DIY: Dried Salt Fish

If you've been to an Asian wet market you know them -- dried and flattened whole fish that could pass for cardboard cut-outs, slabs of salted fish fillets so hard and stiff they could be used as a weapon. There's a reason westerners often wrinkle their nose at the mention of salt fish: too often the stuff available to the average consumer is, well, too salty, too dry and so leached of fish flavor that there's nothing left but the stink.

But small-batch, homemade dried salted fish is another food entirely. Umami rich, lightly salty and with -- yes -- the taste of real fish, it's a great addition to stir-fries (a personal favorite: stir-fried bean sprouts with salt fish), pasta dishes and southeast Asian-style salads. If the fish you salt are small, try dee-frying them whole and eating like potato chips, crackly crispy bones and all, on their own or with a dips (like guacamole! or try this northern Thai "red-eye" dip) or crumbled over a refreshing somtam. Imagine frying a small dried fish like smelt Lao-style with chili peppers and lime leaves and garlic, for a fantastic beer snack along the lines of these addictive dried mushrooms we ate in Luang Prabang. Think of any dish to which you might add salted anchovies, or anchovies preserved in oil, or fish sauce or oyster sauce and contemplate using salt fish instead.

Summer is a great time to make your own! dried s alt fish. (But you can do it in cold weather too, as long as you have a good strong sun.) If you live in a dry climate so much the better but we made our own (that's them, in the photo above!) this week here in Penang, where humidity levels regularly hover above seventy per cent. Our guide in this endeavor was our long-time Thai helper Wan (that's Wan of the ant egg harvest), but the process is so simple that she snickered when we asked for directions.

You must have some sort of hanging apparatus outside where it catches sunlight. We stuck a broomstick in hole in the wall that surrounds our property and used plastic string to suspend our fish skewers from it.

Here's the process. Preferably you would time this project so that the fish would be outside drying from early morning.

Procure some fish. Any fish will do, really. Oily fish like sardines, anchovies, mackerel, smelt, ocean trout and salmon will result in the strongest flavor. If you're a salt fish newbie you might want to give it a go with a milder fish: trout, sea bass, john dory, flounder, halibut, cod etc.

Clean your fish well. If the fish are small (the ones in the photo above were about 6 inches long) you can leave them whole -- just cut off the head and, if you like, fins and tail. If you're using fillets slice them into manageable pieces. A slab of salmon, for instance, I might slice into 6 by 2-inch strips. Remove as many bones as you can, but if you plan to deep-fry the little buggers the bones will become crispy enough to eat.

Dry the fish, and then rub them with plenty of good quality salt -- sea salt, kosher salt, whatever. I'm convinced that the problem with alot of commercial dry salt fish is the salt that's used by the maker -- nasty heavily iodized salt makes for nasty salt fish. Put the fish in a bowl or a ceramic baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge -- or a very cool, dark place) overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Remove the fish ! and rins e them well to get rid of the salt, and pat them dry. Skewer the fish in a way that exposes as much surface area as possible to air and sun. For instance, if you're drying whole fish, pull the sides of the fish apart so that the gut area opens up (see photo).

Hang the fish in the sun. If you're concerned about flies and other insects (strangely, despite Penang's humid heat not a single insect bothered our fish when they were hanging outside) drape your fish with cheesecloth. You may want to adjust the position of the fish throughout the day, turning them front to back or whatnot, to get even sun exposure.

Bring the fish inside at the end of the day and give it a gentle squeeze. You're not looking for cardboard, but the fish should be relatively dry. If any moisture comes to your fingers they're not done -- place them, covered, back in the fridge overnight (or in a very cool, dark place) and repeat the drying process the next day. Two days should do it.

Use the fish right away, or store in the fridge.

Think about variations that bring dried seasonings into play -- you might rub your fish with aleppo pepper before hanging it out to dry, or with lemon zest or zatar.

Of course, dried salt fish are not just an Asian thing.

At a friend's home in Van, eastern Turkey, we ate whole dried salt fish -- pulled from Lake Van -- in a saucy preparation served with a lovely eggplant bulgur pilav. The fish themselves were just awful, so incredibly salty that they left my tongue burning. The sauce, however, was gorgeous. My next project: recreating that Van dish with our own delicious, not-too-salty salt fish.

