Hii Nai Tai (Ah Tai) stands beside a giant grouper.
FOR more than 20 years, chef Hii Nai Tai or Ah Tai (‘Big’ in Mandarin) is known for his dishes created with the Giant Grouper (Ikan Kerapu).
Decades ago, this fish was the least in demand – with almost no market value, according to him.
Stonefish and Empurau are some of the most popular species in Sarawak due to their fine meat texture and savoury taste, and the high demand has driven up the market price.
But, nowadays, Giant Grouper meat is also sought after and the demand for it – in Miri at least – is said to have stemmed from a friendly challenge to create a gourmet dish with the brown spotted cod.
Ah Tai said one day his angler friends challenged him to cook something nice with the giant grouper they caught. He admitted it wasn’t easy but would give it a try – and he went on to pass muster.
“I managed to come up with a dish my friends were happy with,” he recalled.
Ah Tai, from Sarikei, started working as a chef in a hotel in Kuching and stayed on for nearly 20 years. He then went to Miri with his wife and set up a food business there ‘from zero’.
Dissecting a giant grouper has to be done fast as the meat has to be packed into a freezer.
He remembers things were different back then in the Division with a smaller population and “literally huge opportunities in many different sectors.”
To survive in the food and beverage sector, Ah Tai created a variety of dishes to suit local taste buds.
The game-changer was, of course, the ‘task’ set him by his angler friends to produce a tasty ‘giant grouper’ dish.
Different philosophy
According to Ah Tai, the “gastronomic philosophy” involving the giant grouper is quite different from the ordinary fishes’ people eat every day.
The process starts with dissecting hundreds of kgs of giant grouper, usually requiring between three to four people to handle.
The dissection is already painstakingly long because the fish is literally the size of a very fat lamb which can range from 100-250 kgs.
The process usually starts from the head before the meat is deboned on both sides. As the meat holds firmly to the bone, it has to be sliced down with care – to avoid wastage.
After that, the meat is chopped into smaller chunks (that are just right) before being packed and frozen.
“The head is rich in collagen. So, I usually debone the meat and skin of the head, including the inner part of the cheeks. These parts can be used for more than one dish,” he explained.
Ah Tai’s signature fish head hotpot.
At first, every 100 gm of the skin was sold for RM15 but the price went down to RM12 due to the slower economy.
Ah Tai said the dissection is the most important process and has to be done fast – the thorough cleaning of the inner parts and deboning of the meat.
“For the fish to grow to that weight (100-250kgs), it could already be very old. Of course, the fish’s dietary habit and the area of the sea where it is found should also be considered.”
Giant groupers, found in deep seas and coral reefs, especially those in the Luconia Shoals, have a savoury taste and crunchy meat compared to the farm-bred types.
They are often dull-coloured – green or brown – but many are brighter and more boldly patterned.
Cooking up a storm
Ah Tai confessed it took him over six years to refine his recipe for the best ‘giant grouper’ dish.
“The spices, including ginger, cloves of onion, cili api and other flavours, and the seasonings are the essence of the dish. They also eliminate the fishy smell. The heat control and the oil used determine the taste – which is the main thing.”
The skin of the fish head is rich in collagen.
He also tastes the dish before asking his friends to try, and adjusts the spices and seasonings according to their opinion.
Ah Tai assures the grouper meat he uses is preservatives-free.
“For every giant grouper I dissect, the meat can be made into dozens of dishes. As it’s not possible to cook all in one go, I usually put the meat into small packs – enough for one dish – and they go straight into the freezer after dissection.
“I don’t need any preservatives to keep the freshness as the freezing will do the job.”
Apart from the meat and skin, he also uses the maw to produce noodle dishes “as a fresh option for my customers.”
“There’re a lot of dishes that can be created using fish – you can either cook the meat fresh or deep-fry it before turning it into a mouth-watering dish.”
Ah Tai and his wife flanked by their son and daughter.
According to Ah Tai, the method of catching the fish is very important too. Usually, the bigger fish are caught with a strong fishing line as a fishing rod may not be strong enough.
Hooks, fish bombings and poisons are bad options because they are not only inhumane but can also affect other the marine life – and people too.
To meet rising demand, Ah Tai is constantly on the lookout for fishing boats returning with hauls of big fish.
Although he remains humble about his cooking, anglers are said to often look for him to prepare “giant grouper” dishes.
Some bring their groupers to other places but still come back to him because they love his recipe.
“I appreciate their loyalty and hope to maintain my recipe as long as possible for my customers,” he said.
Ah Tai revealed that during the peak period, two giant groupers were dissected per week but with the economy slowing down, one, weighing over 100 kgs, could last more than two weeks.
“When I first introduced giant grouper dishes, a lot of my customers brought their friends and the friends brought their friends to try the dishes. There were those from Peninsular Malaysia, Brunei, China, Taiwan and other countries whom I may not know about because I was often busy in the kitchen.
“I have to be constantly on my feet as I hold very firmly to my high standard. I don’t want to mess up my reputation.”
It takes three to four persons more than three hours to dissect a giant grouper.
Legacy
Ah Tai said over four decades in the business could be considered a long time for a chef.
“For the past 40 years, I spent roughly 12 hours in the kitchen every day. I’m thinking of retiring but not before I train my son to take over.”
Ah Tai is assisted by his wife and his daughter (as servers) and his eldest son as chef.
“Still my customers want me to cook certain dishes – they want that exact taste they love,” he beamed.
The seasoned chef admitted that being constantly in the spotlight had actually given him a lot of pressure.
“I work hard because I love my job. My children have seen a lot of fish since young. They also have enough of the dishes I cook. But I taught them to love the business – it’s a legacy I’m passing to them.”
He said as long as there are giant groupers around, he would continue to cook the best dishes with the brindlebasses.
Ah Tai Fish Head can be contacted via 013-849 1668.