Fish Paste

As far as the Swallow can remember, her mother has always made her own fish paste.  She remembers watching her mother removing the fish meat from the skin, then hammering away at the fish meat with the back of a cleaver, and adding some water (with some salt).  That was as long as the Swallow could stand watching.  It was a tedious process, and the Swallow was quickly bored.

Many years down the road, the Swallow finds herself in her mother's shoes.  However, the Swallow finds the process not as tedious as before, for the simple reason that she uses modern techniques!

Raw Fish Paste

The following recipe has been tried and tested to her family's taste...

FISH PASTE

Ingredients

• 1 whole Tenggiri Batang, about 2 kg in weight, filleted (keep bones for fish stock)
• 2 rice bowls water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Cooked Fish Paste

Method

1. Remove the fish meat from its skin by scraping at the meat with a metal spoon.
2. Place the meat into a large bowl.
3. Dissolve 1 tsp salt in 1 rice bowl water.
4. Using a dough mixer, beat the meat at the lowest speed.
5. Occasionally, stop the mixer, stir the meat (this is to allow the meat to be beaten evenly), and add several tablespoons of the salted water.  Continue beating the meat.
6. After 10 minutes of beating, increase speed a level, and repeat step 5.
7. Repeat step 3 when necessary.
8. After 10 minutes of beating, increase speed another level, and repeat step 5.



Fried Fish Cake

9. By now, the fish meat should be less sticky.  Gradually add the eggs into the meat and mix well.

Notes

• Use less salted water for a chewier texture.
• Use this home-made fish paste as soon as possible.
• Fish paste may be used as a filler for Yong Taufu, as a replacement for meatballs in soups / noodles (Cooked Fish Paste), deep-fried as a finger food, or pan-fried to make Fried Fish Cake.  Be creative!