Braised bangus (milkfish) fillets
So, I’m still on a campaign to teach my husband and kids to forget about fried fish. I asked what it was about non-fried fish that was so objectionable and the common answer was the “too soft” texture. Baked fish fillets is acceptable but steamed fish is not very popular. The way I understood it, they like the outside to be somewhat crusty. Flaky is okay but mushy is not.
I figured that if I cooked fish fillets together with a little oil and some sauce, when the sauce thickens and reacts with the oil, the outside of the fish would form some kind of crust. Without adding any water in the cooking pan, and allowing the fish to cook in its own juices, the marinade and the oil, there was no way the fish would turn mushy. So, I did my experiment and what you see in the photo was the result.
I took two large bangus belly fillets, cut each into two, then marinated them in a mixture of kalamansi juice and light soy sauce. Yeah, as though I were making bistek. Unlike beef, fish takes a shorter time to absorb the flavors. After 15 minutes, I melted a tablespoonful of butter in a non-stick pan (I doubt you can do this in an ordinary cooking pan with such little butter). As soon as the butter melted, and before it started to sizzle, I arranged the fish fillets side by side in a single layer, skin side down, then poured in the marinade. I cooked them over high heat. After about three minutes, I flipped them over and cooked the the other side for three minutes as well. Over high heat, the marinade and the natural juices of the fish evaporated. The sugar in the light soy sauce started to caramelize, forming a thin crust on the outside of the fish.
A tablespoonful of butter for four large bangus fillets… not bad. And everyone was happy. 
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what I would do is…my style ok
pan grill the fish
just a drop of oil then make the outside crusty then i finish off inside the oven
My mouth is watering after seeing the picture of your sizzling bangus
.
I seldom get bangus here so I take trout as alternative. Oh yes, para ding bangus ang lasa
By the way Connie, I had been searching for your Pandesal recipe but couldn’t find it here anymore
. Gone with the wind na ba yon 
Uy, sha, that’s a great idea. Will try that next time. Thanks.
Beng,
Miss mo na rin pan de sal? 
I have that in my hard drive, I think. Hanapin ko.Here is the link. Wag mo na lang lagyan ng corned beef filling.dali mag pan de sal tayo need to do that again
yan technique na pan fry/grill seals the juice of the fish… tapos oven
As long as the milkfish is Dagupan City’s Bangus, the world’s tastiest bangus, your cooking will be a sure hit. Fried, grilled, sinigang or cooked in any manner. Undeniably yummy!
madam sassy,
hopefully my friend will love this, she’s kinda picky..picky picky
but of course if she decides not to eat it..heheh..im always here:razz:
Wow,, you’re an angel my dear. Thank you so very much. Yes dear I miss it so badly.
Hi!
Got this in my email today and thought you might be interested in it since you said you want to wean your family from fried fish — link
MJM:smile:
Sha’s suggestion should do it (pan grilling), but I would not suggest finishing the fish off in the oven, for as long as the bangus has been deboned therefore making the cooking time shorter, and the fish not too dry…
hi connie! i’m a regular reader of your blog and i already tried some of your recipes. my hubby likes your braised bangus recipe — absolutely insists on having that dish every week!
anyway, i’m hosting a small get-together this weekend, and one guest will be bringing pasta (white sauce) for dinner. i’m thinking of pairing it with roasted chicken. what other side dish can i serve?
thanks!
ummm… how about a fruit and vegetable salad?
My first time to cook filipino foods and…
hmmm…yeah it does look good/taste good but i was wondering does shrimp and milkfish go together if i will cook them as “sinigang”?:roll:
My boyfriends family will be coming this weekend and we are FUN family…:wink: so everytime they come over…we cook filipino food and they will cook ours, japanese dish…Which is cool, they are aware of my background and so do my family…:smile:
On christmas…im planning to cook “bibingka,puto,and leche”
Have you guys tried “lambanog” or coconut wine?…they are great…yummy!:smile:
Have been trying our recipe for quite sometime now……from the macaroons ..pichi-pcihi to d braised bangus one…all yummy my thanks youssssssssssss…:wink:..not good in cooking previously but bec of ur blog ..apprentice na….:grin:
ummm… yummy i like it!