Escabeche Of Pacific Halibut Recipes

HALIBUT IN ESCABECHE

Steps:

• Cut the fish into 2-inch wide strips and pat them dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper, dredge the fish in it, and pat off any excess flour. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the fish until it is lightly browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and then put the fish in one layer into a shallow glass dish.
• Drain the oil from the skillet, return it to medium heat, and add 3 tablespoons fresh olive oil. Add the onions, bell peppers, and scotch bonnet, if using, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and water and bring it to a boil. Spoon the vegetables and herbs over the fish and then add the vinegar sauce. Serve hot or let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

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.

RICK'S SEARED FISH IN ESCABECHE

Steps:

• In a large, well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 cup oil over medium-high heat. Pat fish dry. Working in batches if necessary, cook in a single uncrowded layer until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn, and cook until second side is brown and fish flakes under firm pressure, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove to a plate, and set aside. Discard oil from pan.
• Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining tablespoon oil. When hot, add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and carrots are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine cloves and black pepper in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder, and process until coarsely ground. Add to vegetables, along with stock, vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, and cinnamon. Cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Taste; season with salt (about 3/4 teaspoon), and stir in jalapeno strips.
• To serve warm, lay fillets over simmering escabeche, cover, and gently heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Place one fillet on each of six plates, and spoon some of the escabeche over each one. Garnish with sprigs of thyme. To serve cool, arrange fish on a deep serving platter, and spoon escabeche over. As it cools to room temperature, the fish and vegetables will absorb much of the liquid.

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.