Moms Filipino Escabeche Food

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 (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.

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.