Award-winning soup from Jakarta Bay
JAKARTA (JP): Surprise, surprise. A team of Hotel Mercure Rekso Hayam Wuruk never in their wildest dreams imagined that a soup recipe which they created would be served up in Paris and win an international award.
The team was so confident that the soup would be liked by people across all continents that when they had an opportunity to participate in an international cooking competition they brewed up their soup to represent Indonesia.
As a result, it clinched top spot in the prestigious cooking competition Internationales Victories de la Cuisines, organized by the International Food Trade Exhibition (Salon International Des Metiers De Bouche) in Paris. Held last month, the competition attracted participants from 52 countries.
The "Jakarta Bay Seafood Soup" offers a mouth-watering combination of spices and fresh sea produce. Here, our award- winning chefs share the recipe with The Jakarta Post readers.
Jakarta Bay Seafood Soup
* 240 g prawns * 140 g local scallops * 200 g snapper fillets * 160 g squid * 200 g green mussels * 120 g sea cucumber * 120 g fish maw * 100 g red chilies (crushed) * 80 g tomatoes (thinly sliced) * 80 g leek (thinly sliced) * 120 g ginger (thinly sliced) * 200 g carrots (thinly sliced) * 30 g garlic (chopped) * 200 g onion (sliced) * 30 g lemon grass stalk * 20 g bay leaves * 100 ml cooking oil * 50 g tomato paste * 30 g salt * 20 g pepper * 100 ml white wine * 20 g kaffir lime leaves * 1.5 l fish broth * 700 g French bread * 100 g butter * garlic butter * chili paste
Serves 8
1. Cut all seafood into cubes, except the prawns. 2. Stir fry onion and garlic until fragrant, then stir in red chilies. 3. Add seafood and pour in white wine. Cook until wine evaporates, then add tomato paste, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves and lemon grass. Cook for another 2 minutes. 4. Pour in fish stock, then add ginger and carrots. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes until carrots soften. Do not overcook. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Garnish with tomatoes, leek and lemon grass. Serve hot with toasted French bread, spread with garlic or chili paste.
Recipe courtesy of Hotel Mercure Rekso - Hayam Wuruk, West Jakarta.