Balinese seafood satay (Sate lilit)

Gourmet~Traveller

Cuisine: Indonesian

Serves: 10 or more

Type: Seafood

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By Tony Tan

Ingredients

300 gm skinless snapper or flathead fillet, pin-boned, coarsely chopped
300 gm uncooked medium prawns, peeled
80 gm (1 cup) desiccated coconut, moistened with 60ml coconut milk or water
5 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp dark palm sugar (see note)
10 thin lemongrass stalks, cut into 15cm lengths, for skewers (see note)
Pinch of brown sugar mixed with 60ml vegetable oil, for brushing

1 vine-ripened tomato, coarsely chopped
25 gm (5cm piece) each ginger and fresh turmeric, coarsely chopped
4 each long red chillies and red birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 small golden shallots, coarsely chopped
5 candlenuts (see note)
2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp shrimp paste (see note)
½ tsp black peppercorns, finely crushed
80 gm (¼ cup) tamarind pulp, mixed with 60ml water, strained, solids discarded
50 ml vegetable oil

Preparation method

Serves 20

Prep time 40 mins, cook 20 mins

For spice paste, process ingredients (except tamarind paste and oil) in a food processor until a fine paste forms, adding a little water if necessary. Add oil and spice paste to a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry until fragrant (5-6 minutes). Add tamarind and stir frequently until paste is golden (3 minutes), then set aside to cool.

Process fish and prawns in a food processor until just blended, then transfer to a bowl and mix with coconut, lime leaves, palm sugar and spice paste. To test the flavour, fry a little mixture in oil until cooked through. Adjust seasoning to taste if required, then mould heaped tablespoons of mixture onto one end of lemongrass stalks.

Heat a char-grill pan over high heat. Grill satay, turning and brushing occasionally with brown sugar and oil mixture, until golden and cooked through (5-6 minutes each side). Serve hot.

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