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Escabeche beliceño
Escabeche beliceño: Belizean chicken and onion soup with vinegar and allspice
Northern Belize, around Orange Walk and Corozal, makes escabeche very differently from the pickled fish of the same name elsewhere: it is a clear, peppery chicken soup piled with sweet sliced onions, sharpened with vinegar and scented with allspice, oregano and plenty of garlic. Families eat it for Sunday lunch or to settle a party night, tearing warm corn tortillas into the bowl. Cook the chicken until it reaches 74 °C at the thickest part next to the bone. The common mistake is adding the onions at the start, so they boil to mush; they go in at the end and stay soft but bright. Chef's tip: brown the chicken under the grill or in a hot pan after boiling, as many Belizean cooks do, for a smoky edge before it goes back into the broth.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskin removed
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 8 cloves garlicpeeled
- 2 tsp dried oreganoMexican if possible
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp salt
For the soup
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 white onionslarge, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 2 jalapeño peppers (optional)sliced
To serve
- 12 corn tortillas (optional)warmed
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, 8 ¼ cups water, 8 cloves garlic, 2 tsp dried oregano, 8 allspice berries, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and 2 tsp salt in a large pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 35 minutes, until the meat is tender and a thermometer in the thickest piece reads 165°F.
40 minStep 2: Lift out the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and brown the pieces for 3–4 minutes a side until golden.
8 minStep 3: Strain the broth if you like, or just fish out the bay leaves, and bring it back to a simmer.
Step 4: Add 4 white onions and 2 jalapeño peppers and simmer for 5–6 minutes, until the onion is soft but still holds its shape.
6 minStep 5: Stir in ¼ cup white vinegar, return the chicken and heat through for 3 minutes. Taste: it should be peppery and pleasantly sour. Serve in deep bowls with 12 corn tortillas.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does escabeche beliceño take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of dried oregano?
- Dried thyme or marjoram, same amount.
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