Roasted fish with juk juk

                                                                               Receta en Español

Roasted fish is very common at Marshall islands, they are used to accompany the fish with 'juk juk'  that are glutinous rice balls wrapped in grated coconut.

These balls provide the necessary hidrates to complete the dish, it is an equivalent to our bread.

In Japan and Korea you can find some dishes accompanied by rice balls very similar to 'juk juk' , here we can see the influence of these countries into the Marshall islands gastronomy.

You can use roosterfish or sole, these kind of fishes are similar to those you can find in this islands.

Ingredients:

• 1 roosterfish.
• 170 grams glutinous rice.  
• 60 grams white sugar.
• 275 ml water.
• Grated coconut.

Method

1- Don't forget we are using glutinous rice, you can see at the pictures the differences between normal and glutinous rice:

Glutinous rice

Normal rice

2-  Wash rice until you get a clean water, I had to wash it 10 times , we do this step to get rid of the starch.

3-  Pour 275 ml over the rice and let it stand for 1 hour, now the rice will absorb some water, this will make that the rice will be cooked in less time.

4-  Add sugar, stir and cook whithout a lid for 8 minutes at medium heat.

5-  Let the rice get cool, then make the rice balls with your hands , the size should be like golf balls.

6- Spread some grated coconut on a plate, roll the rice balls on the plate to wrap the balls with coconut.

8- Here you have juk juk:

9-  Now you can roast your fish. Add some salt and pepper. 
Pour some oil on an ovenproof dish.
Make 3 cuts along the surface of the fish and place it into the dish.

11-  Cook the fish in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes at 200 ºC.

12-  Cut the fish in pieces and accompany it by the juk juk.You already have this Marshall islands delicacy!.

 

Islas Marshall