Escabeche

Spain

About Escabeche

Escabeche is a Spanish method of cooking and preserving fish in an acidic marinade. The fish is first fried or poached, then covered in a warm mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, onions, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns and left to marinate.

Before refrigeration, the vinegar helped preserve fish and meat for days. The method was probably brought to Spain by the Moors, and the name is thought to come from an Arabic word for a vinegar-based dish.

Escabeche is usually served cold or at room temperature as a tapa or a light meal. Spanish colonists carried the technique to Latin America, the Philippines and elsewhere, where many local versions now exist, using fish, chicken or vegetables.

Ingredients

• white fish
• vinegar
• carrots
• onions
• bay leaves
• thyme
• peppercorns
• olive oil
• garlic