Relyenong Bangus

Who doesn't love Relyenong Bangus?

It's a special dish that does not often served on the table on a regular basis because it is tedious and complicated to prepare. The meat of the fish has to be removed and deboned without tearing the skin. Some people cut the fish at the back to remove the big bone and scrape out the meat then sewing the skin back after stuffing in the cooked meat. My way is to pound the meat of the fish to loosen it up then cut the big bone from the opening in the neck and breaking the connecting bone from the tail, this way I can remove the main bone then scraping the meat out without jeopardizing the skin. 

Bangus is the National fish of the Philippines and is also known as Milkfish or Chanos chanos as its scientific name. They are particularly farmed for food consumption in the Philippines. The Philippines are both producer and consumer of Bangus and the best Bangus production and most farmed area is in Pangasinan. The Bangus flourish and grow in brackish water, a mixture of fresh and sea water. The fry or small fish are collected from the shore and sold to fish growers. The fry lingers for two to three weeks ashore then move up to swamp or mangrove area until they become sexually mature and goes back to the sea as their nursery habitat.

The Bangus fish is so good in a lot of dishes. Frying, grilling, soup base are just a few of the dishes most people prepare with Bangus. 

Here's one good recipe for Bangus, the Relyeno.

Ingredients:

1 large Bangus

3 tablespoons oil for sauteing

1 regular size onion,minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 regular size potato, cubed

1 regular size carrot, cubed

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup green peas

1 small size red bell pepper

1/2 cup raisins

2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Prepare the fish by removing the scale, gills, gut and intestine out from the opening in the head.
• Pound the fish concentrating on the meat area making sure not to tear the skin. 
• Cut the big bone from the opening, with your hand bend the tail area to break the connecting main bone.
• Once you are sure that the meat are loosened up, pull out the big bone start pushing up the meat towards the opening or scrape it with a long spoon. This is laborious, be ready.
• Refrigerate the empty skin or you may sprinkle salt and pepper to it.
• Cook the meat in a pan with a little water so the tiny bones will be visible and is easy to remove. 
• Once all bones are removed set it aside then prepare other ingredients. 
• Saute the garlic and onion with the 3 tablespoons of oil then add the potatoes until half cooked then add soy sauce.
• Add deboned fish, carrots and all other remaining ingredients.
• Add the flour dilluted in 1/4 cup of water, add salt and pepper, mix then remove from heat once everything are cooked. 
• Add 1 whole egg, give it a stir, make sure the mixture is dry, add additional flour if necessary and cook some more.

• Stuff the cooked mixture back to the empty skin of the fish, make sure all spaces are filled. Deep fry the whole fish cut and serve and enjoy your Relyenong bangus.