Steamed White Pomfret

I love going to the asian supermarket. Maybe because I am asian. :P Finding stuff that I am familiar with and in the shape that I am accustomed to and with price tags that would not make me cry. True isn't it? Somehow the stuff sold at the asian supermarkets are cheaper and fresher (for veggies and seafood at least). I don't buy prawns/shrimps at the regular supermarkets where it would cost me maybe $5-$8/lb since I can get them for $4/lb at the asian supermarket. They also have a wider varieties of fish and would clean them for you which is the way I like it since for the life of me, I can not clean them myself.

Anyways, the last visit to the asian supermarket, I bought a few types of fish and usually would eat them for a whole straight week. Previously I posted Baked Trout with Vegetables so today I am going to post my Steamed White Pomfret recipe that I made a few weeks ago.

Steamed White Pomfret

1 whole white pomfret, cleaned (mine was about 1.5lb)
2-3in ginger, thinly julienne
4 shallot, thinly julienne
2 garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 thai chili, sliced (or 1/2 serrano chili)
1 red chili, sliced
Juice from 2 lime
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

1. Make 2 slits on each side of the fish and set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients well and taste. Add salt or sugar or lime juice to your liking.

3. Pour some of the juice into a pyrex bowl (or any bowl that you are using to steam the fish), lay the fish and pour the rest of the juice on the fish. Let it marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. I did mine overnight.

4. Take the bowl out of the fridge an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

5. Put it in a steamer and steam until cooked. You will know the fish is cooked when the meat will flake easily with a fork or chopstick.

Click Me for More..

Baked Trout with Vegetables

There are many reasons why I love blogging. From getting to 'meet' people from around the world, sharing experiences to learning different cultures and cuisine. One of my newly found friend is Olga of Mango & Tomato. A couple of months ago while browsing her blog, something caught my attention. Her dad was her guest blogger that day and he just made Baked Trout with Vegetables. I love fish. And vegetables. But I have never bake them together. In fact I have never baked any fish before.

I told her that I will try that recipe once I got hold of some trout and last weekend I finally got some .. err actually just 1. As usual I would add a few others of my favourite vegetable and ingredient. Here is my version of Baked Trout with Vegetables.

Baked Trout with Vegetables
serves 1

1 trout, cleaned and make 4 slits on each side
2-3 medium size potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 eggplant, cleaned and sliced 1cm thick
A handful of green beans, cut both ends and halves
1 red chili, core removed and julienned
Juice of 1 lime (or 2)
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs sweet soy sauce
2 garlic, finely chopped
Salt
A dash of cayenne pepper
Tarragon
Oil

1. Preheat oven 375-400F

2. Season the fish with salt (inside and out) and lay it on the oiled pan.

3. Put lime juice, soy sauces, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper and tarragon in a bowl and mix well.

4. Lather the fish with the mix making sure that you stuff some of the coarser ingredients in between the slits and the inside of the fish. Pour the rest of the ingredients on to the fish.

5. Start laying out the vegetables around the fish and drizzle some salt and oil on top.

6. Bake for 20-30min.

Click Me for More..

Spicy Sardine Sandwich Recipe

Playing around with the newly acquired photoshop. I know I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go but well, I am learning.

Sardine is pretty easy to get here in the US but most of the times they come in oil whereby in Malaysia, most of them comes in tomato sauce. They are widely used as filling, be it sandwiches or puff or roti canai (pratha). Some people might think less about sardine compared to tuna but trust me, if you know how to prepare them, you will get hooked.

Sardine sandwich is one of my personal favourite when it comes to sardine of course. It is cheap, easy to make and easy to eat and also healthier. My other favourite would be eating white rice with sardine, cut chili and onion. That would be for another post.

Sardine Sandwich

Serves 2

Filling

1 can sardine in tomato sauce

1 red chili or if you like it hotter, 2 thai chili, finely chopped

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1-2 tbsp ketchup

1-2 tbsp lime/lemon juice

Salt & sugar

1. Put all the ingredients and the juice from the sardine into a bowl and mix well.

2. Add in the sardine and using a spoon or fork, mash the sardine (gently if you want it to stay a bit chunky)

3. Taste to your liking.

If you are using a sandwich maker, lightly butter 1 side of each bread. Place the bread with the buttered side out.

Click Me for More..

Grilled Sambal Stuffed Tilapia Recipe

Ikan bakar or grilled fish is so sinfully gorgi-licious! My favourite fish for grilling has always been stingray with sambal kicap (chili in soy sauce). Another one of my favourite is sambal stuffed scad (cencaru/jacket). My problem is tht 1). I dont know how to cut stingray and 2). I couldnt find any scad at the supermarket or maybe I just wasnt looking hard enough.

