Bumalo / Bombay Duck

Bumalo / Bombay Duck
Fresh Fish [Bummalow, Bumla, Bombily (India); Lutia (Bengal); Loitta (Bangladesh); Luli (Malay); Latia, Khô cá Khoai (Vietnam); Long tou yu (China); Scopelid‚ (France); Harpadon nehereus]

A member of the lizzardfish family (Synodontidae), this Indo-West Pacific fish is native to the Gulf of Arabia, around India and through Southeast Asia and the South China Sea. It shares many characteristics of fish living at great depth: gaping jaw with many long sharp teeth, translucent, almost gelatinous flesh, incompletely calcified bones and nighttime phosphorescence, so it may be a deep benthic fish that returned to shallower waters or there may be a common ancestor. It inhabits moderate depth water along the coasts and sometimes enters estuaries. Bumalo supposedly has scales on the posterior part of the body. I haven't noticed any, but the fish is rated kosher, so there must be some. This fish is currently abundant, IUCN NE (Not Evaluated).

This fish is considered a delicacy, particularly in India and parts of southeastern China. Bumalo can grow to 16 inches but are commonly 10 inches or less. The photo specimen was 12 inches long and weighed 6 ounces, but looks unusually plump because it was in the middle of digesting another fish about half its length. The rest of the batch were around 10 inches and 2-3/4 ounces.

Dried Fish Salted and sun dried, this fish is called "Bombay Duck". Origin of that name is uncertain, but seems to be associated with the rank smell of cars in the Bombay mail train (Bombay Dak) during monsoon season.

For export to England the fish are filleted and cut into squares before drying, but as you can see, these samples, obtained in Los Angeles, are whole fish. These specimens were from Vietnam, and the largest was 12 inches long and weighed 1-1/8 ounces. I also have specimens from India, but the heads and tails are cut off.

More on Varieties of Fish (very large page).

In India this fish is often used dried as a seasoning for curries and rice. Pieces of dried fish are fried until crisp then crumbled for use. Fried lengts of the dried fish are often served as an appetizer. In India, fresh Bumalo is considered desirable, but is little available in most of the country due to lack of refrigeration. Where it is available it is generally deep fried and seasoned with salt. In northern Guangdong province, China, fresh Bumalo is also liked and is fried and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Fried Fish The bones are not well calcified and can be chewed up, which is the way they're handled in India. While a good source of calcium, the backbone is a bit too large and crunchy for my liking, so I discard it.

Bombay duck was briefly banned by the European Union because its manufacture (open air drying by small businesses) did not conform to EU sanitation standards. Considerable protest ensued (Britain was eating 13 tonnes per year) and the EU now allows it if packaged at an approved facility.

Buying: The only place I've seen these fresh is in the San Gabriel Superstore, a very large Asian emporium in Los Angeles. Because of its unique flesh this fish is highly perishable, needs to be kept well chilled and should be eaten the same day it's thawed. Subst: Because of its unique characteristics there is no substitute for this fish.

Dried is very rare here because most Indian markets in Los Angeles are strictly vegetarian, but I did get some before one of the stores rearranged everything and went totally veg.

Cleaning: Cut the head end off diagonally passing just aft of the pectoral fins. Slit the belly and pull out the innards. Set the fish upright on the cutting board with the pelvic (lower) fins and the skirt spread out. With a single knife cut on each side, cut both away. Make a shallow cut on each side of the dorsal and anal fins and pull them out. Cut the tail off, and pull the tiny fin in front of it with long nose pliers.

Skin: The skin is exceedingly thin, has no appreciable shrink, and will come off if disturbed at all during cooking.

Cooking: Any wet method of cooking will turn this fish into mush. The handling necessary to pan fry will cause it to disintegrate. I suggest cutting it in half and deep frying coated with a light batter that will crisp and hold the fish together.

The photo to the left shows this method with the fish rolled in egg, then in salted sweet potato starch, deep fried and served with my favorite Lemon Butter Sauce. This method results in a crisp shell with a soft jelly-like interior and should be serve hot. Unlike the very pungent dried form, the fresh fish has a mild but interesting flavor. I bite a bit off one end, pull the backbone out and then eat the rest.

Stock: You've got to be kidding - you'll end up with a pot of slime.