Cooking udang goreng mentega (buttered fried prawn) was a pleasure for me. It brought back memories to the time when my mom used to cooked this dish. Back then, I always have regret each time I finished eating this dish which was my hurting throat. This was of course, because I loved to scrap down the buttery sauce. It was so good that I couldn’t stop myself!

Udang Goreng Mentega (Buttered Fried Prawn)

• 300 grams prawns, head removed and deveined
• 1 lime, to soak the prawns
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 5 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
• a pinch of pepper
• oil, to stir fry

Instructions

1. Soak prawns in lime juice for 15 minutes then wash prawns.
2. Stir fry prawn in oil, set aside.
3. In a pan, heat oil over medium heat, stir fry garlic and onion until onion is translucent.
4. Add sweet soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce, mix well.
5. Return prawns into the pan, add pepper and mix well.
6. Take off heat and the dish is ready to be served!

Few months ago I just found out or probably realized that deep fried meatballs are originated from China and they who came to Indonesia had somehow made it so popular. In Indonesia, especially Java, fried meatballs can be easily found as a side for chicken noodle, as an appetizer or as a nibble. Bottom line, fried meatballs is something that can easily be found in Indonesia. There are some variations of the meatballs; dense and heavy or hollow and light. I prefer the second one just because it’s not as filling and thus, I can eat more! Haha.

Two notes on making this cheesy fried meatballs is to keep the oil at medium heat which will allow the meatballs to expand and cook to perfection. Also, make sure that the cheese is added into the centre of the meatballs so it won’t touch the oil and create oil splatter.

Cheesy Meatballs

• 500 gram minced pork (or beef / chicken)
• 300 gram minced prawn
• 300 gram tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• a pinch of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 package of Kraft’s easy melt cheese, cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients (except for cheese) in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the ingredients well until it’s sticky to your spoon / hand.
3. Form the meatballs using hands / 2 spoons to the size of your liking. Add 1 or 2 cheese cubes to the centre of each meatball.
4. Pour oil into a wok / a deep fryer, set heat into medium. Once the oil is ready, add meatballs into the wok without overcrowding it.
5. Fry meatballs for around 8-10 minutes until golden brown, check if it’s thoroughly cooked. Bigger meatballs will require longer time to cook.
6. Once cooked, transfer meatballs to a paper towel lined plate to reduce the oil. Continue to deep fried the rest of the meatballs.
7. Enjoy!

I love seafood from the bottom of my heart but unfortunately seafood is not a favourite in where we currently live. FYI, Bandung is inland and approximately 750m above sea level so seafood is not in their natural palate. Fortunately though, my trusted groceries shop has a decent seafood selection that can fulfil my occasional seafood crave. Of course for a better seafood fiesta I will go to Jakarta.

Pipi clams are cheap, mistake free and quick to cook. Triple wins indeed. All you need for this recipe is a bit of butter, garlic, ginger ad chicken broth. To make it even more flavoursome, I added some celery, Oyster sauce, ginger and chilli. I then ended up with a warm tasty broth that the husband drank after we finished all the clams – a good sign of satisfaction

Garlic and Ginger Pipi Clams

• 500 grams pipi clams, cleaned and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon Oyster sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 chilli, thinly sliced (I used bird eye chilli)
• 2 stalks of celery

Instructions

1. Ensure that the clams are cleaned (sand free) and rinsed. - I will post a how to later
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat
3. Add ginger, garlic, chilli and cook for 3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Don’t burn the garlic.
4. Add oyster sauce and chicken broth, let it simmer
5. Add celery and clams and cover the saucepan and let it cook for around 4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Once clams are opened, turn heat off and discard any closed clams.
7. Transfer clams and broth into a serving bowl and enjoy!

Prawn is my most favourite seafood and also one of the few “things with face” that I’m not afraid to handle. Yes, I’m frighten by the thought of handling chicken head, fish head and any other heads. I originally cooked this chilli garlic prawns dish as a ‘meat’ to my vegetable dish of kangkong stir fry (recipe will be added later) but then, I found that this dish would also suit as an entree. To make it as entree, I would serve it with grilled bread instead of rice.

Chilli garlic prawns

• 500 grams prawns, tails intact
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly minced
• 3 chillies, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 50 grams butter
• coriander leaves, to serve
• oil, to stir fry
• A pinch of salt, to taste
• A pinch of pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil and butter over a medium-high heat. Add chilli and garlic, stir fry until fragrant.
2. Add prawns and seasoned with salt and pepper, cook for 4-5 minutes
3. Add lemon juice to the prawns and combine well
4. Take pan off the heat and serve prawns