Grilled Gurame with Sweet Soy Sauce (Ikan Bakar Kecap)
Ingredients:
- 1 whole Gurame fish (approx. 800g)
- 15 shallots
- 8 garlic cloves
- 6 roasted candlenuts
- 1 sachet of Royco chicken seasoning
- 1 sachet of Ladaku seasoning
- 1/2 sachet of ground coriander
- 4 tablespoons of palm sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons of salt
- 4-6 tablespoons of Bango sweet soy sauce
- Butter (as needed)
- Water (as needed)
- Lettuce (for serving)
Instructions:
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Prepare the Fish: Clean the Gurame fish thoroughly. If necessary, cut it into pieces to fit your cooking equipment (you might need to cut it into 4 pieces if using a small pan). Lightly fry the fish until it is cooked but not overdone (crispy). For convenience, you can also have the fish fried at the store if available.
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Make the Sauce: In a blender or food processor, blend together the shallots, garlic cloves, and roasted candlenuts until smooth. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the blended mixture. Stir in the palm sugar, salt, Ladaku seasoning, Royco chicken seasoning, and ground coriander. Cook until the mixture becomes fragrant.
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Add Soy Sauce: Pour in approximately 100ml of water and stir well. Add the Bango sweet soy sauce to the pan and continue to cook until the sauce thickens slightly and all the flavors meld together. Once the sauce is ready, remove from heat.
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Coat the Fish: Dip the fried fish pieces into the prepared sauce, ensuring they are well coated.
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Grill the Fish: Preheat a non-stick pan (Teflon) over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan (which will add extra richness). Place the coated fish pieces in the pan and grill them over low heat. Turn the fish occasionally to ensure it grills evenly and becomes nicely browned. Repeat this process, cleaning the pan and adding fresh butter for each batch until all the fish pieces are grilled.
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Serve: Arrange the grilled fish on a serving plate with fresh lettuce on the side.
Enjoy your flavorful and tender grilled Gurame with sweet soy sauce!
