Blekok Satay of Gresik

If satay is usually made of beef, lamb, rabbit, or chicken meat, some food stalls in Gresik, East Java, are offering a different kind of meat for their satay. 

Located on Jalan Raya Sembayat, Sembayat Village, Manyar District, the satay sellers are offering blekok satay.
 
"Blekok in Javanese means egret," said Abdul Khamid, Nasipah’s husband, the owner of Warung Wakrus which is one of the pioneer in selling the egret satay.

Warung Wakrus has been opened since the 70’s and now it is managed by Nasipah and Abdul. Nasipah is the daughter of Luspa, who first opened the business. "At first we did not settle in this place. We sold [the satay] by around using the food cart," she said further.

They sell egret satay because of the abundance of the bird’s population in Gresik. "The bird is considered as a plague for they eat the fingerlings in the fisheries. 

So why not consume them," said Abdul. Abdul said he relies on his egret meat supply from Ujung Pangkah, Gresik regency.

Khorimah, a sister of Napisah explained on how to make the dish. To prepare the meat, she said, first you have to boil the bird with water accompanied by turmeric and garlic and a pinch of salt to get rid the strong odor. Next, you season the meat with salt and herbs and fry it.

“After you fried it, put the small size bird meat on satay,” explained Khorimah to Tempo.
For serving, blekok satay usually accompanied with sweet soya sauce condiment and hot steamed rice. For of portion of this menu, Warung Wakrus charges Rp8,000.

Tempo found it tasty and a bit clammy. The meat was quiet thin compared to other birds such as doves, and it had a kind of fishy aroma. The trick was to dip it into the condiment to make it even tastier.

Sumber : Tempo