Spicy Steamed Mackerel (Pepesan)
An Indonesian-inspired dish featuring smoked mackerel coated in a rich, spicy bumbu paste and baked in foil packets for maximum flavor.
15
Prep (min)
30
Cook (min)
45
Total (min)
Servings
Salt and pepper were excluded from the analysis.
An average amount (6 tablespoons) was used for the sambal badjak ingredient.
Weights for aromatics like shallots, lemongrass, and galangal were estimated based on typical sizes.
Ingredients
- 2 piece smoked mackerels, cleaned (approx. 500 grams)
- 4 shallots
- 2 clove garlic
- 4 piece lemongrass stalks (sereh)
- 8 slice thick slices of galangal (laos)
- 8 lime leaves
- 1 tsp shrimp paste (trassi)
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tsp palm sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4-8 tbsp sambal badjak or other fried sambal
- to taste salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Finely chop the shallots and the garlic, or use a food processor to make a paste.
- 2
Using a small high pan, sauté the garlic and shallot mixture in one tablespoon of oil until they are lightly colored.
- 3
Add the sambal and increase the heat slightly; fry for about two minutes so the sambal cooks and its sharpness decreases.
- 4
Add all other ingredients to the pan except for the lemongrass and the mackerel.
- 5
Let this mixture simmer on a very low heat for about 10 minutes.
- 6
Tear off a piece of aluminum foil, place a piece of mackerel on it, and spread a thick layer of the spice paste (bumbu) over the fish.
- 7
Place a stalk of lemongrass on top and fold the packet tightly. It is recommended to double-wrap the foil to prevent leaking.
- 8
Place the packets in an oven dish and bake at 356°F (180°C) for approximately 30 minutes, or alternatively, place them on the BBQ.
Recipe by Jille van der Togt