So what can an amatuer like me do? I just bought myself a tilapia, pretended that it's cencaru/scad , stuffed it with the leftover sambal, wrapped it in banana leaves and grill away! Im so smart, no? Yes I am! hahaha. And guess what? Even my husband who would make funny face when he sees the fish's face said it smells very nice once the banana leaves started to char. Banana leaves ROCKS!

This is what you will need

1 medium size tilapia, cleaned and dry-pat
A pinch of wet tamarind
Salt & Turmeric
Sambal tumis
Banana leaves, wiped clean with a damp cloth (both sides)

Preheat oven at 350-375F


1. Coat fish with salt and turmeric

2. Add about 4-5 tablespoon of hot water to wet tamarind to make juice and lather the fish with it.

3. Stuffed the fish with as much sambal tumis as you can.

4. Wrapped it with banana leaves


5. Place the fish on a round cookie sheet and put it in the oven. For about 30min, turning it once.

6. Unwrapped and continue grillingfor another 10-15 min or until the fish is completely cook and have that charred look.

Click Me for More..

Deep-Fried Fish in Soy Sauce (Ikan Masak Kicap)

That first picture look 'alien-like' dont you think so? Hehe. That could only mean 2 things. 1, that it is really an alien or 2, that I suck big time at taking picture. Ok, ok. I admit. I suck big time at taking picture. No need to rub it in. :P

Before I lay out the recipe, let me apologise for not posting anything in a week. We have been busy with apartment hunting and on top of that, I am suffering from tooth ache. I went to the dentist yesterday and got a temporary crown for 1 of my molar and am now waiting for the permanent one to be ready in 3 weeks time. Another big hole in the pocket. I am just thankful that I didn't need a root canal. Phew!

1 fish filet

Oil for deep frying

2 garlic, thinly sliced

half onion, sliced

1 red chili, sliced

1 tablespoon think soy sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

3 tablespoon sweet soy sauce

1/4 cup water

salt, pepper and sugar to taste

2 tablespoon vege oil

1. Coat the fish with salt & turmeric and deep fry until golden brown. Keep aside.

2. In a medium shallow pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic. 20-30 sec.

3. Slowly add water and all other ingredients. Keep stirring until the mix thickens. Add more water if you dont like your sauce too thick or less water if you like it thick. About 3-4 min.

4. You can either pour the sauce onto the fish or add the fish to the sauce.

Enjoy with a bowl/plate of warm white rice.

Click Me for More..

Sweet & Sour Tilapia

Sweet and sour is basically the easiest cooking style you can make. It is great with chicken, beef, seafood or even eggs.

I usually use tilapia since it's the only whole fish that I can find at the regular supermarket. For other kind of fish, I would have to go to the asian store.

Sweet & Sour Tilapia

1 whole tilapia (for easier frying, cut it into 2 pieces)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

vege oil for deep frying

For the sauce:

2 shallots

1-2 garlic

1" ginger

1/2 medium onion (sliced abt 1/2cm thick)

1 red chili (sliced)

1 large tomato, quartered (I used 5-7 grape tomatoes)

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoon vege oil

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon flour for thickening (optional)

Salt and sugar to taste

Scallion (for garnishing)

1. Covered the fish with salt and turmeric and deep fry it. If you dont have a fryer, use a wok or deep pan. Once its brown, leave it aside.

2. Thinly sliced shallot,garlic and ginger or pound using mortar and pestle.

3. In a pan, heat the oil with medium heat and sauteed the shallot, garlic and ginger. (abt 1min)

4. Add the water, ketchup, salt and sugar. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir. (2min)

5. If the gravy looks diluted, mix the flour (or cornstarch) with a little bit of water and add to the gravy. Continue stirring.

6. Add the rest of the ingredients and taste.

7. You can either add the fish into the gravy or pour the gravy onto the fish on a plate. Garnish with the chopped scallion.

8. Served with a plate of warm white rice.

Click Me for More..

Assam Pedas

1-2 piece of fish (any kind except salmon)
1 cup water
daun kesum or polyganum leaves

7-10 okra/ladyfinger/bendi
4-5 tablspoon tamarind juice (1tablespoon tamarind soup powder)
salt and sugar to taste
3 tbspoon vegetable oil

Blended ingredients;

2 shallots
1/2 red onion
1 garlic
2in ginger
10 tbspoon of sambal oelek (chili paste)
1 teaspoon of tumeric powder
2 teaspoons belacan

1. Heat the oil (medium heat) and add the blended ingredients. Stir for 5-6min

2. Put in the water and add the rest once its boiled. Flip the fish one or twice.

3. Cover and simmer for 10min.

Click Me for More..