This flavorful fish is marinated in vinegar, chiles and lots of garlic. It’s a version of the Philippine’s classic daing, a butterflied fish that’s soaked in vinegar, salted and dried in the sun for preservation, then fried just before serving. Home cooks have adapted the dish by simply marinating the fish in the refrigerator, no sun-drying required, then pan-frying it for an easy and very tasty meal. In the Philippines this style of daing typically uses bangus (milkfish), a local species, but branzino is an excellent substitute. You can serve the fish with vinegar-based Sawsawan, a popular Filipino dipping sauce for fried foods.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 9 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 medium branzino (12 to 14 ounces each), heads removed, fish cleaned, butterflied and deboned
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 Thai bird chiles, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup canola oil
Instructions
- Split each butterflied branzino into 2 halves (you’ll have 8 pieces) and place them in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Coat the halves with the vinegar. Add the garlic, chiles, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub the mixture gently over the halves, spreading it evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the fish from the dish, leaving behind any liquid. Scrape off any garlic and chile. Pat the fish dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and place the fillets on a tray or baking sheet.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Cooking in batches, lightly season the fillets with a pinch each salt and pepper and place flesh-side down in the pan. Cook until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Lower the heat to medium if the fish begins to darken too quickly. Repeat until all the fish is cooked.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 155 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg |
| Sodium | 274 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 155 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg |
| Sodium | 274 mg |