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