My Love Affair with Escabeche

It is one of those rare moments that you would see me cook but when I do cook, I do it with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm. I am a certified foodie and eating flavorful dishes for me, transcends beyond a medium for physical survival but more of a good way for starting conversations and appreciating the bounty that surrounds us.

For my first ever lens, I'd like to share to you one of my all-time favorite Filipino dish--- Escabeche. This is a dish I absolutely love to eat ever since I was a kid because I always have this fondness for anything sweet and sour and it just doesn't fail to keep my taste buds busy. Most of the dishes here in the Philippines are vestiges of the Spanish and Chinese centuries' of influence in our very colorful history.

Escabeche is very prominent in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries and its former colonies. This is usually tweaked to cater to the varying tastes of the country but one thing they all share in common is that they use mostly poached or fried fish, generously topped with sweet and sour sauce.

So hear is the recipe for Escabeche. Enjoy!

1 big fish like Lapu-Lapu (Rock Cods) or any white-fleshed fish
1 cup Canola oil
1 cup water
1 medium-sized onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 tablespoons of ginger, sliced into strips
1 tablespoon salt

For the sweet and sour sauce:

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 cup vinegar

1.) Clean the fish thoroughly and coat with salt.
2.) Using a frying pan, heat Canola oil in medium heat.
3.) Fry the fish until it turns golden brown on each side. Set aside on a serving platter.
4.) For the sweet and sour sauce, mix sugar, salt and vinegar and stir.
5.) Add cornstarch and water until the sauce thickens moderately. Set aside.
6.) On a frying pan, sauté onion, ginger and garlic.
7.) Add the bell peppers until well-cooked.
8.) Place these vegetable mixtures on top of the fish.
9.) Pour the sweet and sour sauce on top of the vegetable mixture
10) Serve immediately.

That was pretty easy, right? I hope you like this recipe as much as I did. In other countries, Escabeche is marinated and refrigerated for 24 hours and served cold but here in the Philippines, we cook and serve them hot with rice. It really depends on what works for you, really. Be creative and you'll surely nail this delicious sweet and sour dish. Let me know what you think.

Cheers to good food!