…….It’s not, because I went back to Jimbaran Fish Market this morning. As you may have gathered from last Saturdays post, Jimbaran Fish Market is fast becoming a bit of a feature in my Balinese Saturday morning routine. This time, not only did I buy prawns and tuna , but I threw all caution to the wind ( both monetary and culinary speaking) and loaded up my bright green washing- up bowl, with enough red snappers, sardines, clown fish, octopus’s, squids and lobster to last for a couple of months.
On the way back home, and feeling rather smug that I’d been so efficient with my meal planning, it suddenly occured to me that having now bought all this fish, I now needed to find somewhere to freeze it. The tiny freezer compartment at the top of our fridge is currently stocked with enough vodka to keep the whole of Russia happy for at least a month but no room for anything else bar a couple of ice-cubes.
This meant that I had no option but to stop at Lotte Mart (my worst supermarket on the whole of Bali) to buy a small freezer to keep it fresh in. While the fish fried in the back of Pak Wayans a/c free taxi, I ran into Lotte Mart and parted with an inordinate sum of money for a small chest freezer. All in all it turned out to be a rather expensive morning. Looking on the bright side, at least it means that I won’t be boring the pants off you with any more fish photos for a while – well at any rate, not until the stocks in the shiny new freezer are depleted and I have to head back to Jimbaran for some more.
Lottie Nevin - The Red House Diaries 
With all that fresh seafood, show us how you cook it? Would like to know more about Balinese cooking.
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Ah a fellow fish lover! Thanks for your comment Michael.
I did start a food blog called Bali Kitchen a few months back and I’ve been very idle and not done anything more with it and I should really because there’s some great recipes. The only one on it so far is Ayam Pepes.
The tuna steaks I marindade in fresh ginger and garlic, salt and pepper and a little oil – then pan fry till done.
The sardines i gut, then grill, fry or barbeque and add a good squeeze of lemon over.
The prawns I make a marinade of fresh turmeric root, fresh ginger, garlic and fresh chillies plus a little oil, salt and pepper. Grind into a paste and make a slit down the prawns back and stuff with the marinade. Leave for a couple of hours in fridge then barbeque or pan fry in just a little oil.
The snapper will be barbequed or grilled, ditto the parrot fish.
Squid you clean then make long cut down side to open it up. with a sharp knife make criss – crosses over the flesh – i think it’s called scoring. Heat a pan or griddle till very hot with some oil or cook on barbeque basting with oil whilst you cook. Don’t leave too long otherwise it’s like eating the inner tube of a bicycle tyre, when cooked serve with sweet thai chilli sauce or an indonesian sambal which is mind blowingly spicy!
How does that all sound?!
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Sounds fanfreakingtabulous!!
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Fascinating stuff. I still can’t get over the bathrooms! I like the recipes much better. 🙂
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Thanks Jenny – funnily enough, I prefer the recipes too!
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Hi Lottie, I can’t get over how incredibly fresh the fish look – I swear the red snapper moved!!! Also just to say ‘hello’ – it’s been a while xxxxxxx Susan
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HOLY MACKEREL! Susan! I’d almost given up hope of ever hearing from you again. In fact I’d got to the stage where I was beginning to think that you may even have sprung your mortal coil; That Abraham had taken you up into his bosom and you were singing with the angels in heaven. What a relief! what joy! and how wonderful to hear from you!
Yes, you can’t get much fresher than this, that’s for sure. I want to hear all your news so let’s skpe very soon please xxxxxx
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Fresh fish… Oh yum! I wanna join you one day 🙂
Come on up to Ubud (Mas actually) for some of the most finger-lickin’ good grilled salmon & snapper… a hangout for locals too!
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Amit, I’ll be up like a shot when you get back from Canada and you must come down here too. I think we have much to talk about! 🙂
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Lottie,
When we lived in Kansas City (go figure the middle of the country and no ocean anywhere close) we bought fresh fish all the time. I guess for us it was fresh it was flown in daily. I always enjoyed shark steaks the best ….yummm….
Now we have moved to Oklahoma (where are families are) and I honestly think that no one has ever heard of a fresh fish (except for catfish…which is okay sometimes) I miss the opportunity to experience different varieties and recipes.
Aaron
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Thanks for your comment Aaron, and from what you say, even more reason to factor in a visit to come and stay with us on Bali! Win that lottery please!
It’s a real treat for us too because having never lived near a coast before, I’ve previously had to rely on whatever there was in my ‘local’ fish shop over 20 miles away, or try my luck with some hideous grey looking fish lurking in the bottom of a freezer in a supermarket, or fishfingers!
It’s no wonder then that now I’m trying to stuff as many fish options into the weekly menu-planner as possible.
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The bright side is you have all this delicious seafood to make into a variety of meals. My favorite: Sopa de mariscos or “seafood soup”. So yummy!
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Love, love, love fish soup too! and paella, and risotto, and fish pie and fish casserole, and bouillabaise and fish pate and clam chowder and, and , and pretty much anything and everything to do with fish full stop!
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You could never bore me with your fish market stories, Lottie! Gorgeous photos, as always.
Glad you splurged on a the little freezer, rather than give up your vodka! Well worth those pretty pennies, because you’ll now have the little freezer for next fish market visit! xoxo
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Phew – ee! I’m glad that I wasn’t being too much of a bore doing another Fish Market post.
I’m thrilled to bits with my new freezer Sister, it’s even got wheels on it 🙂 How cool is that?!
and as for giving up my vodka….hell would have to freeze over before there was a chance of that happening! xoxo
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Are you only obsessive/compulsive when it comes to fish or are there latent tendencies in other areas??? Love your posts!
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Your comment made me laugh! and I love reading your posts too!
In answer to your question I think it actually has nothing at all to do with the fish themselves, but more the way that they are laid out, and the repetition of the markings, patterns, colours and how they are displayed etc.
As an artist, when I look through my camera lense, I think about how what I am seeing would translate into as a painting. Repetition is one of my themes so I suppose you could say that I’m a bit obsessive/compulsive in that way! My husband says it’s the printmaker in me.
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