Easy Relyenong Bangus Recipe for Meat-Free Meals

Filipinos love serving stuffed proteins for parties. No handaan is complete without beef morcon, pork hamonado, or embutido. For chicken, it’s usually a choice between cordon bleu or galantina. And to cater to those looking for lighter options, relyenong bangus completes the lineup. What do these dishes have in common besides their festive flavors? Most people think they require much time and effort to prepare, reserving them only for special occasions.

But not anymore! This relyenong bangus recipe proves how easy it is to cook party-ready food sans the daylong prep. You won’t need more than two hours to get this from the kitchen to your dining table. Super quick!

Tips

Got leftover filling? Roll it in a piece of foil or lumpia wrappers and fry like shanghai.

80 min.
5 People
Medium
Average

Ingredients

1 pc large whole bangus, cleaned, scaled, and gutted (with belly kept intact)
2 tbsp calamansi juice
2 tbsp Knorr Liquid Seasoning
1 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for frying
1 pc onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pc Knorr Pork Cube
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 pc egg, beaten

For dredging:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Cooking Method

Gently break the spine of the fish by lifting it. Through the neck, slowly insert a long thin spatula between the flesh and the skin. Carefully move the spatula around the fish to detach the flesh from the skin. Next, gently push out the flesh from the tail while pulling the meat from the neck area. Be careful not to detach the head from the skin. Small tears are okay.
Combine bangus meat, calamansi juice, and Knorr Liquid Seasoning. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Place water in a pot over medium heat. Add marinated meat and cook until easy to flake. Remove from heat, let cool, pick out the bones, and shred the flesh.
Heat ¼ cup oil in a pan. Sauté onions and garlic. Add shredded fish meat, Knorr Pork Cube, carrots, peas, and raisins; mix well. Season with oyster sauce and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool.
Sprinkle flour over the mixture and add beaten egg. Toss gently.
Stuff mixture into the bangus, filling all the way to the tail. Make sure not to pack it too tight because the filling will slightly expand when cooked.
Dredge fish in seasoned flour. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Slice and serve hot.

The first step might seem complicated, but you can just ask your suking fishmonger to clean and prep the fish for you. Just tell them you’re cooking relyenong bangus and need the meat detached from the skin. They’re experts at this! From there, it will be a breeze. Besides the relyenong bangus ingredients listed here, you can also add bell pepper, celery, and potatoes. This also calls for a pork cube for flavor, but you can swap it with fish or shrimp varieties to really be meat-free.