Fish in Fermented Durian Stew (Ikan Masak Tempoyak)

who ever thought that lacto-fermented durians could actl taste good??

HAPPY DURIAN SEASON!!!

one thing (most) Singaporeans dread in May-July is the HEAT. but we can all agree that it’s also one of the BEST times of the year since it’s the season for durian!

Mao Shan Wang, Musang King, Black Thorn, D24, Red Prawn - they’re mostly available in this part of the year.

but what if we told you that the region has been preserving durians by fermenting them past its season? now is when we get to see the humble ‘Tempoyak’ or fermented durian being made.

while more popular in the Malay Peninsula, particularly in the state of Pahang, Malaysia where ‘Ikan Patin Masak Tempoyak’ originates from, Tempoyak is also popularly consumed in other parts of the region such as Sumatra and Kalimantan (Borneo) in Indonesia. the tradition of tempoyak-making is GENIUS- it was one of the ways Malays in the past did to preserve fruit/veg, increasing the the durian’s shelf life for a longer time. when made well, Tempoyak can keep for up to a year & it becomes an essential savoury and funky condiment in the kitchen.

recently, we created our own Tempoyak while dissecting the chemical processes which happen behind the fermentation. we also made a delicious ‘Ikan Masak Tempoyak’ or ‘fish cooked in Tempoyak’ which came out to be one of the most delicious things we’ve ever made in our kitchen studio. the recipe turned out to be so simple, with the Tempoyak itself replacing the need for alliums (onion & garlic) since it’s already had an intense flavour complexity.

Fish ‘Tempoyak’ Stew

(serves 2-3)

1 whole/ filleted ‘Patin’ fish / snapper / barramundi / pomfret /ANY type of white fish
4 large red chillies
3 bird’s eye chillies (cili padi)
10g fresh turmeric root, peeled
1 litre water
3 tbsp tempoyak (see below)
1 ginger flower, halved
2 pcs asam gelugor (dried garcinia)
bunch of laksa leaves
salt, to taste
1 tsp MSG (optional)

directions

• cut the fish in small steaks/ fillets and set aside.

• using a mortar or blender, process both chillies and turmeric root into fine paste. in a pot, combine the paste with water and let it come to a boil.

• then add the tempoyak and mix well. arrange the fish pieces with ginger flower and garcinia. cover pot with a lid and simmer on low heat until the fish is cooked through.

• season with salt & MSG and fold in the laksa leaves. serve warm with steamed rice.

Tempoyak (lacto-fermented durian)

200g durian flesh, without seed
8g salt (salt should consitute about 4% of the weight of the durian flesh)

• in a bowl, mix the durian with salt until evenly combined. transfer into an airtight container and keep at room temperature for 3 days in total.

• tempoyak is ready to use for ‘Ikan Masak Tempoyak’ or ‘Sambal Tempoyak. keep the it in the fridge and it can last up to a year. discard Temoyak if it turns moldy.