Ikan Balado (Padang-Style Grilled Mackerel with Sambal)

Name: Ikan Balado (Padang-Style Grilled Mackerel with Sambal)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients: 10 large red Holland chiles, chopped; 5 fresh red Thai chiles, stemmed; 3 cloves garlic, peeled; 3 small Asian shallots, peeled; 1 medium vine-ripe tomato, roughly chopped; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. sugar; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. salt, plus more to taste; 2 tbsp. canola oil; 1 ⁄ 3 cup canola oil; 6 (6-oz.) skin-on mackerel fillets; Kosher salt, to taste

Serves
serves 4-6

INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

In Padang, restaurants grill and fry small whole mackerel before smearing them with sambal, a spicy chile-based condiment. We find that the skin-on fillets of larger fish work just as well. This recipe first appeared in our March 2014 issue with the story Spice World.

Ingredients

FOR THE SAMBAL

10 large red Holland chiles, chopped
5 fresh red Thai chiles, stemmed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 small Asian shallots, peeled
1 medium vine-ripe tomato, roughly chopped
¹⁄₂ tsp. sugar
¹⁄₄ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp. canola oil

FOR THE FISH

¹⁄₃ cup canola oil
6 (6-oz.) skin-on mackerel fillets
Kosher salt, to taste

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the sambal: Pulse chiles, garlic, shallots, tomato, sugar, and salt in a small food processor into a coarse paste. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add paste; cook until slightly caramelized and thick, 5–7 minutes.

Step 2

Make the fish: Wipe skillet clean; heat oil over medium-high heat. Pat fish dry using paper towels; season with salt. Working in batches, fry fish, flipping once, until cooked, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; spoon sambal over the top.

Make the sambal: Pulse chiles, garlic, shallots, tomato, sugar, and salt in a small food processor into a coarse paste. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add paste; cook until slightly caramelized and thick, 5–7 minutes.
Make the fish: Wipe skillet clean; heat oil over medium-high heat. Pat fish dry using paper towels; season with salt. Working in batches, fry fish, flipping once, until cooked, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter; spoon sambal over the top.