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.