Finding Ipoh Spicy Grilled Wild Salmon

Finding Ipoh.

Here in the Great Plains? No way?

Way.

I’m pining for “ikan bakar” (in Malay it means “grilled fish.”).

Seriously, folks. And I want it now before anybody else.

If I could flee the Great Plains for a day, and be a fly drooling on the wall of the corner hawker stall called Mee Poh Ikan Bakar located in Ipoh’s glutton’s square, it would make me feel, (as they say here in America), “like a million bucks”. <sigh>

The person who used to make this dish (or is still making this dish) was/is an “auntie” whom I’ll fondly call ikan bakar auntie. She was a mighty serious-looking auntie I can tell you that. Maybe it’s me. “Ikan bakar” auntie always had that ever serious “Don’t even think about that?” side to her. And I understand that. It’s her hot million-dollar secret recipe.  If this auntie was ever going to share her signature dish recipe with me, I must be willing to get wrapped up in a banana leaf and then get chucked on the hot grill, right?

And oh, if that’s not cool enough, folks, if only you could watch her do her nonchalant move of flipping the neatly wrapped seafood from the grill and onto a plate. By now, the aromas of the grilled goodies would be tantalizing. God, that darn ikan bakar!

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritties. I mean the marinade. All I can say is that ikan bakar auntie’s marinade is made with an exotic concoction of curry and a variety spice mix. Spicy? Yes.

The dip, on the other hand, was citrusy and spicy. How spicy?

Very spicy!

What a genius creation — grilled fish-citrusy dip combo?

Anyway, here’s a little info about my favorite Mee Poh “ikan bakar” hawker stall in case you plan to visit Ipoh. Though you may take a pick of an array of fresh-off-the boat prawns, cuttlefish, or any other kind of fish such as red snapper to be grilled by the “ikan bakar” auntie, my all-time favorite was always the “butterflied” skate (or stingray).

Now here’s the is the catch. The topmost part as well as the edges of the skate is always deliciously light and extraordinarily crispy. Then, as you dig into the meaty part, you’ll discover that it’s really nice and moist on the inside. The marinade really shines through in every morsel of the fish. I highly recommend you eat with your fingers. The fork  and knife can only do so much, folks. The best part is nibbling the precious savory bits of charcoal-caramelized curry spice on the gelatinous bones of the skate. To say that it’s finger-licking good is, well, an understatement.

When the meaty/lightly crispy pieces of fish meets that mean kalamansi-bird’s eye chili dip, that’s a whole different story. It’s pure heaven I tell ya!  At the end of the meal, there would be hardly anything left except for a skate bone cemetery on a carpet of lightly charred, yet still aromatic banana leaf. You know, the kind that would be perfect for that happy tummy food photography. Any leftover to-die-for kalamansi dip must be slurped. Just this “ikan bakar” auntie’s dip itself is worth all the stars put together on this planet.

The following grilled fish recipe is the closest one that I can replicate. Fresh skate is a rare commodity where I live. All I’ve found is wild salmon, so I’m going to make do with it. I’m not sure whether “ikan bakar” auntie would approve of salmon, but hey, didn’t Dr.Oz say that wild-caught salmon is good for heath?

For this recipe, I’m going to use a 1.77 Ib wild caught Alaska sockeye salmon (see picture below). If this salmon did not turn out just so in each and every aspect, I wouldn’t be sharing this information or this grilled fish recipe with you in the first place.

 

So here’s my Route 66 take on “Finding Ipoh Spicy Grilled Fish”. In this recipe, I’m going to make do with limes instead of the usual kalamansi limes. The whole dish itself may not be as fab as “ikan bakar” auntie’s, but at least my slowly-fading sensory memories of that delectable ikan bakar will thank me for this ikan bakar fix a million times over.

At least for now.

And oh, would you like to know what the star ingredients are in this recipe? Aha! As it Cooks thinks it’s a combo of fresh curry leaves, tamarind paste, and a *secret* curry powder! Curious? Check it out!

Here’s the recipe/instruction.

First, set the oven on “Grill”.

Next, always prepare the dip and leave it in the fridge first. You want a nicely chilled dip because it’s going to give that nice contrast to the hot-off-the grill fish!

For the dip
3 tablespoons of sambal oelek
2 tablespoons of tamari
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of tamarind paste
3 sprigs of cilantro – chopped finely
5 thick slices of white onions, roughly chopped
1 or 2 serranos, jalapenos, or bird’s eye chillies
1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil
Juice from 4 or 5 big, fat, juicy limes (you may certainly make do with lemons if need be)

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Taste for salt, sweet, piquancy, sour, and “fire”.

The ingredients for the fish marinade are as follows. Blend these together until fine. It’s okay to have little chunks of unblended onions, pieces of curry leaves, or chili seeds. After all, this is a homemade recipe, right?

1 pip of garlic (pick the fattest garlic you can find)
1 inch thick fresh ginger
1 inch lemon grass (chop up the inner soft green part of the lemon grass only)
2 tablespoons S&B Oriental curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric
12 pieces of fresh curry leaves
1/2 an onion (about 5 thick slices)
3 tablespoons thick tamarind paste
1/4 cup sambal oelek (if you prefer less heat or no heat, adjust to your liking)
3 teaspoons tamari (I like San-J organic, gluten-free)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I like the made in Thailand’s MaekKrua oyster sauce)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Wholefoods’ 365 brand)
1/4 cup of water

Next, caramelize the blended ingredients.

1. In a pan, heat 4 tablespoons of grapeseed oil.
2. Saute the blended spices until it is fragrant for about 2 minutes or so. If the marinade is a little thick in consistency, add a tablespoon or two of water.
3. Taste marinade for salt. It should also have a hint of sweetness, tangy-ness, and bold spiciness from the fresh spices, leaves, and rhizomes. The spiciness will  “tame” as the fish grills in the oven.
4. Remove marinade from the pan. Let it cool. At this point, the consistency of the marinade should not be too thick nor too thin. See picture below.
5. Let the marinate cool.

Next, grease a non-stick aluminium foil on  baking sheet or pan with grapeseed oil.

Preparing the salmon for the grill

Clean and pat dry the salmon (Caution: Do not wash the salmon!). Scale the fish if need be. Remove any excess scales with a paper towel. Slice the fish into 7 pieces.

1. Using a mini spatula, spread the cooled marinade evenly on fish.

To grill the fish

Line a non-stick aluminium foil on a baking sheet or pan. Brush a tablespoon of grapeseed oil on the foil. Using a little spatula, spread the marinade all over fish.

1. Brush some grapeseed oil generously on fish before grilling.
2. Arrange the marinated fish in a manner they are well-spaced out.
3. Grill the fish for about 10-15 minutes, or until it’s done. Gently flip the fish half through cooking to ensure even cooking.
4. If you like the top of the fish to get just a little bit extra crispy, grill the fish just a little longer. The grilled fish will look like the ones below.

Okay. It’s done and ready to eat.

This is my piece. Look!

All said and done, there’s really no need to fly anywhere for a good grilled fish. A delicious, drool-worthy grilled fish can be prepared with love and joy no matter where *Home* is.

A quick question, you guys. What’s your best ‘ikan'(fish) story?

Love,
Tee