Pindang fish is known as one of the processed fish that comes from the type of salmon or layang fish. Usually, the fish will be cooked with spices so that the texture is soft. The processing process involves several stages, starting from cleaning, boiling or steaming with salt and spices, to drying.
The process is considered to be able to extend the shelf life of fish. Many people consider the process of making this pindang fish quite complicated. Therefore, most people will choose to buy pindang fish directly at the market. However, usually, pindang fish sold in the market is wrapped or processed with newspaper, which makes the fish contaminated.
If you want to eat healthier pindang fish, you can actually make it yourself at home. An Instagram user @rifa_ardiyanti once shared a practical way to make pindang fish. Well, with special techniques, the texture of pindang fish can be softer, but not destroyed or fishy.
As reported by BrilioFood from Instagram @rifa_ardiyanti on Saturday (14/9), she admitted to using one type of leaf spice to make pindang fish, namely bay leaves. Well, bay leaves are used to remove the fishy smell when the fish is cooked. In addition, bay leaves are also used to wrap the fish, so that the meat does not easily stick and disintegrate.
 Instagram/@rifa_ardiyanti
To make it, prepare the washed salmon. Make sure the fish's innards have been removed and cleaned as well. After that, wrap the fish using a fresh bay leaf. This is done to prevent the fish from sticking to each other when cooked later. In addition, bay leaves are also safer to use than paper which is often used in making pindang fish on the market. After wrapping one by one, set aside first. Then boil water in a steamer pan. Also add tamarind and bay leaves to the boiling water so that the fish does not smell fishy and the aroma is even more delicious.
 Instagram/@rifa_ardiyanti
Once done, install the steamer strainer, then line the strainer with fresh bay leaves. Then arrange the fish that has been wrapped in bay leaves. Then cover it again with bay leaves until all parts of the fish are covered.
 Instagram/@rifa_ardiyanti
Next, sprinkle enough salt all over the bay leaves. Once done, cover the pan and steam the fish over low heat for 40 minutes. This process will make the fish meat soft like the pindang fish sold in the market.
 Instagram/@rifa_ardiyanti
After steaming, immediately remove and discard the bay leaves covering it, then cook the fish as usual for various menus. In addition to the soft texture of the meat, this cooking process also makes the fish taste more savory, but not too salty. The upload about the trick to making pindang fish has been watched more than 975 thousand times since it was uploaded on Sunday (8/9). Who would have thought, there were many other Instagram users who gave positive responses in the comments column. Most of these netizens were also interested in trying the trick directly. "If you want it to be more fragrant, you can add lemongrass to the steaming water," said Instagram @zhoudefei_81. "Rather than buying it, the paper packaging is really hard to remove. Plus, the price is quite good compared to buying grains at the market," wrote the Instagram account @fikaoktafiad.