Indonesian

Pempek: Palembang's Fish Cake Mastery

Pempek (also empek-empek) — from Palembang, South Sumatra — is a fish cake made from ground fish (typically tenggiri/mackerel or belida/featherback fish) mixed with tapioca starch and deep-fried. The tapioca provides the characteristic bouncy, QQ texture (same principle as bakso — INDO-BAKSO-01). Pempek comes in multiple shapes, each with its own name and filling: - **Pempek kapal selam** ("submarine") — a large fish cake with a whole EGG encased inside. When bitten, the yolk runs out. - **Pempek lenjer** — a simple cylindrical fish cake. - **Pempek kulit** — made with fish skin for extra crunch. - **Pempek adaan** — round, fried directly from the fresh paste without pre-boiling.

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ServesFour portions (approximately 12–16 pieces, depending on shape)

Sourced0of 6 in BC

Cook

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The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

For the fish paste

500 g

tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) or belida (featherback fish)

ground to a fine paste

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

250 g

tapioca starch

Origin · BrazilNot yet stocked in British Columbia

1 tsp

salt

Your own market

100 ml

water

cold

Your own market

For pempek kapal selam

eggs

whole, one per kapal selam piece

Your own market

For frying

1 litre

neutral oil

for deep-frying

Not yet stocked in British Columbia

The Method

Combine the ground fish, tapioca starch, salt, and cold water. Work the mixture with the hands until it comes together as a smooth, cohesive paste that pulls cleanly from the bowl and holds its shape when pressed.

Shape according to form: for kapal selam, flatten a portion of paste into a disc, cradle a whole raw egg at the centre, and seal the paste firmly around it to encase the egg completely, forming an oval; for lenjer, roll portions into cylinders; for adaan, roll into rounds and proceed directly to frying without boiling. The seal on a kapal selam must be airtight — this is where the dish lives or dies, as a broken seal releases the egg into the cooking water and the defining moment of the bitten yolk is lost.

For all shapes except adaan: lower the formed cakes into a pot of gently simmering water. Poach until each piece floats freely and the exterior has set firm — a reliable sign that the tapioca has gelatinised and the interior is cooked through.

Remove the poached cakes and allow them to cool and dry on a rack. The surface should feel dry to the touch and no longer tacky — this ensures clean crisping in the oil.

Heat the oil to deep-frying temperature. Lower the cakes in batches and fry until the exterior is golden and distinctly crisp. The tapioca crust blisters and colours; the characteristic bouncy interior remains intact beneath it.

Drain and serve immediately. When a kapal selam is bitten open, the yolk should run — this is the textural and visual signature of the form.

III

Quality Hierarchy

Reserve — Belida (featherback fish), the traditional Palembang fish: finer, more delicate flavour and superior elastic texture in the finished paste.

Estate — Fresh tenggiri (Spanish mackerel), ground to order: the standard market form, producing a clean, firm fish cake with pronounced flavour.

Market — Other firm white-fleshed fish, freshly ground: acceptable texture and neutrality, though character is diminished.

House — Pre-ground frozen fish paste: convenient, but yields a looser paste and a less pronounced QQ bounce in the finished cake.

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. The raw paste holds its shape when pressed and lifts cleanly from the bowl without sticking to dry hands.

◇Touch. The kapal selam seal is airtight: no gap is detectable when the surface is pressed gently around the join.

◇Sight. Poached cakes float freely at the surface, signalling that the tapioca has fully gelatinised.

◇Touch. After draining, the surface of the poached cake is dry and non-tacky, ready for the frying oil.

◇Sight. In the fryer, the exterior turns golden and blistered; no pale or damp patches remain.

◇Where it lives or dies. The seal on a kapal selam must be airtight before poaching; a breach releases the egg into the water and the defining moment — the running yolk — is lost.

Pillar V

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