Scaling Galunggong Without Covering the Sink in Scales: A Controlled Fish-Prep Method

Fresh galunggong is an everyday fish, but its small scales can travel across a kitchen when the back of a knife is moved too quickly. They stick to taps, sink edges, clean utensils and occasionally vegetables waiting to become ensalada. A neat technique keeps the fish cold, contains scales in one shallow basin and leaves the skin intact for frying or paksiw. The useful choice is not an expensive scaler; it is controlling the direction of the strokes and cleaning the work area before moving to other foods. Source 2

Know the ingredient

Check what the fishmonger has already cleaned before scraping: tiny scales, firm bony structures, gills and viscera are different jobs. A rounded spoon lifts loose scales with less risk of cutting the skin than a sharp knife. Ask the fishmonger to handle hard structures or gutting if you are unfamiliar with them. Source 2

Ingredients and equipment

For two to three people, prepare four to six chilled galunggong, a dedicated board inside a rimmed tray, a rounded spoon or short fish scaler, paper towels and a waste bag. The tray should trap scales and juices. Keep tomato salad and other ready-to-eat food away from the raw-fish station.

How to prepare it

1. Keep most of the fish refrigerated while working on one at a time. Secure the board in a rimmed tray with a damp cloth underneath.
2. Hold the tail with a clean cloth or paper towel and use short, light strokes from tail toward head. Keep the spoon close to the skin to contain scales.
3. Work carefully around fins. Do not slide a bare hand against sharp fins or hard tail scutes; ask a fishmonger to remove difficult structures.
4. If gutting is needed, make a controlled shallow belly cut and remove the viscera without spreading the contents. A professionally cleaned fish is an easier starting point.
5. Lift away loose scales with disposable paper towel. Avoid washing raw fish under a splashing tap; cleaning does not sterilise it and can spread contamination.
6. Bag waste, wash and sanitise raw-fish tools and the tray, then wash your hands. Pat the fish dry before frying and cook the thickest flesh to 63°C.

What success looks like

The skin should stay mostly intact and scales should remain in the tray. Reduce pressure if the spoon tears the belly. Hard scutes are not loose scales and should not be attacked with force. A dry surface also reduces spattering during frying, while the centre temperature establishes cooking doneness.

• Scales scatter: Long forceful strokes. Use short strokes over a rimmed tray.
• Skin tears: Too much pressure or a sharp tool. Use a rounded spoon gently.
• Hard tail plates remain: Scutes are not loose scales. Ask the fishmonger to prepare them.

Substitutions and value

A fishmonger’s cleaning fee may be worthwhile when it saves time and difficult knife work. Compare whole and cleaned fish by the portions you will actually serve: heads, bones and trimming alter the yield. Keep raw-fish waste sealed and remove it from the kitchen promptly.

Handling and storage

Keep raw fish cold and separate from ready-to-eat food. Avoid routine rinsing that splashes raw juices around the sink; clean equipment and hands after preparation. Cook fish to 63°C and check for bones before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours, or within one hour when the surroundings are above 32°C. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C or colder. Source 2 Source 1