Eel Soup

Eel Soup

Dave's bowl of sup ekor (oxtail) contained several meaty bones in a broth fragrant with white pepper, five-spice, and dried chilies. Sprigs of Chinese celery and coriander, chopped scallion and fresh chili, and thin slices of barely blanched onion added sharp, fresh notes.

The mild flavored chunks of eel in my soup belut were surprisingly fleshy, cooked to a tenderness that allowed disengagement of fish (is eel in fact a fish?) from bone with just a nudge of the tongue. The broth, spiked with white pepper and fresh chilies, was pleasingly sour, a quality Ali attributed not to tamarind or lime juice, but to a mixture of herbs.

To accompany our soups, a saucer of suprisingly spritely sambal made from shrimp paste, fresh red and green chilies, lime juice, and finely chopped daun kesom, to eat with cucumber slices and an assortment of ulam: leaves of keremik (false daisy), cekur (Chinese ginger or finger root), selasih (sweet basil), and pennywort.

We finished with hot glasses of peppery, tongue-tingling halia madu, a soothing combination of ginger and ginseng (aka 'super ginger') mixed with honey.