Jimbaran: The place for fish in south Bali-part II

Some of the vendors told me they were from Madura, a large island in East Java and I saw many Muslim people there with their kids. The Muslim religion spread to areas in Bali that are coastal so it's not really surprising they are in Jimbaran. Everyone was good vibes and asked me about Jevon. Packing the 2 fish into bags I hung it on my bike and scooted back to Seminyak, hoping they would not take too much of a beating from the searing tropical sun on the way back. Arriving home I was eager to get the fish in the fridge and sitting inside something tasty. At Bintang supermarket in Seminyak, I picked up soy sauce, pepper, onions, garlic, lemon juice and a couple of packets of Thai and Balinese sauces.

Back at the house I attacked the 2 fish with my knife making a real mess. Temperatures were around 90f in my kitchen and the sweat was pouring out of me as fast as the blood was pouring out of the fish, onto the counter and all over the floor. Tropical fish can be hard nuts to crack, they have spiney fins, scales and tough skins combined with a thick backbone. I have filleted many salmon and mackerels, but forget that with these fish. Best thing is to butterfly them, something I will do next time. Anyway as I type they are sitting in a spicy bath of ingredients awaiting their fiery end tomorrow. My pembantu Ana was a real doll cleaning up. I felt bad as the mess stank and was spread half way around the kitchen. If you have the time a trip to Jimbaran can be worth it. Save yourself the hassle of cleaning the fish though.