Ikan Panggang Pacak // North Sumatran Style Fish BBQ

As I promised to Devi few months ago to post a recipe of "Ikan Panggang Pacak", here it is, Devi. I know I didn't use a fresh whole fish as the recipe noted, due to my limitation of getting fresh fish in Winnipeg.


I got this recipe from Iyuk, even though she is a Madura descendant, she is pretty good in cooking Sumatran style cuisine. Mom taught her how to cook Sumatran cuisine. This dish was one of my dad's favourite. Sometimes, Mom and Dad hosted dinner parties, this ikan panggang pacak was one of the dishes.

Iyuk is used to use pomfret or red snapper fish for this, since I had 1 ocean perch fish in my freezer, I used that ocean perch which is not different in taste with red snapper.

It will be more yummy if you eat this with gulai daun singkong (translated as cassava leaves in spices coconut milk/curry) and warm steamed rice.

Category:		Barbecue & Grilling
Style:		Indonesian

Ingredients:
1 whole (750 grams, lean, moist and flacky and firm texture fish (I used ocean pearch)
1 lime
1 lemongrass, cut into a half and bruised
3-4 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut, you can add more (original recipe uses grated coconut of 1 coconut)
60 instant thick coconut milk
100 ml water

Pureed Spices
8 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 toasted candlenuts
sambal oelek, as desired (original recipe uses red chilies and bird's eye chilies)
3 cm ginger, peeled
3 cm galangal, peeled
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tomato (optional, I didn't add it as I followed iyuk's recipe)
salt as desired

Directions:
� Clean up the fish. Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal 1/4-inch deep slits on each side of the fish. Cut slightly deeper toward the back fin of the fish. The slits will help the fish to cook more evenly throughout.
� Drizzle and rub the inside and all over of the fish with lime squeezed and salt. Let stand for couple minutes.
� Combine instant thick coconut milk and lemon grass, bring to a boil.
� Combine 100 ml water with desiccated coconut and pureed spices.
� Rub inside and out of the fish with desiccated coconut mixture. Lay the fish directly on the grill. After the fish is close to done on one side, brush with thick coconut milk mixture, use lemongrass as the brush then flip it over. Do the same thing for another side. Do these steps until the fish is done and fragrant. Remove from the grill.