Grilled bangus (milkfish) with tomato and itlog na maalat (salted egg) salad

May 15, 2003
Filed under Filipino food, Seafood recipes

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Bangus, or milkfish, the Philippines’ national fish, has a flavor distinctly its own. It can be the main ingredient in a soup like sinigang or in a saucy dish like sarciado. On its own, it can be fried, grilled or deboned and made into relleno. Grilled bangus is a common meal in the Filipino home. This version adds a little extra something to perk up the aroma of the grilled fish.

Grilled Bangus (milkfish) with tomato and itlog na maalat (salted egg) salad

I don’t know of any other fish that has more bones than bangus. But it just tastes so good that picking out the bones as you eat seems like a little sacrifice for the gastronomic delight it gives you.

Boneless bangus is widely available in the frozen section of supermarkets in several varieties. Whole fish are either marinated daing or smoked (tinapa). Bangus belly, highly prized for its rich texture and flavor, is available as is and can be cooked in several ways.

While commercial boneless bangus is a great convenience, its price is three times more than in its original state. Bangus is a very inexpensive fish. Current wet market price is between PHP50.00 (about US$1.00) and PHP80.00 per kilogram, depending on the size. While deboning bangus may seem like a daunting task to the average cook, practice makes perfect. And, with a experience, you can debone a whole fish in less than 20 minutes.