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Spanish-style Sardines Bangus in Oil

Spanish-style Sardines Bangus in Oil

⏱ Prep: 0 min ⏱ Cook: 400 min

Ingredients

  • 0 water
  • 0 rock salt
  • 2 large bangus, cleaned, gutted, and cut into serving portions but leaving scales intact
  • 8 piece bay leaves
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into florets
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 0.25 cup green olives, pitted
  • 0.25 cup sweet gherkins pickles, sliced
  • 1 tbsp peppercorns
  • 4 piece Thai chili peppers
  • 2 cup olive oil
  • 0 Pressure cooker

Instructions

  1. Prepare soaking solution. Combine 6 cups cold water and ¾ cup rock salt in a large bowl and stir until salt is dissolved.

  2. Prepare the milkfish. Clean and gut the fish, leaving the scales intact. Slice into serving portions, considering the size of the jars you use for storage. Soak in a salt solution for 30 minutes to improve flavor and help the fish retain moisture.

  3. Arrange the ingredients in the pot. First, layer the bay leaves, carrots, and garlic on the bottom of the pressure cooker to prevent the milkfish from sticking. Arrange the fish in a single layer over the carrots and aromatics. Top with the sliced sweet pickles, pitted green olives, chili peppers, and peppercorns. Season it with rock salt. If using regular table salt, decrease the amount.

  4. Pour the olive oil over the fish. If substituting, use a neutral-tasting oil, lest it affect the dish's flavor.

  5. Add enough water to cover the milkfish at about one inch. Depending on the width of your pressure cooker, it will take about 2 to 3 cups. This will look like a lot of liquid, but the water will evaporate during cooking, leaving only the oil.

  6. Pressure cook. The cooking time begins when the pressure cooker valve whistles, meaning the inside has come to pressure.

  7. Serve this homemade sardine bangus with piping hot steamed rice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can also enjoy it as a sandwich filling for tasty bread or pandesal for a midday snack.

  8. Toss leftovers with chopped onions, minced chili peppers, and freshly squeezed calamansi juice to make a quick version of Bangus sisig. It's excellent as an appetizer!

  9. To prolong the storage life, use sterilized jars. Follow the steps below and visit the National Center for Food Preservation for canning guidelines.

  10. Check jars for any cracks or chips. Discard the jars if there are any.

  11. Wash empty jars in hot water with detergent, rinse well by hand, or wash in a dishwasher. Unrinsed detergents may cause unnatural flavors and colors. Soak for a few hours in a solution containing 1 cup of vinegar (5 percent acidity) per gallon of water to remove any scale or hard-water films.

  12. To sterilize, place the cleaned jars side up on the rack in a boiling-water canner and fill the canner and jars with hot (not boiling) water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil for 10 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Add an extra one minute for boiling time for each 1,000 ft elevation.

  13. When ready to fill, remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time.