Escabeche Food

ESCABECHE (SWEET AND SOUR FISH)

Steps:

• Clean the fish and slit it open. Let it stand for few minutes and drain well.
• Sprinkle fish with 1 tbsp salt.
• In a medium skillet, heat the oil and fry the fish until brown. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
• In the same skillet, sauté the garlic until light brown, then sauté onion.
• Add salt and white pepper. Stir in ginger, scallions, carrot and red bell pepper.
• Add soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
• When the mixture boils, add flour to thicken. Then, add the fish.
• Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.

A CLASSIC ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Combine the cup salt with 4 cups of water, and stir to combine. Brine the fish in this mixture for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pan, and add the mashed garlic cloves, chile, and 2 bay leaves. Cook these aromatics in the oil over medium heat until the garlic browns, about 4 to 6 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Remove the aromatics and discard.
• Turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook the fish. You want a good sear , so if the fish is not cooking hot enough, turn the heat all the way up to high. Sear each side of the fish for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. You don't need to cook the fish all the way through.
• Remove the fish to cool. Add the slivered onion, lower the heat to medium and cook until translucent. Remove to cool.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce by half, turn off the heat, and let cool.
• When everything is at room temperature, pour the sauce into a container, and add the fish and onions. Store in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors marry.
• Serve cool or at room temperature.

ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Place chicken gizzards in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Simmer over low heat until tender, approximately 30 minutes.
• While gizzards are simmering, mix together onion, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, oil, bay leaves, olives, and peppercorns in a large bowl. When ready, drain gizzards and mix into bowl. Season with salt to taste and marinate at least an hour in refrigerator.

SNAPPER ESCABèCHE

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium high. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, pineapple juice, fish sauce, brown sugar and ketchup. Bring to a steady simmer and cook until reduced by almost half, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the scallions and bell peppers in a medium bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Grill until well marked and tender, about 2 minutes per side for the scallions and 3 minutes per side for the peppers.
• Score the skin side of the snapper fillets, making a few small slashes. Pat dry. Brush both sides of the fillets with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the fish skin-side down, covered, until it's cooked around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook through, 3 to 4 more minutes.
• Cut the scallions into 3-inch pieces and cut the peppers into 1/4-inch strips. Divide the vegetables and fish among plates. Pour some of the sauce on top and serve the rest on the side. Serve with the rice.

ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Season fish with salt and pepper, and dust with flour. Heat a skillet and add canola oil to it. Saute the fish until brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and place in a deep pan.
• Remove some of the canola oil from the saute pan, and lower the heat to low, add all the vegetables and cook until soft and translucent. Add the ketchup and cook 1 more minute.
• Remove from the heat and add all other ingredients, except the avocado. Cover the fish with all ingredients and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and place in refrigerator for 2 days. Serve with avocado slices.

ESCABECHE (PICKLED VEGETABLES)

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and onions and saute for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, marjoram and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Add cauliflower, jalapenos, vinegar and 1 cup water. Stir well, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Add zucchini and jicama. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Vegetables should remain crunchy. Do not overcook.
• Transfer to a bowl and discard bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve at room temperature.

CHICKEN ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken, skin side down, until browned and crisp, 4 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wipe out skillet and heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, broth, and currants; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until liquid reduces by three-quarters, 12 minutes. Stir in almonds, and orange segments and juice. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

FILIPINO FISH ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Pat tilapia dry with a paper towel. Cut 2 to 3 slits on either side of the fish. Sprinkle salt on top. Fry in the hot oil until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add red bell pepper and ginger; saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Mix water, vinegar, and sugar together in a bowl. Pour into the onion mixture in the skillet. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch. Boil, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over the fish.

CATALAN-STYLE FRESH SARDINE ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Whisk together matzo meal and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pat fish dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Dredge in matzo meal to lightly coat, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry fish in 3 batches, turning if necessary, until just cooked through, about 1 minute for sardines or 2 to 3 minutes for mackerel. Transfer with a slotted spoon to shallow dish.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook garlic in oil remaining in skillet until it just turns golden, about 30 seconds. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add paprika and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, vinegar, cinnamon stick, zests, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Cool sauce to room temperature, then pour over fish and marinate, chilled, at least 12 hours.
• Bring to room temperature before serving and season with salt if necessary.
• What to drink:
• Yarden Galilee Cabernet Sauvignon '05

ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Cut each fillet into 3 pieces; season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, saute until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil to pan as needed. Transfer to a plate to cool completely.
• Layer fish with red pepper, orange, onion, chiles, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large wide-mouthed jar. Combine vinegar, 2 cups water, and lime juice, and pour over fish and vegetables in jar. If liquid doesn't cover all of it completely, continue adding equal parts vinegar and water. Cover with plastic wrap or lid; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Serve garnished with lime, olives, and parsley.