The dish is common in Spain and has evolved with local modifications in the Spanish-speaking world. It is well represented in Portugal, usually spiced with peppercorns, chilies, peppers, onions, garlic and sliced carrots. The dish is popular in the Philippines and Guam, both former Spanish colonies, where it is the closest to the original Spanish version: using fish that is locally available but respecting the original technique.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
2 whole tilapia - (about 1.2 kilograms total weight) cleaned and gutted)
2 tablespoons rock salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable topping
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass - white portion only
- 1 one-inch knob ginger
- 1 small carrot
- 1 bell pepper
Sweet sour sauce
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons corn starch - dispersed in two tablespoons water
To cook tilapia escabeche
- cooking oil
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
- 2 stalks lemongrass - white and green portions
- 1 one-inch knob ginger - lightly pounded
- 2 cloves garlic - lightly pounded
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
To garnish
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
Instructions
Season the fish
- Rinse the tilapia and pat dry with paper towels.
- Score both sides of the fish.
- Rub the salt and pepper evenly over the entire surface of both fish.
- Place the fish in a covered container and leave to marinate in the fridge for two hours.
Prep the vegetables
- Peel and thinly slice the onion.
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Peel off and discard the tough outer stalks of the lemongrass then thinly slice the tender portion.
- Peel and julienne the ginger and carrot.
- Cut the bell pepper into halves, scoop out and discard the seeds. Julienne the deseeded bell pepper.
Make the sweet sour sauce
- Stir the vinegar, sugar, salt and tomato sauce in a sauce pan.
- Heat the mixture, stirring often, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour in the starch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and no longer cloudy.
Cook the vegetables
- Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan.
- Saute the sliced lemongrass, garlic and ginger until aromatic.
- Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper.
Fry the tilapia
- Take the fish out of the fridge and dry with paper towels once more.
- Lighly pound the white portions of the lemongrass before tying each into a knot.
- Stuff the cavity of each tilapia with a knotted lemongrass stalk, and half of the garlic and ginger.
- In a thick-bottomed frying pan, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of two inches.
- Lightly coat the tilapia with corn starch; shake off the excess.
Fry the tilapia, turning them over for even cooking, until golden and crisp.
Assemble the tilapia escabeche
- Arrange the fried tilapia in shallow bowls.
- Drizzle sweet sour sauce over the fish.
- Top with the vegetables and sliced scallions.
Cook’s Notes
It is best not to overcook the vegetables. Please don’t overcook the fish either. You want the outside to be golden and crisp but the inside should remain moist.
Tags:
fish