Shared by Esther Serruya Weyl
Escabeche de Peixe (Fish Escabeche With Peppers, Cumin, and Cilantro)
Yield: 6 to 8 servingsTime: 4 h to 12 h
Escabeche de Peixe (Fish Escabeche With Peppers, Cumin, and Cilantro)
Yield: 6 to 8 servingsTime: 4 h to 12 hFamily Journey
Spain and TurkeyMorocco
Belem, Brazil
There are recipes for escabeche, a dish of fried fish soused with a tangy vinegar dressing, in many cultures and the idea is of preserving fish this way centuries — and possibly millennia — old. Sources differ on the origin of it, but the root of the name comes from the Persian word sikbāj, the name of a vinegary stew.
This escabeche recipe comes from Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef Esther Weyl who learned to make it from the Larrat sisters in her family’s Moroccan community in Belém, Brazil. Here, it's served on Shabbat alongside dishes like a roasted pepper salad and a roasted eggplant dip called fumaça.
This recipe is featured in our cookbook "The Jewish Holiday Table: A World of Recipes, Traditions & Stories to Celebrate All Year Long." For more holiday recipes from around the world, get your copy!
Read more about Esther's family and community "The Recipes That Connect This Brazilian Community to Its Moroccan Roots" and try her recipes for fish albondigas and meringue with orange marmalade.
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for shallow-frying
- 1 pound skinless red snapper fillets, sliced into 1-by-3-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup white wine vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup + ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Step 1
Put the flour in a small bowl and line a plate with paper towels. Arrange them both near your cooktop.
Step 2
Heat about ½ inch of olive oil in a medium skillet or wide saucepan over medium-high heat.
Step 3
Season the fish all over with the salt and pepper. Dredge a piece of fish through the flour and shake off any excess. Test the oil temperature by dipping a corner of the flour-coated fish into the oil--if it sizzles vigorously, the oil is ready; if not, heat the oil for a bit longer. Carefully place the piece of fish in the oil and repeat the flouring process with another 4 to 6 pieces of fish; don't crowd the pan. Fry the fish, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the fish to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Continue frying the rest of the fish in batches.
Step 4
Put the vinegar, olive oil, onion, and chopped cilantro in a deep bowl or other container and stir to combine well. Add the pieces of fried fish to the bowl, making sure they are all submerged in the liquid. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 2 hours at room temperature to marinate, or transfer the fish to the refrigerator to marinate for up to 8 hours.
Step 5
Serve the escabeche at room temperature.
