Bangus Bistek Tagalog

Have you heard of bangus or milk fish?  If you’re familiar with it, you already know how delicious it tastes when cooked. I’ve come up with a recipe that I can use the fish to braise with using soy sauce and lemon. This is a perfect viand for those who are not into eating meat.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large milkfish or bangus, cut into steaks
1 large size onion, cut into rings


Procedures:
1. Marinate the fish steaks into half of lemon juice and half of soy sauce for about 25 – 30 minutes. Omit the marinade and fry the fish slices in a pan of 3 tablespoon of cooking oil with medium heat. Be careful of the oil splatter, it hurts and it’s ugly. Transfer on a plate and let it cool. Set aside.
2. On the same pan, discard some oil and saute onion rings until the color becomes translucent. Set aside on a plate and let it cool.
3. To make the “bistek” sauce, pour over the remaining soy sauce, lemon and water on the same pan and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Add ground pepper. When the sauce is reduced to half, transfer the fried fish steaks on the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer on a serving bowl and garnish with onion rings. Serve hot with plain rice.

Marinated Fried Milkfish with Tomatoes and Onions

Here’s another recipe for fish lovers out there and it’s a milkfish. The fish is cut open on sides and deboned, scales, guts and innards removed. It is then marinated on a generous amount of vinegar, crushed garlic, pepper and salt overnight. Then it is fried to golden brown.
Expect the oil splattering when you’re cooking the fish so be sure have a pan lid ready to protect yourself. If you hate the splatter, you can sprinkle or coat some flour on the fish before frying.

Ingredients:
1 large size milk fish, cleaned, sliced on one side and de-boned
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 tsp. salt
4 cloves garlic, crushed
cooking oil
2 tbsp flour

For garnish:
1 medium hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 medium red tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped

Procedures:
1. After the overnight marinating, remove the fish and coat with flour and fry until golden brown on both sides.
2. Transfer on a serving plate and garnish with tomato, onion and hard boiled egg.
3. Serve hot with plain or Java rice.