They say that if you do something for 10,000 or more hours, you can truly become an expert in that endeavor. I suspect de-boning a bangus can be perfected in about 1-2,000 hours, but I have no desire to prove that suspicion. In the past 45 years, I have probably consumed several hundred boneless bangus but I have NEVER de-boned a bangus, and haven’t the foggiest idea how to do it competently. When I was younger, we sometimes ate fried bangus with the bones, and it was like bobbing for fish meat between hundreds of bones, not a pleasant memory at all. The last time I was in Bacolod, I spied this guy at the market making short shrift of deboning bangus, and I was mesmerized…

He could totally debone a medium sized bangus in less than 90 seconds! The main fish bone (spine?) was quickly despatched, and with a scissor/tweezer like implement, he quickly went down the sides of the butterflied fish and pulled out the little bones in rapid fire surgical movements. He would even be chatting with the fish vendor next door while working on a fish. I was so shocked to see how fast he was doing this that I stood there for several minutes while he de-boned a half dozen fish… it was amazing. I wish there were a Guiness Book of World Record for fishmongers who could debone fish in a few seconds… :)

There are some things I know that I will never do well. Or have no real burning desire to learn how to do well. So I am just happy that others are so good at it. With the de-boned bangus the next question is how best to enjoy it? And for me, that is daing na bangus, fried, served with lots of vinegar and chilies, a mini-mountain of rice and lots of homemade acharra. And yes, preferably cooked in a fish pan. :)

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