Bangus Belly à la Bistek (Milkfish Belly with Onions, Calamansi and Soy Sauce)

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Our Auntie V was kind enough to gift us with several packs of boneless bangus (milkfish) belly from her recent trip to the Philippines.



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These Sarangani Bay Bangus Belly packs are ultra-convenient -- no mess, no fuss -- and lookee here! They've even included a recipe at the back of the package: fish belly bistek.

Bistek is the classic Filipino dish of beef and caramelized onions flavored with calamansi and soy sauce.

Here is our version: Bistek

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistek
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamansi



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This "fish belly bistek" seemed like an easier and no-less-tasty alternative to frying up the bangus belly (for daing na bangus, or "maasim na bangus", as we call it), so we decided to go with it.



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I proceeded to slice some onions for the dish.

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After all, this is another entry into this month's edition of Weekend Wokking! We have to make up for the months we missed.

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I was doing auto-pilot and forgot that I was supposed to slice the onions into rings. What we have instead are half-rings here.

I also thawed out some kalamansi purée from the freezer for use in the dish.



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As you may have gathered from reading the recipe on the packet, this dish was really easy to make.

We cooked some garlic and half of the sliced onions in oil, until the onions were wilted. We didn't caramelize them like we usually do with our classic beef bistek.

Then, the tomatoes went in next. After a minute of cooking, we added soy sauce, calamansi juice, and just the tiniest amount of water.

(JS and I spell kalamansi/calamansi differently! Teehee.)

The bangus bellies went in, we boiled the liquid and let the dish simmer. We also added the rest of the onions at this point. Now, it was just waiting for the bellies to cook through.



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Now, don't be alarmed, but the black portion of the bangus bellies is their fat. Well, actually, it's just a thin membrane covering their fat, which is a white color. Some people love that fish fat part.

I chopped one more tomato for garnish and to add a fresher tomato dimension to the dish.



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The bangus belly à la bistek was a hit!

We all loved the sweet onion half-rings, the tender fish, and that unmistakeable scent and flavour of kalamansi.

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In fact, I think I may prefer bistek made with bangus now, rather than with beef. That intoxicating aroma of calamansi shines through much truer and cleaner here. Also, I found that I didn't need to add any sugar whatsoever to this dish (an ingredient I use when making beef bistek).



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Actually, I think I just love the combination of onions and calamansi (with a hint of soy sauce). I actually dispensed with eating the bangus most of the time, just loading up my plate with the onions!

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Thank you, Auntie V, for the bangus bellies filling up our bellies!

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We still have one more onion dish in mind; hopefully we'll have time to make that one.

Other dishes with bangus (milkfish)
Bulalo and Bangus: an even Simpler Filipino Meal
Sardinas na Bangus (Milkfish in the style of Sardines)

Recipe
Bangus Belly à la Bistek (Milkfish Belly with Onions, Calamansi and Soy Sauce)
adapted from the "Fish Belly Bistek" recipe on the back of Sarangani Bay Boneless Milkfish Belly package

1 kg boneless milkfish bellies
6-12 cloves garlic, sliced/chopped
2 large onions, sliced
1 medium tomato, large dice
1/3 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons calamansi juice
1/4 cup water
salt & black pepper

Divide sliced onions into two parts: some onions will be very wilted, while others will retain more "crunch".

In a pan or pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic until golden brown. Add one part of the sliced onions and cook until just wilted or until caramelized, your choice. Add the tomato and cook for about a minute.

Add soy sauce, calamansi juice and water. Add the bangus bellies and the remaining onions. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Cover the pot and simmer until the fish is cooked through. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper).

Serve with white rice.

**Feel free to substitute the bangus with another type of fish, preferably a fatty fish like mackerel or sardines.

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We're submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks celebrating the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient.

The host this month is Christine of Kits Chow.

If you would like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who's hosting next month.

Check out all Weekend Wokking Roundups.