Jamaican Escoveitch (Escovitch) Fish
Escovitch fish reminds me of "beach day". Best dish for a day out in the sun paired with some bammy, festival, and veggies.
Ingredients
Fish
- 1 whole medium snapper
- Escovitch sauce
- 1 whole scotch bonnet or habanero
- 5 crushed pimento seeds or all spices
- ½ cup oil for frying
- Salt
- Pepper
- ¼ cup vinegar or 1 whole lime to rinse the fish
Escovitch Sauce
- 1/2 medium carrot (julienne)
- 1 cup bell peppers (julienne) different colors
- 1 whole medium onion cut into circles
- 1/2 handful pimento
- 2-4 whole scotch bonnet/habanero
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Making the sauce
- In a pot add vinegar and water and bring to a boil. After the mixture starts to boil, turn the stove off and add all the ingredients for the sauce.
- Take the pot off the stove and let the ingredients sit in the hot water with the lid on
- After the escovitch sauce has cooled down. Transfer to a mason jar or a glass container with a lid.
Frying the fish
- Place the fish in a large container and squeeze the lime onto the fish and rinse to clean and get rid of the fishy smell.
- After rinsing the fish pat dry with a hand towel.
- Season fish with salt and pepper
- In a frying pan on medium to high heat add oil. (make sure the pot is at least 350 degrees.
- Add fish to the pan for frying until each side is golden brown. Do not over-fry and do not under-cook. The skin should look stiff and meat should be flaky.
- Serve with Jamaican Festival, okra, rice and peas, steamed veggies, etc.
- Optional: You can marinate the sauce if you like. The longer the better. 24 hours is its peak.