Cheesy Bangus Recipe

IMAGE Jino del Mundo

Who doesn't love boneless bangus? This is one of the common fried fish that is made into a silog pairing! This fish is also known as a "milkfish" because of the milky white flesh it has backed up with the fact that the fish is also loaded with calcium. 

It's common to find the boneless bangus marinated in vinegar, ground black pepper, salt, and lots of garlic. It's known as daing na bangus although the more modern versions are no longer sun-dried like tuyo. However, the bangus is still split open from the back, not along the belly as is normally the case when filleting fish. 

The bangus is then seasoned and marinated overnight at least and then fried in oil until crispy. 

What Is Cheesy Bangus?

Daing na bangus may be one of the most popular ways of preparing bangus but it's not the only way. In fact, if you don't marinate the bangus, you can use the boneless fish in other ways, such as in this cheesy bangus recipe. 

This cheesy bangus recipe is inspired by the food business Bang Bang and its special crispy bangus. One of the interesting items on the menu is a cheesy bangus with lots of garlic on top. 

 

This fried and crispy boneless bangus is ready to be served as is!

Photo by Jino del Mundo

The idea is brilliant, especially if you love fish and cheese. While cheese and fish combo is not uncommon, it's a delicious idea to do to bangus! 

How To Serve Cheesy Bangus 

Most bangus dishes are Filipino ulam recipes so serve it with steamed rice or if you're having this for breakfast, garlic fried rice or sinangag and a sunny-side-up egg. If you're especially hungry, serve it as is with if you love ulam! 

How To Make Cheesy Bangus 

 

Photo by Jino del Mundo

The bangus is really the key to this dish, and you need a boneless one. You can easily get a fish that's already been prepared and boneless at your local supermarket or palengke but you can also do it yourself if you're feeling industrious. Choose a size of fish that will fit in your pan so it's easy to cook evenly. Choose one that is also unseasoned or unmarinated so the vinegar marinade won't clash with the flavor of the cheese. 

Once you have your bangus, season it so it's tasty. You'll also want to season the flour that you'll use to coat it with, too, so you layer flavors instead of covering it up. Fry this until crispy before topping it off with quick-melting cheese and toasted garlic bits. 

Tips to Make Delicious Cheesy Bangus 

1 Remove the garlic before it's too brown! 

Toasting garlic may seem simple and easy. While it is, it's a bitter lesson to learn when you burn the garlic and you don't know why. This is why: Garlic will continue to cook in the hot oil that it's in.  

You want the garlic to have just become a lovely golden brown and when it does, remove it immediately from the heat before the bits become too brown or it'll be too toasted and will begin to taste bitter.

2 Shake any excess flour off. 

 

Lightly coat the fish in flour or dredge the fish then shake it off.

Photo by Jino del Mundo

To get crispy bangus, you need to coat it in a little flour a bit, so you need to dredge or lightly coat the bangus in flour. Once coated, you just need to pat it lightly or shake off the excess flour. Not only will this make sure that the flour is coating your bangus but it also lessens the amount of flour in your oil. 

3 Debone your own bangus! 

If you are feeling extra inspired to work with the fish and how to make it boneless, you need to know how to debone bangus first! It's not easy but it's quite rewarding when you find every single tinik and pluck it out of the fish. The fish is notorious for being very full of fish bones so you'll get a good workout searching for every one without totally destroying the flesh of the fish when you're done. 

How To Store Cheesy Bangus 

 Cheesy bangus is easy to store! If you haven't cooked it yet, you can easily season it with salt and pepper and freeze it until you're ready to cook it. If it's already cooked, you can also freeze it before thawing, topping with cheese and garlic bits, and serving. Either way, fried food is easy to store when you need to. 

Watch: Cheesy Bangus Recipe 

Cheesy Bangus Recipe