Moms Filipino Escabeche Food

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.

ESCABECHE (FILIPINO SWEET AND SOUR FISH)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the fish and set aside.
• Saute onion, garlic and ginger in cooking oil under medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and stirring occasionally to mix well.
• Add in the carrots, bell peppers and saute for 1 minute
• Add vinegar, white sugar and simmer for 1 more minute.
• Add the ketchup and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry and add into the pan and mix it well. Simmer for a minute or until desired thickness of the sauce is achieved. You may add a bit of water if needed.
• Pour the sauce mixture to the fried fish and enjoy. It is best paired with rice.

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.

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.