MANOK PANSOH (BRAISED CHICKEN IN BAMBOO)

Serve 10

Ingredients:

1.7kg meaty chicken pieces
1-2 lemongrass, finely sliced
50g ginger, sliced
10 gm Garlic finely sliced
20 gm Onion finely sliced
20g bungkang leaves (can substitute with daun salam or dried bay leaves)
Black pepper

1 tsp salt
Bamboo log

Tapioca leaves or banana leaf

Method

Combine all the ingredients, except the last two, in a mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Stuff into the bamboo log and seal with the tapioca leaves of banana leaf.
Cook the chicken by standing the bamboo log sealed side up, over burning wood or charcoal, for 30 minutes.
To serve, remove the tapioca/banana leaf and drain the tasty juice into a bowl. Split the bamboo to extract the chicken and arrange on a serving dish with the juice.

LINUT (TRADITIONAL DISH OF MELANAU ETHNIC GROUP)

Serves 5

Ingredient A1 kg (6½ cups) sago rumbia
Hot water, freshly boiled
1 litre (4 cups) water

Ingredient B
600 g white fish/tongkol/tenggiri/kurau/senangin
40 g (5 pips) shallots
10 g (2 pips) garlic
10 g (2 cm) fresh turmeric pounded coarsely
10 g (2 cm) ginger
3 g (5) bird’s eye chillies
30 g (2 sticks) lemon grass, crushed
5 g (5 pcs) dried tamarind
9 g (1½ tsps) salt
625 ml (2½ cups) water

Ingredient C
500 g (60 stalks) paku shoots, cleaned and plucked
3 g (1/2 tsp) salt
10 g (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
20 g (3 pips) shallots
10 g (2 pips) garlic pounded
10 g (1 tbsp) shrimp paste
125 ml (1/2 cup) water
1 red chilli (sliced) for decoration

Method
Ingredient A
To make Linut :
Mix sago with 4 cups of water and soak for 10 minutes.
Drain off the water and pour sago into a heat proof container
Pour freshly boiled hot water over it. Mix well until the sago looks clear and of gummy consistency.

Ingredient BClean the fish and cut into 5 slices.
Place into a saucepan together with other (B) ingredients. Stir well until cooked.

Ingredient C
Heat oil in a kuali and stir-fry the pounded ingredients until fragrant.
Stir in the paku shoots. Add salt and 1/2 cup of water. Cook until soft. Decorate with red chilli.

Note:
Linut is eaten by rolling the sago around two bamboo sticks then dipped into the fish gravy and eaten together with pakis.
Sago is a staple food for the Melanau ethnic group in Sarawak. This recipe is a well-balanced meal, rich in com¬plex carbohydrates and fibre yet low in oil and salt.

If sago rumbia is not available, replace with any sago or sago ‘ubi’ which must be cooked until clear
Linut is best eaten while still hot

UMAI IKAN (RAW FISH MARINATED WITH LIME AND CHILI)

UMAI IKAN (RAW FISH MARINATED WITH LIME AND CHILI)
Serve 4
Ingredients
250 gram freshly caught fish (sliced finely)
1tsp salt
8 limes = take the juice
2 stalks of lemon grass (sliced finely)
2 Tbsp finely ground Sarawak Black Pepper
10 small red onions (very finely sliced)
2 stalks of spring onions (sliced)
2 pips of garlic (finely pounded)
1 inch fresh ginger, finely sliced
a bunch of lettuce

Dressing
1. More lime juice from about 4 limes
2. Lemon juice from l lemon
3. a few drops of fish gravy
4. 1 Tbsp sesame oil/olive oil
5. More black pepper to taste

Method
1. Clean and finely slice the fish in matchstick size and make sure there is no bone left.
2. Marinade in a little salt, pepper and juice of limes for about an hour in the fridge. Give the fish slice a few squeezes.
3. Before serving, drain away the marinade.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Add the dressing. Add a bit of sugar if desired.
5. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

This dish is an acquired taste as the fish is raw but well marinated with lime juice. It is a bit like shasimi.

Umai is a part of normal buffet lunch in any hotel in Malaysia and especially in Sarawak. The favourite fish used would be Malaysian mackeral (tenggiri), white pomfret (ikan duai) and occasionally marlin. Fresh water fish is not used for this dish. Cod can be used but many Asians would find cod oily.