SETH: What are you making today?

IRENE: We are making a bangus sisig.

SETH: I've heard of sisig, but what's bangus?

IRENE: Bangus is a national fish of the Philippines.

It's also known as milk fish.

And it's mostly popular in my hometown.

And we even celebrated a festival for this.

SETH: A festival for bangus?

Well, that's pretty cool.

IRENE: Yes, yes.

SETH: I didn't even even know that a country could have a national fish.

And so how are you going to prepare this sisig dish?

IRENE: Oh, we have to sear this bangus with butter, because that's what I learned from France.

So we're going to use a little bit of a French influence to it.

So using butter is one of them.

SETH: All right.

And you're going to be cooking this fish up whole?

IRENE: Yes, yes.

So this is the clarified butter.

So we have to season the bangus, with salt and pepper.

SETH: And everything stays on, head, tail, whole fish?

IRENE: Whole fish, we have to.

We're just going to have to cook the meat inside.

We don't want to overcook it.

SETH: It's a nice little gentle cooking that you're doing.

You're not looking for too hard of a sear on this.

IRENE: No, no, no.

SETH: So you're kind of basting over the top too, to make sure that the butter's cooking the top of the fish as well.

IRENE: Yes.

The meat is absorbing more butter.

SETH: Oh, okay.

Can never have too much butter in a dish.

IRENE: Yes.

SETH: And it's getting a nice color on top too.

IRENE: Yes.

When you want to eat the bangus, you have to call ahead two hours ahead or pre-order the next day, because we have to debone it.

SETH: All right, well that's a really important note for the viewers at home.

If you want the signature dish, make sure to let you know they're coming.

IRENE: Okay, Seth, this is done.

It's already cooked inside, so we're just ready to pick up the meat from the skin.

SETH: Beautiful.

IRENE: Seth, can you pass me that bamboo tray please?

SETH: All right.

IRENE: We have to be gentle because we don't want to break it.

Take that away.

Ready to take the meat out, separate it.

Bangus have so many bones so I make sure that there's no bones goes to the meat.

I reserve this belly part.

I don't want to mix it in there, because it's the most um, flavorful of the bangus.

SETH: Okay, perhaps you and I could snack on that while we're cooking?

IRENE: Try this.

There's always one in the family that always go for that.

SETH: Oh, that part is so tender.

Wow.

There's a lot of work just to make this one dish.

IRENE: Yes, yes, yes.

But it's worth it, it's worth the wait.

SETH: I don't doubt it.

Wow, I'm still thinking about that belly piece.

IRENE: This part of the fish, we're going to make it crispy.

SETH: Oh, nice.

IRENE: I'm ready to deep-fry this.

SETH: All right.

IRENE: So Seth, while this is cooking, now we're going to be adding the shallots.

I use this shallot because it has a light taste instead of onion.

SETH: Another little bit of French influence with the shallots too?

IRENE: Yes, yes, yes.

And we going to get some ginger.

Do you like more ginger?

SETH: I love ginger.

IRENE: All right, so am I. SETH: You know what?

Think I'm going to love whatever you put in this dish.

IRENE: Oh, okay, good.

And then just a little bit of garlic.

So we're just have to mix that.

And then a little bit more of seasoning.

And then we have some of this fresh lemon juice.

And while this is marinating, can you hand me that fresh bamboo tray, please?

SETH: Fresh bamboo, you got it.

IRENE: I'm going to go grab the skin now.

This is ready.

SETH: Oh-ho-ho.

IRENE: Now it's really crispy.

SETH: Beautifully deep-fried.

I love it.

It's got those nice tender chunks of belly meat too.

IRENE: Yes, yes.

Okay, now we're going to put some scallion, just half.

And then some capers, it came from French as well.

SETH: I think I've counted four or five different French influences.

IRENE: Hey, Seth, let's put some Hollandaise in here.

In the Philippines they use is mayonnaise, but since I got the French influence to it, I just put some Hollandaise.

SETH: Everything about this dish is your own unique spin on it, I love that.

IRENE: Yes, yes.

All right, what about spiciness?

SETH: Oh, spice for sure.

IRENE: Okay, let's put a couple in there.

SETH: Don't be shy.

IRENE: All right, I think we're ready.

Okay, let's just plate it.

SETH: I've seen a lot of dishes on this show, chef.

This is definitely near the top in terms of unique presentation.

IRENE: Yes, thank you.

Last thing I'm going to do is fry some eggs sunny side up.

And then we're going to put that on top of the sisig, garnish it with the three flowers.

And now I'm just going to add the steamed rice and we'll be ready to enjoy.

SETH: All right, Irene, this dish is beautiful.

It's almost a shame we have to take it apart to eat it.

IRENE: Oh, that's all right.

It's supposed to be, it's meant to be.

So what we are going to do is we're just going to break that egg to let that egg yolk melt all over the fish.

SETH: More mixing.

IRENE: Mixing like that.

SETH: So we get egg in the hollandaise.

IRENE: Yes, exactly.

And then now it's up to you, just to get in.

SETH: Dig it.

IRENE: This is the belly.

SETH: I'm going to go for some belly.

IRENE: You get the good part.

SETH: Oh, thank you.

Thank you, chef.

IRENE: There you go and get some rice.

SETH: Some rice.

IRENE: I'm going to put some on my plate here.

SETH: All right.

I'm excited to try this.

IRENE: How was it?

SETH: Oh, that is a stand-out dish.

The fish has such a nice mild flavor, but the egg and the capers, it has a really velvety, silky texture to it.

All that extra lemon juice you added really gives it a nice brightness as well.

IRENE: Thank you.

Be careful on those peppers though.

SETH: Are those Thai Birdseye chilies?

IRENE: Yes, yes.

SETH: They'll get you?

IRENE: I try to avoid them, because when you take a bite of that one... SETH: I'm going to be bold today.

Try a little pepper with it.

Ooh.

IRENE: Pretty spicy, huh?

SETH: Oh yeah.

The pepper will get you.

I just keep coming back to how luxurious that is with the Hollandaise.

IRENE: Well, you know, it's the French way of cooking, more butter.

SETH: Love it.