Jamaican Escovitch Fish Recipes: Fish prepared escovitch style is seasoned, fried and marinated with a peppery vinegar-based dressing made colourful with julienned bell peppers, carrots and onions. And, everyone knows this dish tastes better the next day. Even though it’s eaten year-round, no God fearing Jamaican would be without fried king fish or red snapper on Good Friday. For me it’s the highlight of the Easter holidays.
Ingredients
4 whole red snapper
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooking oil
Method
1. The day before, clean and scale fish. Season with salt and black pepper and refrigerate.
2. Set stove to High and add cooking oil to pan. Dry fish with paper towel and pan
fry for about 5 minutes each side.
3. Take fish out of pan and place on paper towel to drain oil
Escovitch Dressing
Ingredients
½ each, green and red bell pepper, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
1 small onion, sliced in rings
3 Tbsp cooking oil (you can use leftover oil from frying fish)
2/3 cup vinegar
10 pimento berries (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
½ scotch bonnet pepper, seed removed and chopped
Method
1. Cut and chop vegetables and put aside.
2. Put vinegar and oil into a saucepan and bring to a boil
3. Add carrots and let simmer for about a minute
4. Add pimento seeds, if using, salt and pepper sauce
5. Add red and green bell peppers a simmer for a minute
6. Add onion and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the onion is transparent
7. Add scotch bonnet pepper and stir
8. Place fish into serving dish and spoon dressing on top
Serves 4
Video Lesson: Click below to watch us make this recipe step by step.
