GULAI KEPALA IKAN
INDONESIA
You find fish head curry throughout Southeast Asia. I tasted the following version in Medan in Indonesia, at a restaurant specializing in fish head curry where I was taken by the wonderful William Wongso, Indonesia’s foremost celebrity chef, and his equally wonderful friend Indra Halim, who owns a mini food and coffee empire in Medan. The fish head was big and fleshy with lots of meat on it and this is what you need to ask your fishmonger for—the biggest and meatiest fish head he has available. Most fish heads go into the recycling bin in Europe and America so it shouldn’t be difficult sourcing one from a good fishmonger. Serve this with plain rice or Indonesian Yellow Rice.
SERVES 4
1 large sea bass or other whitefish head (about 1 pound 5 ounces/600 g)
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt
FOR THE SPICE PASTE
10 small shallots (7 ounces/200 g total), peeled
5 cloves garlic, peeled
5 fresh red chilies
1 medium tomato (3½ ounces/100 g)
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon raw cane sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
FOR THE SAUCE
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 bilimbi (see Glossary) or star fruit, cut crosswise into slices ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
1 teaspoon seedless tamarind paste
3 bay leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, smashed
2 inches (5 cm) fresh galangal, peeled and minced to a fine paste
2 inches (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
2 cups (500 ml) coconut cream
1 firm-ripe medium tomato (about 3½ ounces/100 g), finely diced
3½ ounces (100 g) long beans, stringed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths
1. Pat the fish head dry with paper towels, then rub with the lime juice and a little salt. Let sit for 1 hour.
2. To make the spice paste: If you have a mortar and pestle, grind the ingredients for the spice paste in the mortar together. Otherwise use your food processor to make the paste.
3. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Add the bilimbi, tamarind paste, bay leaves, lemongrass, galangal, and ginger and cook, still stirring, for a minute or so. Add 2 cups (500 ml) water, the coconut cream, and the fish head. Let bubble gently until the sauce has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
4. Add the tomato and long beans and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the beans are done. Serve hot.