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Pempek (Fish Cake w/ Vinegar Sauce)

Indonesia

Step 1 of 9

Pempek (Fish Cake w/ Vinegar Sauce) — step 1 of 9

Make the cuko first: simmer the palm sugar and water in a small saucepan until dissolved, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients

About 16 pieces, serving 4–6

The dough

1 lb (450 g) skinless white fish fillet — Spanish mackerel (tenggiri) is the usual choice — very cold
1/2 cup (120 ml) ice-cold water
1.5 cups (200 g) sago flour or tapioca starch, plus more for shaping
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 tsp (12 g) salt
1 tsp (2 g) ground white pepper
1 tsp (5 g) sugar

Pempek kapal selam filling (optional)

4 eggs, for the 'submarine' version

Cuko (dipping sauce)

7 oz (200 g) dark palm sugar (gula jawa), chopped
1.5 cups (360 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) tamarind concentrate
8 cloves garlic
6–10 bird's eye chillies
1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar
1 tsp (6 g) salt
2 tsp (10 ml) dried shrimp, ground (optional) optional

To serve

Neutral oil, for deep-frying
1 small cucumber, finely diced
3 tbsp (25 g) dried rice noodles, cooked (optional) optional

Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author's working draft rather than a verified result.

The Southeast Asian Table

One hundred recipes from eleven Southeast Asian countries, with the sauces and pastes they are built on.

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