Red lapu-lapu

Find out why Divine Enya Mesina loves this lesser-known lapu-lapu.

                                              
                                                    To see our list of lapu-lapu recipes, follow this link.


Lapu-lapu or grouper is a delicious but expensive fish usually prepared and served during special occasions—at least in our household. With its tasty white flesh, lapu-lapu can be fried, grilled, steamed, or cooked escabeche-style and served with sweet and sour sauce.

There are two varieties commonly available in the market: the gray ones with black or dark brown spots, and the more colorful red lapu-lapu. Personally, I don’t notice a difference in flavor between the two, but some people swear that the spotted variety is more flavorful, while others say that the milder red grouper has sweeter tasting meat. Grouper also comes in a wide range of sizes, from a few inches to over two feet in length!   

During fiestas or Christmas and New Year celebrations, I remember my brother would buy an enormous lapu-lapu, about five kilos or so, and he would steam it in a huge talyasi (a gigantic, heavy cast-iron pan). He would set the fish in a wooden steamer basket, the water underneath it flavored with soy sauce, onions, lemongrass, and ginger. Once cooked, he would lay the fish gently on a large platter lined with blanched cabbage leaves and decorated with halved tomatoes. He would then slather the fish with pickle relish-spiked mayonnaise. It was a real treat.  

These red lapu-lapu, on the other hand, were not prepared as lavishly. I simply fried them and ate them with fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, and sea salt as dip. Paired with white rice, they were still quite tasty. The skin had a chewy texture, but the flaky white flesh was a far cry from the usual tilapia and bangus (milkfish) I have on a regular basis. Being a saltwater fish, the meat of the lapu-lapu certainly has a more complex flavor compared to their freshwater brothers. And despite the cost, lapu-lapu is still a worthy, once-in-a-while treat.—Divine Enya Mesina


Photography and Styling by At Maculangan

Fish skills:

How to Clean and Gut Fish

How to Clean and Store Fish

Go fresh: How to shop for the freshest ingredients


Lapu-Lapu recipes:

Baked Lapu-Lapu

Grilled Lapu-Lapu with Grilled Tomato Sauce and Garlic Mayo

• Be the first one to comment...