Pinoy Style Escabeche Recipe

Try this Pinoy version of escabeche! You will surely love the fresh fish in sweet & sour sauce topped with vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fish of your choice: tilapia / pla pla / lapu lapu / maya maya / slices of bangus belly

For the sauce:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tbsps soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 1 thumb size ginger, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsps oil for sautéing
• salt and pepper, to taste

Vegetable Toppings:

• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 big-sized red or green bell pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 small green papaya, shredded (optional)

Preparing the optional ingredient papaya:

1. Peel the papaya then remove the seeds.
2. Using a vegetable shredder, shred the papaya into strips.
3. Mix 5 tbsps of salt with the shredded papaya to help drain its juice. For a better result, use a cheesecloth (katsa) in squeezing juice from the shredded papaya.
4. Wash the shredded papaya with water to remove the salt.
5. Do a final squeeze to drain out water. Set aside.

Cooking Procedures:

1. Using your hands, rub salt and pepper on the fish.
2. Heat up enough amount of oil in a pan and fry the fish until golden brown. Set aside.
3. On a separate deep pan, sauté garlic and ginger.
4. Add vinegar, water, sugar, and soy sauce. Mix well until sugar is dissolved.
5. Add the shredded papaya (optional).
6. Cover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes or until the papaya is cooked.
7. Add bell pepper, carrot, and onion. Simmer for another 1 minute.
8. To thicken the sauce, make a slurry by mixing 2 tbsps flour and 2 tbsps water.
9. Pour the slurry into the pan, stir slowly until the sauce thickens.
10. Put in the fried fish, top it with the vegetables. Cover the pan and continue to simmer for another 1 minute.
11. Serve hot and enjoy your Pinoy-style escabeche!

You might like this recipe too: Dinengdeng with Fried Fish