Sanur is situated on the eastern coastline, protected by a coral reef. The waves are much gentler and therefore Sanur's beach is known as the holiday place for the whole family and honeymooners alike. It is not only for this reason but also because Sanur has some of Bali's most ancient temples in the Blanjong area which according to its inscriptions date back to AD 914. Sanur is also home to the famous Le Mayeur Museum, the former home of the Belgian painter.
More than all of this, Sanur was the first tourism destination of Bali and for the last two decades the sleepy village has been the hideaway destination of numerous famous jetsetters. Sanur is a multitude of contrasts. Village life goes on very much as it always has. In the evenings the strain of practising gamelan orchestras can be heard wafting through the night air, whilst at Gazebo Beach Front Bar and Restaurant is in full swing.
Fisherman wander the beach and the colourful outrigger canoes can be hired for sailing trips along the coast and to the outlying islands while the more adventurous at heart can try their hand at parasailing, jet skiing and scuba diving.
SOUP TIRTA GANGGA
1 small cooked chicken * 100g (4oz) Chinese vermicelli (Chinese noodles) * 10g (1/2 oz) dried mushrooms (Chinese morels) * 2 tablespoons peanut oil * 2 cloves garlic, 2 leeks * 2 carrots * 5 water chestnuts * 100g (4oz) bamboo shoots * 100g (4oz) soy bean shoots * 1 litre (1 ¾ pint / 4 cups) chicken stock * 1 tablespoon dry sherry * salt, pepper * 300g (11 oz) pork fillet * 40g (3 tablespoons) butter * 150g (5 oz) ham * 1-2 shallots
Cut chicken meat in fine strips. Break vermicelli into whatever length you choose and soak vermicelli and mushrooms in warm water seperately.
Heat peanut oil, fry cloves of garlic until translucent, add vegetables, sliced water chestnuts, drained mushrooms, bamboo and soy shoots and stir well. Pour in chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes over moderate heat. Season to taste with sherry, salt and pepper.
Cut pork fillets into small strips, stir in soy sauce and leave for 20 minutes. Heat butter, add meat, fry quickly, add ham cut in fine strips, fry for 1 minute and put ham, chicken meat and vermicelli into soup. Heat soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot soup sprinkled with finely chopped shallots.
NASI GORENG BAHARI
Nasi means rice and goreng means baked. You cannot think of a more unpretentious name for this meal, but a real delicacy is concealed behind this apparent simplicity. Sambal udang, the indispensable Indonesian relish, contains hotly spiced shrimps and is available in delicatessen shops.
3 dried red chillies * 3 cloves garlic * 1 small onion * 1 teaspoon sambal udang
3 tablespoons peanut oil * 100 g (4oz) shrimps * 200 g (7oz) beef
2 tomatoes * 100 g (4oz) cabbage * 100 g (4oz) green beans * 2 eggs
200 g (7oz/ scant 1 cup) boiled rice * salt, pepper
Crush chillies, garlic and onion and combine with sambal udang. Heat oil in large shallow frying-pan and fry spices for a short time. Add shrimps, strips of beef, diced tomatoes, cabbage strips and chopped green beans and stir-fry altogether for 8-10 minutes.
Beat eggs and pour in one corner of pan for omelette or into second pan and cook omelette. Cut omelette into slices and combine with meat mixture. Fry altogether for 3-4 minutes. Stir in boiled rice, season with salt and pepper and fry for further 3 minutes.
Garnish nasi goreng with shallots and serve.
NANAS PATI RAJA
There are only a few fruit shells which are as temptingly beautiful to use as a serving dish. Pineapple shells are not only suitable as extravagant surrounds for fruit salads or exotic drinks, but can also be used as vessels for hot dishes.
1 chicken (about 2 kg / 4 ½ lb) * 150 g (5 oz) soup vegetables * 1 onion
salt * 150 g (5 oz) soup noodles (vermicelli) * 50 g (2 oz) almonds
1/8 liter (1/4 pint/ ½ cup) cream * 2 egg yolks * cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper * 2 fresh, medium-sized pineapples
1 ½ tablespoons cognac
Cook oven-ready chicken with soup vegetables and onion halves in skin gently in salted water for 2-3 hours. Remove from stock, cut meat from bones and separate into bite-size pieces. Cook soup noodles in stock until tender and drain. Mix chicken, soup noodles and chopped roasted almonds.
Mix 1/8 litre (1/4 pint/ ½ cup) of stock with cream, add beaten egg yolks, season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and cook mixture gently while stirring constantly until it thickens. Add chicken and soup noodles. Cut pineapples into halves, scoop out flesh but leave small edge, dice flesh and pour cognac over it, set aside.
Fill pineapple shells with chicken mixture, wrap in aluminium foil, make sure leaves are also wrapped, and bake in oven at 220 C (425 F) for 40 minutes. Open foil, top mixture with diced pineapples and put in oven for another five minutes. Remove foil before serving.