36 EDITH ADAMS’ GLOBE-TROTTING GOURMET

Dutch

East Indies

RIJSTTAFEL
(Javanese Rice Table)

Hors d’Oeuvres
Rissoles

(Baked Meat-filled Pancakes)

Sajoer
(Consomme )

Nasi
(Plain Rice)

Tekan Bandang Panggang

(Spicy Baked Fish)
Nasih Goreng

(Spiced Fried Rice with Chicken)

Sambals (2 or 3)
(Cooked Vegetables, Pepper Sauce)
Atjar
(Assorted Pickles)

From the South Seas come two feasts
which are not only interesting but which
make ideal buffet suppers, or parties that
are different. They are the Javanese
Rijsttafel and the Hawaiian Luau.

The Rijsttafel or Rice Table is the
mid-day meal and dinner of the Indo-
Europeans of the Netherland East Indies
and it is a real adventure in dining.
Cocktails are always served first with
innumerable canapes, including such fav-
orites as shrimp and bacon rolls, stuffed
eggs, stuffed mushrooms, but the rissoles
(see recipe), sates (see recipe) and kroe-
poek are distinctive. The kroepoek are
a light flaky “chip” made of dried fish and
rice flour, and can be substituted by the
potato, cheese or corn chips on our market.

The guests are seated at a table and be-
fore each is placed a soup plate, to the
left a dinner plate, and a fork and table-
spoon, then the dishes are passed. There
may be thirty or more dishes served in
an elaborate rijsttafel but the above is a
simplified menu.

First is served plain rice (page 31)
which is heaped in the centre of the soup
plate. Then follows at least two main
dishes or stews of chicken, fish, pork

Sates
(Skewered Broiled Meat)
Katchang
(Peanuts)
Pisang Goreng
(Fried Bananas)
Thee
(Tea)

and vegetables. These are put around the
rice. The other dishes that are passed
are placed on the dinner plate and are
not mixed. The dishes are all exception-
ally highly spiced and on first acquain-
tance one is tempted to mix everything
with the bland rice, but the gourmet
keeps everything absolutely separate.
Some of the side dishes that could ap-
propriately be served are devilled eggs,
shrimps, crabmeat, sates, and sambals.
Sambals consist of a vegetable as cooked
carrot, string beans, bean sprouts, or raw
tomato and cucumber served with a very
hot pepper paste (see recipe). Also a
variety of pickles, dill, sour onions, mus-
tard pickles and gherkins; and salted
nuts, peanuts, almonds and cashews. Beef
tea or consomme is served with the meal
in a covered cup and eaten with a spoon.
The dessert is always fruit and the bev-
erage water or beer, but your guests would
no doubt enjoy Jasmine tea and find it
in keeping with the Oriental atmosphere.

For table decorations use a plain white
cloth with a centrepiece of fresh fruits.
There should always be finger bowls with
flower petals floating on the water, and
a piece of old brass, batik, or tapa cloth
would complete the effect.