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Escovitch fish
Jamaican crisp-fried snapper under a hot, tangy pickle of onion, carrot, peppers and pimento
Good Friday in Jamaica means fish, and escovitch fish is the dish families line up for, though you'll also find it any day at the seaside stalls of Hellshire Beach and Port Royal. Whole red snapper (or thick fillets) are seasoned, fried until the skin shatters, then buried under onion, carrot, chocho and peppers that have been briefly warmed in vinegar with pimento and scotch bonnet. The fish soaks up the sharp, hot pickle as it sits, so it is as good at room temperature as it is fresh from the pan. Serve with bammy or festival. Chef's tip: make the pickle while the fish fries and pour it over hot fish; it sinks in better, and a few hours later the flavour is even deeper.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
For the escovitch pickle
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 4 whole red snapper with 1 lime juice and water and pat very dry inside and out. Cut 2–3 slashes into each side down to the bone so it cooks evenly.
Step 2: Season the fish all over and in the slashes with 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper, then dust lightly with 4 tbsp rice flour or cornflour and shake off the excess.
Step 3: Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles at once. Fry the fish two at a time for 5–6 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Common mistake: turning the fish too early; leave it until it releases from the pan by itself, or the skin tears.
12 minStep 4: Check the thickest part next to the bone: the flesh should be opaque white and flake easily. Lift onto kitchen paper and fry the rest, then move to a deep serving dish.
Step 5: For the pickle, put ¾ cup white vinegar, 3 ½ tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar and 10 pimento (allspice) berries in a small pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
3 minStep 6: Add 1 onion, 1 carrot, ½ chocho (chayote), 1 red and yellow peppers and 1 scotch bonnet pepper and simmer for 1–2 minutes only, so the vegetables wilt but stay crunchy.
2 minStep 7: Pour the hot pickle and vegetables over the fish. Serve straight away, or leave for up to 2 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge) for the vinegar to soak in.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does escovitch fish take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ground black pepper?
- Black peppercorns, freshly ground, same amount.
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