Malay Fish Mousse 乌达 Otak-Otak

Malay Fish Mousse - fresh fish fillets are blended with light spices, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves and other aromatic herbs, into a sort of fish mousse. The fish mousse is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed or grilled. It makes an exotic appetizer or cocktail party bite!

INGREDIENTS :
- 1 lb Spanish Mackerel fillets
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves [Substitute: lemon zest]
- a few sprigs daun kesom [also called laksa leaves, Vietnamese mint] [Substitute: mint leaves]
banana leaves, cut into 6x4 inch rectangles OR use aluminum foil
- 1 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
- 2 stalks lemongrass, sliced
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 inch fresh galangal [lengkuas, in Malay]
- 6 candlenuts, [Substitute: macadamia nuts]
- 2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]

To Prepare :
- Cut Spanish Mackerel fillets into 1 inch squares
- In a belacan, add coconut milk chili paste, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, turmeric, coriander, galangal, candlenuts, belacan and egg, blend into a 'smoothie'
- Cut and discard the 'spines' from the kaffir lime leaves, chop leaves into shreds
- Add sugar, salt and kaffir leaf shreds to the mousse, give it a quick pulse or 2
- If using banana leaves, first blanch in hot water to make it pliable
- Put 2 pieces of fish in middle of the banana leaf rectangle, leaving an inch gap between
- Spoon 2-3 tbsp of mousse to cover fish and the gap between, in a lengthwise manner
- Add 2-3 daun kesom [or mint leaves] on top
- Fold banana leaf over and secure with a wooden toothpick at each end to form a rectangular
- If using aluminum foil, simply fold up sides and coil on top to seal package
- Fish packets can be cooked 2 ways - either grilled or steamed
- To grill - place fish packets on a grill 3 to 4 inch above a med hot charcoal fire, cook 2-3 min per side, open one to test for doneness
- To steam - place fish packets in a steamer, steam for about 15-20 mins, till done
- Serve hot, warm or at room temperature - spread on bread, or on a bed of steamed rice

Variation : Use any of your favorite white fish fillets - Chilean Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Grouper, - Tilapia, Cod, Catfish, Sole, Flounder, Monkfish and Tilefish.

[The English recipe is originated from http://www.malaysianfood.net/]