EscabÈche Food

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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

MOM'S FILIPINO ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Fish:
• Use a large frying pan and put enough oil to cover the bottom with about 1/4 inch.
• Pan fry the fish in the oil on medium heat. If you are using a fillet start with the flesh side down. You may need to score the skin of a whole fish in order to allow it to cook through.
• Once the fish is fully cooked set aside some of the cooking oil and arrange the fish on a serving plate.
• Sauce:
• Stir the water, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper/pepper corns together in a mixing bowl.
• The mixture should have a strong flavor of balanced sweet, sour, and salty. Add additional sugar, vinegar and/or soy sauce until you achieve this balance. Then set aside.
• Saute garlic in the reserved oil in a wok on medium-high heat until golden.
• Add onion and saute until it is also golden.
• Add ginger and saute until flavors blend.
• Add carrots, stir briefly then add liquid mixture.
• Mix sauce until flavors blend nicely.
• Simmer approximately 1 minute.
• Taste again and re-balance the flavors.
• Add bell pepper and corn starch mixture and stir together.
• Simmer until reduced to about a cup.
• Ladle the sauce over the fish and serve.

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