Barbecue World

by Nik Khusairi Ibrahim
north@thestar.com.my

‘Ikan Bakar’ or grilled fish does not come any tastier than in Teluk Tempoyak, Penang, where ikan bakar stalls that dominate the coastal landscape gets their supply of freshly caught sea bass and grouper daily from the village’s fisherman.

The aroma of freshly grilled fish lingers in the air in Telok Tempoyak, Penang, Malaysia, where ikan bakar stalls overlooking the sea dominate the landscape. Ikan Bakar (grilled fish) is the second nmain economy activity in this fishing village at the southeastern tip of Penang Island.

Teluk Tempoyak ikan bakar stall owner Adnan Hassan, popular known as Pak Nan, said the ikan bakar and related business had created jobs for at least 30 villagers.Teluk Tempoyak has become a famous ikan bakar enclave. We have attracted domestic tourists from as far as Malacca and Johor, as well as the east coast. “In fact, ikan bakar is synonymous with this village”, he said, adding that he started the ikan bakar business some 15 years ago.

Pak Nan said that the ikan bakar stall operators in the Teluk Tempoyak received fresh supplies of sea bass and grouper daily from fishermen in the village. “That is why the fish is sweet and succulent,” he said, adding that the stalls enjoyed brisk business from Thursday to Sunday.

Teluk Tempoyak Village Developement and Security Committee (JKKK) chairman Mansur Yaacob said that nothing is better than savouring freshly grilled fish in a rustic setting.The stalls, designed with traditional features, are all built over looking the sea. “We want customers to enjoy the view while savouring the delicacy,” he said, adding that the stalls opened from 6pm to midnight nightly except on Monday.

Apart from Teluk Tempoyak , there are popular ikan bakar stalls in Juru, Kepala Batas, Seberang Jaya, Batu Uban and Batu Maung. The demand for the grilled fish is so great in Penang that stalls are sprouting up at roadsides. Some stall holders even put up signboards on the tree trunks and lamp posts to draw customers.

Some start their business as early as 11am while a few close their stalls as late as 3am.One ikan bakar stall in Kepala Batas opens from 11am to late afternoon, because some customers like to eat the grilled fish earlier in the day.

Penang fisherman Association economic affair assistant Azizan Abdullah said ikan bakar “is a popular dish among people of all races in Malaysia.” “Ikan Bakar is in a class of its own. We have identified it as one of the most saleable dishes apart from curry fish head.” he said.

“The sellers are prepared to start grilling at 9am ehen there are orders.” he said, adding that the Pen Mutiara restaurant in Batu Maung restaurant run by the association could accommodate 250 people at any one time. He said plans were in pipeline to expand the restaurant to accommodate 500 people. Azizan said a RM2,5000 stove with grill was installed at the restaurant recently to preserve the tenderness of the fish. “It is also more hygenic to grill it in a stove,” he said.

Ikan bakar is prepared in various styles according to customers preference. Some like it plain, others prefer to dip it in sour sauce, yet others favour it thickly coated in a hot and spicy gravy.

Besides ikan bakar, Azizan said, the demand for tuna fillet steak was also rising.

Gas grills have gained popularity among barbeque party lovers because of its simple setup and easy control over heat cooktop’s temperatures with a twist of a knob and you can expect to have properly cooked food.

You will enjoy more cooking flexibility with more than one burner a gas grill has. You can do indirect cooking with a grill with at least two burners. You can cook with the lid open or closed.

Gas grill is an outdoor grill heated by liquid propane (LP) gas or natural gas. The barbecue doesn’t come in contact with the gas directly but with the heated cooktops. So it do not contribute anything in terms of flavor, that’s why they may result in barbecues with a slightly diminished flavor. Gas grills can however, create the same flavor effect as charcoal grills with the addition of lava rocks, ceramic briquets or metal heat plates or bars

Be prepared with a spare propane tank or refill. You don’t want to have a half cooked food if the grill run out of gas in the middle of the cooking.

Having a difficulty to decide whether to have a barbecue indoor or outdoor? You can do it either way with an electric grill. As long as there is an access to an electric outlet, you can plug it in; heat emitted from the electric coil element will do the grilling.

Electric grill is very easy to operate and safer because it does not need open flames or the flammable liquids. Surely it is very convenient. Some of the popular models are very portable that you bring it to in your outings. You can control the grill temperature by just turning the knob thus grilling the bbq more evenly. Another big bonus with the electric grills is they are easy to clean because they cool quickly and the cooking grate is typically dishwasher safe.

But beware, what you can gain in convenience, you may lose in flavour.

Mouth-watering aroma of your barbecue cook above the charcoal grill really affected by the usage of wood in two ways.First, the cooking time of grilling was directly affected by the intense heat generated from the charcoal. You should find out the best distance between the barbecue placed on the grates and the smoldering heat of the charcoal as not to burn it to ashes.

Second, when the wood was initially burnt, it emits the flavor which can  directly affects the barbecue’s taste the same way as a seasoning does. Sometimes your barbecue taste like smoke and unpleasant which may absorbs certain resins and impurities.

This is precisely the reason why wood should first be burnt down until it’s reduced to coal before actually using it to cook food. Wait until it was covered by a thin layer of ash, before start grilling.

In addition, try experimenting on different types of woods as well as different wood combinations for different meats. Popular choices among pit masters include hickory, red oak, cherry, and pecan.