Training for Penang CFAL @ Bukit Damansara

On a Wednesday night a group of cyclists gathered at Damansara Heights for a ride in the name of training for the coming Penang CFAL. Most of the riders are foldies.It was also a good time to meet new friends and for some it was their first ride of such nature.A snap with the organiser Miss.Well and a special thank you to her for arranging this ride.The discovery of a pair that looks alike Jimmy & Joe.

At Shell petrol station counting the sheep and making sure no one is missing.

Some of the faces of the night.

This is one fast & dashing folding bike and this rider surely cycles fast too.Another lady rider among the several and they are good riders mind you.After a sweaty and tough outing especial! ly going up the difficult climbs, it was time to repay the pain we suffered with some beer &GuinnessStout. We shall meet again.

Sashimi heaven in a little Bangsar restaurant

The perfectly pink toro is a sight to behold.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 A few years ago on a visit to Japan, I watched a whole tuna being wheeled into a sushi restaurant near the Tsukiji market in Tokyo hours after the tuna auction, and wished I could taste the fish.

I did get my wish a few days later when a specially arranged trip to Chiba took us to a sashimi restaurant near the sea, one that usually admits only Japanese customers. I was in sashimi heaven, and had my fill of a whole range of super fresh raw fish, including of course tuna and the wondrous toro.

Uni Tofu is a must-try at Matsuya.

I remembered the fish as being of a thick cut, just like what we had recently at Matsuya in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Memories of how I had revelled in the fantastic mouthfeel and flavour of the fish came flooding back.

Matsuya will now be my go-to place if I want a good sashimi experience. We were lucky that both the times we were there on a Tuesday and a Friday were the days when the fish had just been flown in.

There were two pieces each of tuna, salmon, yellowtail and sweet prawns on our sashimi platter for one. The tuna was a deep pink and firm, with a couple of fatty streaks on it. The salmon and yellowtail were high on the freshness scale, and tasted so good.

We love toro the tuna belly that exudes creaminess at the bite. Its always such a treat. We had this as a sushi, the thick cut, pink toro that made us go wow!

If I just had this, and the Uni Tofu, which is beancurd with sea urchin, I would have been super contented. The Uni Tofu, with grilled sea urchin topping on the smooth beancurd, and sitting on a frothy, creamy broth beneath was simply scrumptious.

Grilled cod with white miso sauce... done perfectly.

We went on to a Mushroom Rice with Truffle Oil in a hotpot. Its one of those dishes with a contemporary Western twist in Matsuya. I like it that as you stir up the rice with the shimeji, shiitake and other mushrooms, you hit the crispy yet chewy crust at the bottom. And you get the aroma of truffle oil (of course more would have been better), and a satisfying, delicious rice meal that was generous with mushrooms.

Here, the sashimi is served thick cut and so very, very fresh.

On a previous dinner at Matsuya, we had a Grilled Codfish with Sweet Miso Sauce. The browned cod flaked off easily, and touched with the sweet white miso paste at the side, it exploded with flavour. It is a cooked fish that I would definitely go back for.

Then there are the salads. The Tomato Salad is simplicity in itself slices of tomato with small blobs of cream cheese, with seaweed in the centre, brought together with a vinegar dressing. The Iced Fish salad has a sprinkling of crispy white bait on lettuce, sliced cucumber, seaweed and tobiko, tossed with a citrusy dressing.

Another hotpot rice I enjoyed very much was completely covered with salmon and salmon roe. Again it had that lovely crust, with sticky grains of rice, flakes of salmon and salty bursts of roe that were so good together. You cannot find fault with Matsuyas its rice dishes the Garlic Seafood Rice was delicious too.

As for dessert, it is best to stick with the ice-cream, especially the very fragrant sesame one. The mochi rolled in crushed peanut was especially disappointing it tasted flat. The mochi was not smooth nor sticky enough, and the peanut coating did not lift it up.

Matsuya also offers dinner sets such as the Sushi Set RM95, Teppanyaki RM80, Sukiyaki RM95. The Sashimi platter for one is RM80, Toro Sushi RM28 each, Hotpot Rice with Salmon and Salm! on Roe R M40, Grilled Codfish with Miso Sauce RM55, Tomato Salad RM22, Uni Tofu RM25.

The mushroom rice with truffle oil... yummy.

Matsuya Japanese Cuisine is located at 19, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru. Tel: 03-2202 2618.

