertmodernism.com

Gulai Paku (Fern Tips in Coconut Milk)

Ingredients:

• Large bunch edible ferns ( or 300 g/10 oz English spinach or amaranth)
• 50 g ( 1 ½ oz) salted or smoked fish thinly sliced (or dried prawns)
• 750 ml ( 3 cups) coconut milk
• 1 stem lemongrass bottom
• 14 cm ( 5 ½ in) only bruised
• 1 turmeric leaf
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 slices asam gelugor ( dried garcina fruit)
• 125 ml ( ½ cup) thick coconut milk salt to taste.

Preparations:

1. Pinch off and reserve the soft fern tips remove leaves from the tough stems discarding stems wash the tips and leaves thoroughly then drain there should be about 300 g (10oz) set aside.
2. Put fish coconut milk lemongrass turmeric and lime leaves and asam slices in a large saucepan and slowly uncovered until slightly thickened 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the ferns and simmer uncovered stirring frequently until tender 3 to 4 minutes add thick coconut milk and bring to the boil stirring constantly simmer 2 minutes taste and add salt in desired.

Serves 4
Preparation time : 15 mins
Cooking time : 25 mins

Recipe and Image Source:
http://www.indolists.com/recipe/Article/Fern-Tips-In-Coconut-Milk--Gulai-Paku-/1525