Bali's Bebek Betutu

By JOHN KRICH http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704895204575321720674094134.html

Bali's main draw has long been its local culture, with its elaborate and sophisticated traditions in music, dance, architecture, textiles and the decorative arts.

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Djuna Ivereigh for The Wall Street Journal

Bebek betutu at Bebek Bengil restaurant in Bali.
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Unfortunately, the same can't be said about Balinese cuisine. For starters, the vast majority of dining options on the island run from trendy Western resort fare to basic Indonesian hot tables. Even the most impassioned of food devotees would agree: Native cooking here rarely rises a rank above decidedly homemade and not-too-terrible.

Only two Balinese creations, babi guling (suckling pig on a spit) and bebek betutu (slow roasted, leaf-wrapped duck) have become de rigueur for tourists to try—and, of these, the duck dish is the more intriguing, though also more difficult to find because the genuine article must be ordered at least one day in advance.

THE HISTORY

The origins of bebek betutu can be traced back as far as Prometheus gave man the gift of high heat. Certainly, the basic method of placing a hunk of meat inside a leaf and placing it in the ground with a heat source, in this case, mounds of smoldering rice husks, goes back to what several websites on Balinese food approximate as "time immemorial."

One thing is certain: Duck has played a central role in the agricultural cycle of the island. Raised amid the ditches and ponds of irrigated rice fields, the local waterfowl have long been allowed to "clean up" fields after harvest by feeding on leftover grains and seeds. Duck is also featured as an offering during many Balinese festivals, at weddings and government functions.

As chef Heinz von Holzen of Bumbu Bali restaurant explains, "While some Balinese would not eat beef or pork for religious reasons, all like duck—and favor it over chicken...they are the only animals, save turtles, to survive on land or water."

THE SETTING

Down the atmospheric street Jalan Hanoman Gang, famed chef Pak Yan Tekek, 67, dressed in shorts and an undershirt, has been churning out a dozen ducks each morning and another dozen in the afternoon for more than 40 years. According to his son Made, 46, the bowl of spice mix (urap) that his father hand-packs into the cavity of each duck is made green by local herbs and tea leaves.

Says chef von Holzen: "Green chilies give the [duck] color."

Once properly prepared, the duck is delicately tied up inside betel-nut bark, kind of like a Mexican tamale although a tamale's corn husk wrapping is softer than bark. Then the duck is placed on a terra-cotta tray and shoved into one of a number of blackened pyramids—made of rice husks—that are remarkably reminiscent of Bali's famed volcanic peaks.

The term betutu refers to the use of rice-husks, not "smoked" as it is often mistranslated. Heated by kindling of coconut husks, these piles of rice husks retain their temperature for five hours—the proper time required to cook the bebek betutu.

There's no special ambience in which to partake of bebek betutu—its traditional setting is the backyard of a Balinese home. But the duck must be served at the table, whole and smoldering, often with beak and wings still attached. The most proper accompaniments would be side dishes of lawar, a sour treatment of green beans and other greens mixed usually with shredded pork, plus a tomato sambal (hot sauce).

THE JUDGMENT

The best way to judge a good bebek betutu may be to try a bad one first—such as those available at the cut-rate local chain, Ayam Betutu Khas Gilimanuk. This quickie version, cooked in a modern oven for just a few hours, arrives in a soupy yellow base, with little or no discernible kick or spice perfume, and nary a trace of any wood flavor. Worse still, there is hardly a shred of edible meat.

The better bebeks are just the opposite: plenty of duck breast, cooked to a melty softness, infused with smokiness and slathered inside and out with a pleasantly charred spice paste that gives off lingering hints of lemongrass, turmeric and pungent ginger.

THE SOURCES

Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck), a granddaddy of island duckeries, was founded in 1990. It is pleasantly spread over pavilions looking at rice fields, and mainly features its own fried duck—but the restaurant can rustle up the real thing on request (with 24-hour notice). Jalan Hanoman, Ubud; Tel: 62-361-975-489; about $23.50 for two people.

Lotus Pond is one of the few places where you can find the daily output of master duck maker Pak Yan Tekek. Danau Tamblingan, Sanur Main Road; Tel: 62-361-289-398; $12 for a serving of half a duck.

Kafe Batan Waru is a lovely full-service outdoor cafe on a pleasant side street with outstanding service, good Balinese coffee and, of course, bebek betutu (ordered a day in advance). Jalan Dewa Sita, Ubud; Tel: 62-361-977-528; about $28.50 for two people.

At Bumbu Bali ask for the 24-hour version at this restaurant and cooking school run by German chef Heinz von Holzen. A whole bebek betutu costs about $18 and must be ordered in advance. Jalan Pratam, Tanjong Benoa; Tel: 62-361-774-502.
—John Krich is a writer based in Bangkok.