Inspired by the Otah Sandwich that I had at a cafe recently, I decided to make these sandwiches at home as a teatime snack and am delighted to share how simple it is to make.
I was strolling along East Coast Road the other day and found this pre-packaged Otah made by OtahBoy at one of the stores along the street. There were three different flavors available: Mackerel Otah, Prawn and Fish Otah, Fish and Squid Otah. I picked up one of each but for this sandwich, I am using the Mackerel Otah. If you don’t know what Otah is, it is basically a patty made of fish meat and spices. It is widely known across Southeast Asia, where it is traditionally wrapped inside a banana leaf and served after grilling.
Here’s how I made my Otah Sandwich:
First I steamed the Otah for about 15 minutes, as I wasn’t sure if it already came pre-cooked. Just wanna be safe, you know?
After the Otah has been steamed, I used a fork to flake it. This Otah looks yummy already because there are solid bits of mackerel in the pasty cake. According to the OtahBoy website, all their Otahs are made using the best high-quality mackerel fish that’s been sliced into bite-size pieces and mixed with a unique blend of seasonings. Hand-made with no MSG and preservatives, these freshly-made Otah are chilled and kept frozen to retain its freshness and taste. I’m thrilled to have discovered this quality Otah!
Next, I sliced Japanese cucumber into small pieces. These are great because it adds a nice crunchy texture to the Otah Sandwich. Notice I am using Naturel Olive Spread in lieu of butter to spread on my wholemeal bread.
I picked up the Naturel Olive Spread from NTUC Finest a while back and I like using this whenever possible because it is a healthier alternative to butter or margarine. My mom loves to nibble on bread rolls and baguettes from time to time, and I’m encouraging her to use this olive spread instead of butter for health reasons. Naturel Olive Spread is made with extra virgin olive oil and is cholesterol free (something everyone in our family should watch out for). Even though I keep butter at home too for baking, I hide it behind this Naturel Olive Spread container so that whenever my mom opens the fridge, she sees this olive oil spread first instead of the butter. :p
Look at how creamy the olive oil spread is. It spreads very easily onto my wholemeal bread slices, which is a small but significant point to consider. Because when you spread cold butter right out of the fridge onto bread, it tears the bread apart. It has happened to you before, I’m sure. Naturel Olive Spread, however, lays on smoothly even when it’s been taken straight out of the fridge and still cold. *thumbs up* Hey man, I’m OCD. I don’t like my bread ripped up and creating a messy hole-y sandwich.
I assembled my Otah Sandwich by placing a layer of the flaked mackerel Otah on a slice of bread, followed by a row of the sliced Japanese cucumbers over the flaked fish patty, then another slice of bread.
Popped this into the toaster oven, medium-low setting for about 6-8 minutes to brown and crisp. If you like, you can toast it longer but watch it closely so that it doesn’t get burnt.
VOILA! Done and done, and ready to be devoured.
If I may say so myself, this is one helluva tasty sandwich and there’s no need for additional salt or pepper. The spices in the mackerel Otah are robust and the crunchy Japanese cucumber slices helps to offset and neutralize the strong flavours. I think this Otah Sandwich is a healthy treat too since I used wholemeal bread and olive oil spread.
Otah Sandwich
Ingredients
2 slices whole meal bread
15g Otah
1/2 Japanese cucumber (sliced into discs)
1 Tb Naturel Olive Spread
Method
1. Steam otah for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, microwave in medium setting for 7 minutes.
2. Using a fork, flake the cooked otah.
3. Spread Naturel Olive Spread on bread and assemble by layering Otah, then Japanese cucumber slices on the bread.
4. Toast for approximately 6-8 minutes.
5. Slice into half triangles and serve with a nice cup of tea. :9
I can’t emphasize enough how delicious and simple this Otah Sandwich is, I had it for the first time at Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe. Try making this at home next time for a quick snack and let me know how it turned out. Follow me on my Facebook Page and my Instagram.
Interested in the same Otah that I used? Get this OtahBoy 3-pack bundle online.
Toodles,
-MB.
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