IKAN CHUAN CHUAN

Serves 4

This dish of fried pomfret in a sweet sour and spicy sauce was originally a Peranakan dish. It was adopted by the Eurasians and became a dish that was popularly prepared in Eurasian homes. While pomfret is the traditional fish used in this dish, you may also use other firm white flesh fish. My dad also uses red snapper (ikan merah).

Pomfrets 2, each about 300 g (11 oz),
cleaned and gutted

Cooking oil 300 ml (10 fl oz / 1¼ cups)

Ginger 6-cm (2⅓-in) knob, peeled and
cut into long, thin strips

Red chillies 2, sliced
Garlic 3 cloves, peeled and sliced
Onion 1, peeled and sliced
Water 3 Tbsp
Light soy sauce 1 Tbsp
Dark soy sauce 2 Tbsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp

Tamarind pulp 2 Tbsp, mixed with
3 Tbsp water and strained

Paste A

Dried chillies 15, cut and soaked for
10 minutes, seeds removed

Candlenuts 1
Salt ¼ tsp

Paste B

Garlic 6 cloves, peeled
Preserved soy bean paste (taucheo) 6 Tbsp

1.   Pound or grind together ingredients for paste A until fine. Set aside.

2.   Repeat to pound or grind together ingredients for paste B. Set aside.

3.   Using a small sharp knife, make a slit down the right and left side of the spine
of each fish. Spoon 1 Tbsp of paste A into the slits on each fish and place any
remaining paste into the stomach of fish. Set aside for 10 minutes.

4.   Heat 250 ml (8 fl oz / 1 cup) oil in a pan and pan-fry fish on one side until lightly
brown and crisp. Repeat to cook the other side. Dish out to a serving plate.

5.   Heat remaining oil in the pan and fry paste B until fragrant. Add ginger, chillies,
garlic and onion and fry until onion is soft. Add water, soy sauces and sugar and
let boil. Add tamarind liquid and return to boil.

6.   Ladle sauce over fried fish. Garnish as desired and serve hot.

NOTE

•  When frying fish, always leave one side to cook completely before turning
the fish over to cook the other side. This will keep the fish from breaking up.

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EURASIAN HERITAGE

Cooking