Daing na Bangus (Marinated Milkfish)
Daing na Bangus is milkfish marinated with vinegar, garlic and salt or fish sauce (patis) and then fried until crispy. It is usually marinated overnight to get the best flavour from the milkfish.
Prepare the Milkfish
In the Philippines, you may ask the tindera or vendor to have the milkfish cleaned, scaled and gutted, butterflied, and deboned for you. As I don’t have that option here in Winnipeg, I have learned how to clean and butterfly the milkfish on my own. I will be adding on my to-do list to make a video of how I cleaned and butterflied the milkfish. 😊
To butterfly the milkfish, find the bony side of the fish and slice starting from the tail going toward the head part using the fish’s backbone as a guide. Repeat the process on the other side. Remove the smaller fishbones by using the fishbone tweezers.
Marinade
In this marinade mixture, I used fish sauce or patis. If you don’t have patis, you may substitute it with 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix half a cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or patis and crushed garlic on a deep dish or a large freezer bag. Press or crush down the garlic to release more garlic flavour into the mixture.
I used one head of garlic for this recipe. Crush half of the garlic head (about 6-7 cloves) and thinly slice the other half to be fried separately and to be used as toppings.
Put the milkfish into the marinade mixture. Close the bag and refrigerate it overnight. Set aside about a tablespoon of the marinade mixture in a small bag and add in the garlic slices so that it absorbs the vinegar mixture flavour.
Frying
Heat up the frying pan on medium heat. Pour about 1 cup of cooking oil.
Once the oil is hot, place the milkfish skin down to the frying pan. Fry the milkfish for about 7-8 minutes then turn the fish over and fry until crispy.
Optional Ingredients
You may add chili flakes or crushed 2 pcs of red chili peppers to the marinade mixture. Remove the seeds for medium spice. Seeds on to make it more spicy.
You may also season the milkfish with crushed black pepper. Add the crushed black pepper into the marinade mixture or right before frying.
You may also coat the milkfish with cornstarch right before frying.
Serve and Enjoy!
I usually serve Daing na Bangus paired with garlic fried rice, fried eggplant slices and vinegar-fish sauce dip. I mix ¼ cup of vinegar to ½ tablespoon of fish sauce for the dipping sauce.
You may also use plain vinegar as a dip.
Best served with garlic fried rice. Enjoy!
Daing na Bangus/ Marinated Milkfish
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized Milkfish Cleaned, scaled, gutted, deboned and butterflied
- 6 cloves Garlic for Toppings
Marinade
- 1/2 Cup Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Patis or Fish Sauce
- 6 cloves Garlic crushed
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade Mixture
- Mix half a cup of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or patis and crushed garlic on a deep dish or a large freezer bag.
- Press or crush down the garlic to release more garlic flavour into the mixture.
- Set aside about a tablespoon of the marinade mixture in a small bag and add in the garlic slices so that it absorbs the vinegar mixture flavour.
- Put the milkfish into the marinade mixture. Close the bag and refrigerate it overnight.
Frying
- Fry the garlic slices until golden brown. Set aside.
- Heat up the frying pan on medium heat. Pour about 1 cup of cooking oil.
- Once the oil is hot, place the milkfish skin down to the frying pan. Fry the milkfish for about 7-8 minutes then turn the fish over and fry until crispy.
Serve and enjoy!
- Serve, topped with fried garlic slices.
- Best to pair with fried rice, fried eggplant slices, and vinegar-fish sauce dip
Optional:
- You may add chili flakes or crushed 2 pcs of red chili peppers to the marinade mixture. Remove the seeds for medium spice. Seeds on to make it more spicy.
- You may also season the milkfish with crushed black pepper. Add the crushed black pepper into the marinade mixture or right before frying.
- You may also coat the milkfish with cornstarch right before frying.
