Paksiw na Bangus (Milkfish in Vinegar)

Ok, I am not going to claim expertise here.. My daughter does not like paksiw. My husband hates it. I probably prepared this dish twice in the fifteen years or so I’ve been cooking. But I bought 10 whole bangus from the market 2 weeks ago with plans of turning them into relyenong bangus (stuffed milkfish) for a party at work. And ok, sometimes not all intentions (or ambitions as making 10 relyenong bangus is like aiming for Mt. Everest’s peak!) come into fruition. I wanted to impress but I was not willing to slave on the bloody work of pounding, deboning, stuffing, stitching, and frying the fish! So the bangus ended up buried behind some catfish fillets in my freezer and I wound up ordering a tray of pancit guisado for the party instead. Here it is…

Makes 4 Servings

1 whole bangus, sliced into 4-5 steaks
1 eggplant, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 green chili pepper
2 tbsps vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Layer all ingredients in a pot. Allow to simmer uncovered, until fish is cooked and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. When juice is reduced, add vegetable oil.

TIPS: 1) Simmering it uncovered allows acidity of vinegar to evaporate.