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Haru Zen @ Puchong & Shinjuku @ Hartamas

Checking out a couple of Japanese eateries in the suburbs: first up,Haru Zen in Puchong. Japanese food buffs might be hard-pressed to find outlets in this neighborhood that impress them _ Haru-Zen won't change that, but it has worthwhile offerings.

Okonomiyaki stuffed with natto. A well-executed version of this oft-abused pancake recipe. Fairly thick and fluffy, but not excessively greasy. The flavor of the fermented soybeans is subtle, but it adds a nice nuttiness.

Ramen with Osaka-style pork broth. Springy noodles in rich broth. No complaints.

Baked tofu with salted cod roe and cheese. Soft and savory, exactly as expected. Not the healthiest tofu preparation, but it's piping-hot, creamy comfort food for a rainy eveni! ng.

Pork belly preserved with miso. Home-cooked fare, more or less. Tender and tasty, with a pleasantly distinctive aroma from the miso.

Nankotsu. A letdown; tastes like KFC chicken cartilage. Overcooked and over-salted.

Shochu, mixed with calpis and cucumber.

Next, Shinjuku at Hartamas. Porky fare is prevalent here on a menu with both hits and misses.

Shinjuku Maki, an unusual roll stuffed with raw salmon and smoked bacon. The sweet, succulent ! fish and savory, sinewy pork mingle like they're meant for each other.

The sashimi platter is substantial, with lots of fairly fresh fish, though not impressive enough to recall for long. But Shinjuku's prices are reasonable and service is friendly.

Tsukimi Udon _ noodles with raw egg in hot soup. Hearty, but the noodles seem a bit too chewy, while the soup lacks a definitive flavor.

Yakiniku buta sasami. Barbecued pork _ adequately tender and tasty, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds to add some crunchy texture.

Sake makes everything better. Yep, it absolutely does.

Haru-Zen,

IOI Boulevard, Puchong.

Shinjuku,

74, Jalan 27/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas.

I cooked: Vegetarian egg white frittata with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and truffle oil

After baking Jamie Oliver's chocolate biscuits, I was left with two egg whites. You can make meringues or pavlova with the egg whites, but I decided to make a savoury dish out of it (trying not to consume TOO much sugar).

Egg white frittata with mushroom and cherry tomatoes

I ended up making a light, healthy vegetarian frittata with the egg whites. Again, this is one of those dishes where you can chuck in anything you like - I looked in my fridge and found mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and spring onion. A dash of truffle oil before serving makes it slightly more luxurious. You can serve this with a side salad, some toast or eat it on its own.

A great dish indeed to use up the leftover egg whites - good for breakfast, brunch or even for a light dinner.





Egg white frittata with mushrooms, cherry tomato, spring onion and truffle oil
Preparation time: 3-4 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 1

Ingredients
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp milk
1 spring onion (green parts only), chopped finely
2 tsp Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced
40g grey oyster mushrooms, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10g dried cep/porcini mushrooms, soaked and diced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper
2 c! herry to matoes, cut into small pieces
Truffle oil (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 175C.

2. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites. Then add the spring onion, milk, 1 tsp Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a 13cm non-stick skillet, cook garlic, oyster and porcini mushrooms with some olive oil over medium heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Add the dried herbs and cherry tomatoes and mix, then season with salt and pepper.

4. Reduce to low heat and add the egg white mixture to the skillet and gently stir together with the mushrooms and tomato for 1 minute, to gently scramble them.

5. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top and transfer to the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes until the frittata is set. Drizzle with some truffle oil and serve immediately.

Food Styling and Photography Workshop at Sunday Suppers

You may remember that I was lucky to teach a food styling and photography workshop in Sunday Suppers studio loft in Brooklyn last month.

What a place Karen runs!

Simply beautiful, with its minimal tasteful dcor, white walls with contrasting dark wooden tables, and tall bay windows opening onto a welcoming view on the water.

Photographing in such space is divine.

I had an amazing day.

I was teaching a lovely group of women that, for some of them, had flown from far awayand that, despite the storm that cancelled many flights the night preceding our workshop. Each one of them brought a set of skills and talent that made the day.

Since we started our day-workshop at Union Square market, I wanted to share a few pictures taken there. The scene was picture perfect; the local food was utterly gorgeous. I promised to myself that one day, I must visit the Hudson River Valley region!

And I will surely be back in Brooklyn!

Thanks Karen!

I didnt have time to take many pictures during the workshop so Id like to thank Karen for letting me use some of hers. All images below are copyrighted from Karen Mordechai, Sunday Suppers.