'Bandeng' satay a distinctive dish from Banten<\/p>\n
By Rochmat Doradjat<\/p>\n
SERANG, Banten (JP): It has taken years of experience for
\nMariyam to select the right fish to make bandeng satay, the
\ndistinctive dish of the area.<\/p>\n
But she knows it when she sees it.<\/p>\n
The skin must not be too thin, or too thick, and it should be
\nfrom the local area. The 73-year-old lady, who runs a food stall
\nfrom her kitchen on Jl. Kiuju in Serang, said she would not
\ncompromise her standards in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Of all the culinary delights of the newly-designated province,
\nthe satay made from saltwater milkfish is the most famous. And
\nSerang is known as the best place to taste it.<\/p>\n
Bandeng is found in abundance in the coastal area.<\/p>\n
\"It's not hard to find the fish,\" Mariyam acknowledged,
\n\"especially now that fish from Surabaya is also being sold here.\"<\/p>\n
But Mariyam said she never used fish from outside the area in
\nmaking the satay. She said the problem was that the skin of the
\nfish from Surabaya was thinner than that of the fish caught in
\nthe local waters and sold in Banten port.<\/p>\n
To make the satay, Mariyam begins by cleaning the fish of its
\nentrails. The latter are then put through a sieve to separate the
\nflesh from the bones and scales.<\/p>\n
A modern invention has expedited the process, which used to
\ntake a painstaking few hours.<\/p>\n
\"It was bothersome to separate the flesh but now I have a
\nspecial device made from copper. It's no longer the traditional
\nway,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The mother of 10 said the flesh was then mixed with grated
\ncoconut, coconut extract and additives such as salt, chili and
\nbrown sugar. These are all mixed together to form a stuffing with
\nthe consistency of cookie batter.<\/p>\n
The stuffing, made according to the diner's own preference for
\nhot, salty or sweet tastes, is put back into the fish for
\nroasting.<\/p>\n
She said the process looked easy but it took an expert to
\ncombine the right ingredients. They must be able to judge what
\namounts were needed and ensure that the skin of the fish was not
\ntorn in the restuffing process. The stuffed fish must look intact
\nas though it were still alive.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, the fish won't be its original size, but will be a
\nbit bigger,\" she said. \"But its fish shape will not have changed
\nat all.\"<\/p>\n
A bamboo skewer is then inserted in the bottom of the stuffed
\nfish for the roasting process and to ensure it remains intact.<\/p>\n
Before the cooking begins, the fish is covered with a thin
\nlayer of the remaining stuffing.<\/p>\n
Mariyam said she never used a regular gas cooker or one using
\ncoal. Instead, she has long relied on a charcoal fire to give the
\nfood its special flavor.<\/p>\n
\"One of my children once tried using regular coal, but it
\nwasn't a success. The aroma wasn't as fragrant and the taste
\nwasn't as delicious as usual.\"<\/p>\n
Behind her home is a small brick enclosure with a gate, where
\na grill three meters in height with the charcoal piled below is
\nused to cook the satay.<\/p>\n
\"I told my children to make a structure like this to grill the
\nsatay, so that it would be quicker if we have hundreds of
\norders.\"<\/p>\n
Mariyam said that the cooking process also required patience
\nand care, otherwise the fish would be spoiled.<\/p>\n
\"The cook responsible for grilling the fish must pay attention
\nto fanning the smoke and turning over the satay. If not, the
\nsatay will end up burned, and won't taste good.\"<\/p>\n
The final part of the cooking process involves the finishing.
\nThe fish is wrapped in banana leaves, and roasted briefly.<\/p>\n
\"As well as being good for wrapping the fish, the leaves
\nimpart a fragrance to the satay,\" Mariyam said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bandeng-satay-a-distinctive-dish-from-banten-1447893297",
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