Instructions

1. Marinate your bangus fillets for 8 to 12 hours in vinegar to bring out its full flavor. Add peppercorns or herbs such as fresh thyme, rosemary or mild chili peppers to the vinegar to further enhance the flavor.

2. Rinse your milkfish fillets in cool water, taking care not to splatter the area around the sink. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Do not rub the fish or the paper towels may shred. Season both sides of the fillets with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. Line a plate or a shallow dish such as a pie pan or tart pan with a thin layer of cornstarch or flour. If you are using flour as the outer coating of your fish use cornstarch for the first layer. If you are using breadcrumbs for the outer coating, you can use either cornstarch or flour.

4. Pour 1 to 2 inches of milk into a shallow dish. Break an egg into the milk and add the seasonings of your choice. Milkfish has a fairly mild flavor so almost any herb or spice will work from chili powder, cilantro and garlic powder to herbes de Provence, or lemon pepper, rosemary and thyme.

5. Coat the bottom of a shallow dish with flour or breadcrumbs. Keep some aside if you are coating more than three or four fillets, because they can start to clump when they get damp and you’ll want to add in some fresh flour or breadcrumbs as you go.

6. Dip each milkfish fillet into the cornstarch or flour, then the milk and egg, and then roll it in the third dish of flour or breadcrumbs. Repeat the milk and third coating for a thicker crust if you like.

7. Heat 1 to 2 inches of canola oil or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer and pinch of flour tossed into it sizzles.

8. Place a few coated fillets into the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Doing so lowers the temperature of the oil which can keep the coating from getting crisp. Cook the fillets for 5 minutes per half-inch of thickness.

9. Turn the milkfish fillets carefully with tongs. Cook them for another 5 minutes or so and then place them on a plate which is lined with several layers of paper towels to drain. The fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 145 F or is fully opaque and flakes easily with a fork.