Mata Merah - barbequed with Ern Chow over charcoal

My Grandmother Siew must have been a very innovative cook according to my aunt who told us this story. She remembered how fragrant a special fish was coming from the kitchen. Grandmother Siew had grilled an ikan mata merah or ern miikjiu using Charcoal in an open fire.

In fact another aunt also verified the stories of Grandmother Siew grilling fish for our grandfather who was quite a gourmet.


It was Grandmother's style of serving our grandfather. She would always prepare a special dish just for grandfather which the other members of the family would not share. It was a personal dish, always set in front of Grandfather and there was an unspoken rule in the family that no one should touch it. We often wondered who initiated this kind of culinary culture in the past. But it did seem that an imperial kind of culture endorsed by my grandfather and grandmother.

In those days, when the family had guests, the important dishes would be placed on the table for the guests and children would eat later. In fact it was normal for the kids to have their own food, while the elders their own dishes. No one would complain. My grandfather's special dishes would include pork ribs with black beans, specially stewed pig's tails (usually 2), steamed kampong chicken soup, braised duck, just to name a few.

Ikan Mata Merah or ern miikjiu was a prized fish in the 1940's and 50's and were caught by hook and line usually. A fisherman had to be very patient to get one. sometimes, this prized fish was caught by a  cast net (jala) or pukat  (foochow term LANDOR) set up along the river bank.

My father was a good pukat fisherman and ever so often he would put up the net along the river bank opposite Sibu town, on the left side of the Hua Hong Ice Factory, which was quite near the Chinese settlement of Kerto. Our Ice Factory was on a few acres of land on Pulau Kerto. In those days good fish were plentiful in the Rajang river.

Grandmother Siew had a special way of preparing the Red Eyed fish. She would butterfly the fish and rub the red rice yeast and salt all over the fish. this Foochow way of marinating the fish for a short time brought out the sweetness and freshness of the freshly caught fish. Grandmother Siew certainly knew how to give Grandfather a culinary treat. Then when evening came, she would grill the fish over hot charcoals.

Every one who passed by my grandfather's house in the evening could smell what was for dinner!

(Time for me to look for Ern Miikjiu in the fish market)