Grilled Sambal Fish with Banana Leaf (Ikan Bakar)

You haven't fully appreciated the beauty of Malaysian cuisine if you haven't tasted sambal. Sambal can be a condiment, an ingredient or a dish which will always contain a large amount of chilis. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Indonesian influence. It is typically made from a variety of peppers, although chili peppers are the most common. Sambal is used as a condiment and as an ingredient for a variety of dishes. It is sometimes a substitute for fresh chilis. It can be extremely spicy for the uninitiated. Some ready-made sambals are available at exotic food markets or gourmet departments in supermarkets in many countries. A sambal can also be a pungent dish of its own in which a large amount of chili peppers is used. Dishes called a sambal include sambal sotong (with cuttlefish), sambal udang kering (with dried prawns) and sambal lengkong (with ikan parang/wolf herring).

This recipe is without a doubt the best grilled sambal fish I have tasted so far. This is the 3rd time I have made it during a luncheon I have hosted with some of the Sydney food bloggers. You can read more about the party here: 1) Here Comes The Food - Almost Bourdain Blogwarming, 2) Hungry.Digital.Elf - Malaysian & Dutch luncheon at Almost Bourdain, and 3) Raspberri Cupcakes - Almost Bourdain's Malaysian and Dutch Feast.

Grilled Sambal Fish with Banana Leaf (Ikan Bakar)

Grilled Sambal Fish (Ikan Bakar) with Banana Leaf Recipe

(Adapted from Rasa Malaysia)

Ingredients

• 1 x 800 g / 1.8 lb red snapper (cleaned and scales removed)
• A few sheets of banana leaf (rinsed with water thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels)

Sambal Paste:

• 6 oz. / 170 g fresh red chilies (seeded and cut into small pieces)
• 1 tablespoon toasted belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)
• 4 oz. / 113 g shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
• 1/2 lime (extract juice)
• 2 lemongrass (cut into thin slices)
• 4 tablespoons oil

Method

1. Prepare the sambal by grinding chilies, shallots, belacan and lemongrass in a food processor. Make sure the sambal paste is well blended and smooth.
2. Heat up a wok and stir-fry the sambal paste until aromatic or when the oil separates from the sambal paste. Add the seasonings: salt, sugar, line juice and fish sauce and do a quick stir, dish out and set aside.
3. Grease a flat pan (I use our barbie) and then lay a few sheets of banana leaves in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on top of the banana leaves and spread the oil evenly. Lay the fish on top of the banana leaves and add half of the sambal paste on top of the fish.
4. Heat up the pan on your stove top over medium heat and cover it with a lid.
5. Wait for 8 minutes or so and flip the fish over to the other side. Add the other half of the sambal paste on the other side. Cook for another 8 minutes or so. By then, you can smell the sweet aroma of burnt banana leaves and grilled fish.
6. Dish out and serve immediately.

Note: Special thanks to Lorraine for sharing these beautifully taken pictures (Picture 1, 2 and 5).

Salmon and Brie Quiche

Yesterday was my bestie Miss M's birthday. I baked this Salmon and Brie Quiche, one of her favourite dishes, to wish her a very happy birthday.

Quiche is a very common lunch item in Australian cafes and bakeries. One of the interesting facts about quiche is that Bruce Feirstein's 1982 bestseller 'Real Men Don't Eat Quiche' typecasts quiche as a stereotypically feminine food.

Errr... I beg to differ though... Miss M's husband loves quiche... I bet he finished 3/4 of the quiche if not all by now.

Salmon and Brie Quiche Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 2 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed
• 1 x 415 g canned Salmon
• 3 eggs
• 300 ml thickened cream
• 2 tbsp chopped dill
• 1 tbsp baby capers, drained
• Salt and pepper
• 150 g Brie

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place a 23 x 3.5cm fluted quiche tin onto a baking tray.
2. Line quiche tin with pastry, cutting and joining pastry where necessary* (See note at bottom of post)
3. Trim excess pastry. Prick base with a fork, line with a sheet of bake paper and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes. remove paper and beans and return to oven for 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 180C (350C).
4. Meanwhile, drain salmon well and remove and discard skin and bones. Fake salmon with a fork. In a medium bowl, whisk egg, cream, dill, capers, salt and pepper together.
5. Scatter salmon into pastry shell and pour over cream mixture.
6. Cut cheese into wedges and arrange on top of filling.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden, puffed and set in the centre. Serve warm or cold with salad.

Note: To join pastry pieces, wet edges with a little water. Overlap edges and press together to join.

Ampang Hakka Yong Tau Foo - Cheat Version

Ampang Hakka Yong Tau Foo - Cheat Recipe Version

Ingredients

• 1 packet of frozen Hakka fish paste, thawed in fridge overnight* (see note at bottom of post)
• 6 x square semi-firm tofu
• Dipping sauce of your choice* (see note at bottom of post)
• Chopped spring onions and chillies for garnish

Method

1. Cut the square tofu into 2 triangles. Use a sharp knife, make a slit in the centre to create a pocket and stuff the fish paste with a small teaspoon. Continue with the rest of the tofu.
2. You can either steam or poach the tofu in chicken stock for 5 minutes or until the fish paste is cooked.
3. Garnish with spring onions and chillies.
4. Serve with steamed rice or rice noodle in chicken stock and dipping sauce.

Note: Dipping sauce - I use the combination of MasterFoods Barbecue Sauce and Indonesian ABC Brand Chili Sauce as seen in many Vietnamese Pho Restaurant.

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

This dish is little miss C favourite dish for dinner. Kids love it thanks to the sweetness of the honey. Good way to encourage your kids to eat more fish that contains the goodness of Omega-3.

Honey Soy Glazed Salmon Recipe (Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 2 x Salmon cutlets
• 6 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (I use Kikoman brand)
• 4 tbsp good quality honey
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Plain flour for coating
• Oil for pan-frying
• Springs onions and fresh chillies for garnish

Method

1. Season Salmon cutlets with salt and pepper. Coat them with flour and dust off excess flour (this step is to add crispiness to the Salmon).
2. Pan fry Salmon with oil on a non-stick pan until just cooked, approximately 3 minutes each side depending on the thickness of the Salmon.
3. Remove Salmon from pan and drain excess oil on paper towel. Place Salmon on serving plate.
4. Mix soy sauce and honey in a small pan, and boil until the mixture has thicken. Pour the thicken sauce on fish.
5. Garnish with chopped spring onions and sliced fresh chillies.
6. Serve with steamed rice.

Spaghetti Marinara with Garlic and White Wine Sauce

Every evening it's the same dreaded question: What's For Dinner? This may be fine for a lazy evening dinner.

Spaghetti Marinara with Garlic and White Wine Sauce Recipe (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 500 g Spaghetti
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 125 ml dry white wine
• 375 g marinara seafood mix (fish, squid, prawns, and mussels)
• 4 tbsp chopped parsley
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 - 10 minutes until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
3. Pour in the white wine and boil to reduced the liquid in the saucepan to about 2 tbsp, stirring constantly. Add the seafood mix and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add half of the parsley and heat through.
4. Drain the spaghetti thoroughly, and add to the seafood mixture, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve at once, sprinkle Parmesan cheese and garnished with the remaining chopped parsley.