Rellenong bangus is one of the most popular dish in the Philippines. On top of the delicious taste and unique process of preparation compared to other fish recipes, the amount of work involve is tedious. Separating the skin from the meat and deboning and flaking of the milkfish meat requires a lot of patience. But after all the hard work of deboning, marinating the skin, cooking the meat with all the ingredients, stuffing the skin with the fish meat mixture and frying is the reward of eating a unique and delicious Filipino dish.

Ingredients:

1 large sized bangus ( milkfish )
1 onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small sized carrot, small cubes
1 box raisins ( optional )
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 raw egg, large
1 tsp. Vetsin ( monosodium glutamate )
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 tbsp. Flour
cooking oil for frying

How to cook Rellenong Bangus

• Scrape fish scales. Clean. Gently pound fish to loosen meat from the skin. Use flat side of a knife in pounding.
• Break the big bone at the nape and on the tail. Insert the end of the handle of an aluminum kitchen turner (sandok) through the fish neck.
• Gently scrape down the handle between the meat and the skin. Scrape down to the tail, going around and on the other side of the fish.
• If you feel the meat is entirely separated from the skin, remove the handle, squeeze and push out meat (with the
  big bone), starting from the tail going out through the head. This way, you will be able to push out the whole meat without cutting an opening on the skin.
• Marinate skin and head of fish with soy sauce and calamansi ( lime ) juice. Set aside. Boil fish meat in a little water. Drain. Pick out bones. Flake meat.
• Saute garlic until brown. Add onion and tomatoes. Stir in fish meat, carrot, and pepper. Season with salt, vetsin, ground pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add raisins.
• Transfer cooked mixture to a plate. Cook, then, add raw egg and flour. Fill in mixture in bangus skin. Wrap bangus in wilted banana leaves or in aluminum foil. Fry. Cool before slicing.
• Garnish with sliced fresh tomato, spring onions or parsley. Serve with catsup.