Rellenong Bangus

Rellenong bangus or relyenong bangus (Stuffed Milkfish) is a very special Filipino dish and considered a party dish of sorts. Not because any of the ingredients are prohibitively expensive but because of the amount of work involved in cooking it.

Rellenong Bangus Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 whole bangus (1.5 kg. or more) 
• 1 large carrot finely chop
• 3 onions finely chop
• 1/2 cup of sweet pickle relish 
• salt and ground black pepper 
• 2 eggs, 
• beaten 2-3 eggs, hard boiled 
• Juice of 1/2 lemon or 6 kalamansi 
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce 
• 1/2 tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce
• vegetable oil

Cooking Procedure:

1. Scale and remove the intestines of the bangus. 
2. With a very sharp knife, slowly remove the meat of the fish from the skin through the opening cavity below the head. Remove the spine by snapping off the bone at the base of the tail and head. Use a long spoon to scrape all the meat from the skin.
3. Marinate skin and head (intact) of the fish with soy sauce, pepper and lemon or calamansi juice.Cover and place in the fridge.
4. Steam the bangus meat over simmering water for 30 minutes. Cool. Pull out the bones while flaking the meat. Place the bone-free meat in a bowl. 
5. Add carrot and shallots to the flaked fish meat. Add the sweet pickle relish, about a teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of ground black pepper. 
6. Pour in the beaten eggs and mix until well blended.
7. Stuff the bangus skin with the mixture. When about a fourth of the mixture has been stuffed in, gently push a hard boiled egg into the fish cavity. Add more mixture then push in the second egg. Repeat if adding a third egg. Just remember to end the stuffing with the fish meat mixture. And firmly pack in the stuffing.Sew the cavity if needed
8. Wrap bangus in wilted banana leaves or aluminum foil.Then fry in oil.
9. Cool before slicing. Serve with catsup. 
10. Share and Enjoy!

Image Source: imanakayukiko