The reason why I love fish so much is so natural. I was born in Korea, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the Malaysian peninsula, where I have lived for more than 11 years, also has easy access to the sea, so people here also consume quite a bit of fish, so my love for fish never stops.
The smell of grilling fish at a local cheap restaurant makes me salivate even if I’m not hungry at all. So, it is not at all strange to me that, after having a warm and smiling conversation with the person who is doing the barbecue, I just order a large grilled fish and a papaya salad made with shredded young papaya, cockles, lemon juice, chili and cilantro, and sit down.
Of course, the temptation of the delicious and spicy sambal sauce also adds a part. So, sitting among the locals and eating fresh and delicious barbecued fish on the spot, the taste of fish is the best that can’t be expressed in words. It’s so delicious that you don’t really need any other seasoning.
In particular, it is a fantastic and perfect tea time food for me if it is served with a sour and spicy papaya salad with fresh cockle, which is eaten together with grilled fish.
The smell of grilling fish in Kuala Lumpur’s many small streets and night markets often makes me nostalgic. Because it reminds me of 2006 when my husband and I traveled to Casablanca, Morocco, where we spent more than a month eating fish as a staple food every day during Ramadan.
It was almost 15 years ago, but it is so vivid. When the sun goes down and the mosque announces the end of fasting time of the day, we always rush to the night market with locals. The first food we ate was a hearty greenish “Bissara” soup made from dried fava beans or traditional “Harira”, which is tomato-based soup, made with various legumes like tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and herbs. The soup tasted like heaven, to the extent that I wondered if there was another warm and nutritious soup that would satisfy our hunger even though we didn’t fast like the locals in Morocco.
We easily emptied at least one bowl of each soup with complimentary bread and headed straight to the restaurant where they were grilling sardines. The fish we ate were very fresh sardines caught on the same day. When cut in half and opened, it was shaped like a butterfly, about the size of a palm. The fish is lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and oil and placed on a hot charcoal fire. It was a very busy restaurant with customers who had finished fasting, but the skilled staff put 10 or more sardines side by side on a grill wire mesh and grilled them back and forth for about 10 to 15 minutes.
The sardines, which I ordered on the spot for 6 or more, were eaten together with 1 Dirham(US$ 0.1) warm round bread that was lightly rough on the outside and soft on the inside. Although the size of the bread is bigger than an adult’s face, we were so hungry and the bread was freshly baked that day at the local bakery that was undeniably so delicious, so the two of us easily finished 3 or more together with 6 sardine fish. The usual way of eating the fish and the bread was that after cutting the middle of the bread, put the two whole grilled fish. Of course, it was served with a variety of herbs, pickled olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, vegetables and spicy chili sauce offered by the restaurant.
So, when I smell the fish grill, I can’t help but think of Morocco’s memories of traveling 15 years ago while enjoying grilled fish for over a month. That said, my love of fish had a profound effect on my simple yet nutritious cooking recipes. So, rather than limiting fish-based dishes to Korean-style spicy stews, various grilled or steamed ones, I sometimes enjoy using fish and delicious fresh bread for sandwiches or burgers.
In Malaysia, when I go to Pavilion Shopping Mall in Bukit Bintang in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, I always stop by Paul Bakery, a bakery with more than 100 branches around the world.
This bakery is known for being very authentic and it makes a variety of traditional pastries, tarts, quiche, eclairs, croissants, kouign amann, canele, millefeuille, financier, madellaine, palmier, macarons, French style bread and baguettes, etc., so if you want to try authentic French bakery in Malaysia, this is the place to go.
The problem is that I can’t pick just one or two of my favorite baguettes, so I have to buy them all. As an excuse, since I don’t go to town often, I can’t help but laugh at myself, who buys too much of the baguette, even at the daily sacrifice of freshness of baguettes.
There are times when I choose about 6 baguettes with 2 sesame seeds, 2 poppy seeds, and 2 whole grain baguettes with multi seeds, but this is not uncommon for me. Because this is Paul’s baguette that I really adore, so funny, in my mind, I prepare to go on a diet that I only eat baguettes at least twice a day for at least a week.
After buying like that, I wrap my arms around a Paul paper bag full of baguettes and walk around the pavillion shopping mall. When the light, savory, and nutty taste of baguette comes up from under my chin to the tip of my nose, I just grab one of them with my hand and tear it apart and eat it. It is so delicious that no other cheese or butter is needed. Basically, I can’t hide my excitement when I buy a Paul Baguette made the same day and eat it right away like this.
Since I bought 6 baguettes, on the 1st and 2nd days, I just tear up the baguette by hand and spread the cream cheese and eat it. And to eat more heartily, I start eating it with fried egg, cheddar cheese, pork loin ham, mustard sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pickled capers, olives etc. So delicious! ????
And on the 3rd or 4th day when the baguette bread gradually hardens, grilled fish, the main ingredient, is added with various ingredients. This is my favorite grilled fish baguette meal. Even after 3 days, the baguette is delicious. Cut the center of the baguette with a knife and spread it out.
And just like sardines cut in half and grilled over charcoal in a restaurant in Morocco, I buy three whole mackerel fish, about 20 centimeters long, very fresh from the local supermarket, rinsed, drained, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and sprinkle plenty of rosemary herbs
Then, put olive oil in a frying pan, place the fish side by side on a heated pan. And fry the spinach on the side of the fish together. I especially like fish with a blue back skin, such as mackerel, sardines, and tuna, to the extent that I love even the fishy smell of this fish. That said, in my kitchen, the smell of grilled fish while grilling mackerel already makes my mouth water.
The fish is finished when it is grilled back and forth for about 20 minutes. Now that the main ingredient, the grilled fish, is ready, I just need to combine it with various vegetable ingredients for a more delicious and nutritious combination ever.
So, I spread a generous amount of whole grain mustard on the prepared baguette, spread in half, and put the cheddar cheese first. Then, place the grilled fish thickly on top of it, and then put spinach, tomato, cucumber, and red cabbage in that order. Sprinkle the rosemary herb over it again. For a more refreshing taste, squeezing a little lemon or lime over the rosemary herb is perfect.
In fact, in Malaysia, at most, sardine puffs are the only flour-based snack with fish. It’s about a tenth the size of a Cornwall pasty in the UK, and there’s no trace of fish in it, just paste mixed with mashed potatoes.
So, I am sure that my enticing combination of this delicious quality French baguette with freshly grilled mackerel fish takes you into a world of fantastic flavors that you will never forget! The savory taste of baguettes and the juices of grilled oily fish harmonize with the crunchy vegetables.
I find myself saddened by my fish baguette sandwiches that are quickly shrinking. So, without hesitation, as the second round, I make a sandwich again with the remaining baguette and grilled fish and enjoy it right away.????
After reading my recipe, I hope you will try making your own, just how delicious this fish baguette sandwich is! You’ll wonder why you didn’t enjoy making this delicious combo earlier. ????
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