Everything you wanted to know about Kippers!

[tristar]

Hi All,

Found this very interesting page about Kippers whilst searching for information about dehumidifiers! Strange world isn't it? Anyway it seems to have enough information for anybody interested to have a go themselves, personally I can't get herring where I live, but I may just give it a go with some mackerel or yellow tail.

http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/tan/x5925E/x5925e01.htm

[Hobbitfeet]

Thanks a lot Tristar, I found it fascinating reading, as I make my own kippers in a slightly adapted Bradley smoker. It's a shame you can't get hold of herring where you are...I'm not sure if mackeral would give the same taste as a kipper, though they should certainly be fatty enough. How fatty are yellow tails? Are the ones known locally as djambal?

You may also like to track down the following...spotted sardine, sembulak, bilis tamban, bilis mayang and the Hilsa shad...they are all from the herring family and should be found in your waters.

[tristar]

Hi Hobbitfeet,

Yellow Tail are know locally as Ekor Kuning, which strangely enough is the direct translation for Yellow Tail, they are a salt water fish about 8 inches long, and I believe are related to Tuna.

Djambal is a type of catfish which although native to Indonesia, was introduced into intensive fish farming, or to give it it's fancy phrase aquaculture around the 1990's but is still rather rarely seen for sale as far as I am aware. The more commonly sold Catfish is called Ikan Patin, Patin being I think a local dialect name for 'yellow tail'.

Both catfish are freshwater fish and the flesh of the Patin is white, reasonably firm, closely grained and is quite sweet, really rather nice actually cooked in the indonesia style which involves simple removal of the gut tract, a cursory clean, followed by total immersion in boiling hot oil, head, fins, tail, and all!

Served with Nasi Puti (steamed rice), Tempe Goreng (fried soy bean cake), Lalap (raw salad vegetables comprising, white cabbage, cucumber, green beans, lettuce and basil) and a small bowl of Sambal Terasi ( hot chilli paste with fermented shrimp and lime juice), all eaten with the fingers it is a wonderful, wonderful evening meal, not too heavy but satisfyingly fulfilling and spicy.

I have made myself hungry just typing this post, but being in Africa for another week, I guess I will just have to wait!

[Wohoki]

I haven't been in Indonesia for 10 years and I still dream about the food. What I wouldn't give for a good Nasi Padang restaurant.