Indonesian Recipes (Bali, Java) - Red Snapper in Red Sauce (Ikan Bumbu Bali) Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 red snapper, about 1 kg/2 1/4 lb

• 10 large red chilies

• 5 red onions

• palm sugar to taste (or brown sugar)

• 1 piece galangal root, about 2 cm/3/4 in long

• 1 piece ginger root, about 5 mm/3/16 in long

• juice of 1/2 lime

• 1/2 teaspoon trasi (shrimp paste)

• 3 cloves garlic

• white pepper

• salt

• rice flour for coating the fish

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Method:

1. Clean the red snapper and make several diagonal cuts on both sides. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with rice flour.

2. Deep-fry (but if the pan is not large enough, you can bake the fish in the oven for about 25 minutes at 200 degrees C).

3. Puree the chilies with a little salt in the blender to obtain a coarse mixture. Cut the red onions into thin slices, peel the ginger and galangal root and crush/pound.

4. Add to the chili mixture together with the trasi and lemon juice and stir well. Peel and crush the cloves of garlic, fry in some oil, add to the chili and trasi mixture and simmer for about 10 minutes until the onions are transparent.

5. Place the fish in the sauce, turning it to make sure it is coated all round, and serve.

6. Serve with fresh cucumber slices, rice and kerupuk.

Tip: If this dish is served with several others, the fish may be replaced with eggs. Reckon on one egg (cut in half) per person. The eggs are first hard-boiled (hard-cooked), then deep fried. The rest of the recipe remains the same, except that the quantities should be halved. 

Other variations: Small sardines or fresh anchovies are a delicious addition to this recipe. Strict vegetarians or vegans can use tempe and/or potatoes, pre­boiled and then deep fried.