
One thing I can't eat as much as I want because of being pregnant that I miss much is eating fish. There are some fishes that are of no go during pregnancy such as shark, tuna, and other big fishes because of high mercury level. Raw fish is also off the chart, which makes me crave raw sushi eventhough I don't usually eat raw sushi often. Luckily, there are some fishes that are considered "safe" for consumption during pregnancy, although there is also recommended limitation such as no more than 2-6 ounces of that fish per week.
Trout is one kind of fish that falls on that category. So, hubby was so excited when he found trouts at Earth Fare. We bought 2 and planned on steaming them with ginger and broccoli. As I looked for recipe, I became more and more interested in
pepes ikan (fish wrapped in banana leaves, then steamed, and grilled). Making it was so simple. The most hassling part was to take out our giant steamer from our kitchen cabinet, and of course it would take up so much space of our stove for days. Mom gave that steamer, which was her favorite, to me when I moved to the US. It's big and served its purpose in my parents' house because she used it everyday to heat food (our family didn't use microwave to do so although mom had it since I was in highschool). Here in the States, I don't use steamer that much, so we store it at the very back of our kitchen cabinet.
We had a
pepes party that evening. This kind of food makes us FAT! because we liked it much and couldn't stop eating. The nice aroma filled our apartment, which reminded me of my grandma. Oh, and the best way to eat this kind of food is by using hand, no silverware needed! Ah, something I took for granted when I was still living in Indonesia.
Pepes Ikan Trout
Ingredients:
2 whole trouts
4 red chilli peppers
1 small tomato, diced
2 bay leaves
1 lemongrass, chopped
4 keffir lemon leaves
Banana leaves
1/2 onion
6 garlic
5 candlenut
Turmeric powder
Galangal powder
Coriander powder
Salt
In a food processor or mortar and pestle, blend the onion, garlic, candlenut, turmeric, galangal, coriander, salt until a smooth paste forms. Make slits of both of sides of the fish and place the fish on the banana leaf. Spread the paste on both sides of the fish. Fold the leaf and secure the ends with tootpicks. Steam for 30 minutes then grill or broil until the leaf edges are getting charred.