Jamaican Escovitch Fish

Drizzling more sauce over red fish and escabeche of vegetables.

This classic Jamaican dish features a tart, spicy, and slightly sweet escovitch sauce to die for. Vegetables top a perfectly fried red snapper drenched with said sauce for a dish that will have you running back for seconds.

Course Main

Cuisine Caribbean

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 548kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2 pounds (900g) whole red snappers, cleaned and scaled (about 2-3 fish—almost any white fish will work)
salt and pepper to taste (see notes)
1 lime or lemon
½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (more as needed)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic (about 2 cloves) (about 2 cloves)
½ teaspoon (5g) grated ginger (or a small pinch of ground ginger)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, julienned
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1 scotch bonnet pepper, pierced (or replace with ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
½ teaspoon (1g) Jamaican allspice
1 tablespoon (12g) sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup (180ml) malt vinegar (can sub red wine vinegar)
freshly ground white pepper

Instructions

Rinse the fish and rub it down with a lemon or lime—season with salt, pepper, and preferred seasoning. Green seasoning and Creole seasoning are my go-tos.
Heat the oil on medium in a large skillet. As soon as it's hot, add the fish and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through and crispy.
Remove the fish. Set it aside or place it in the oven so it stays warm until the sauce is ready. Drain the oil, leaving 2-3 tablespoons behind for the vegetables.
Add the bay leaf, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry for about a minute, making sure the garlic doesn't burn.
Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots, thyme, scotch bonnet, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and allspice. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Add the vinegar, mix, and adjust seasonings to your preference. Let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.
Discard the bay leaf and thyme before serving the sauce over the fish with a side of bammy.

Notes

For seasonings, green seasoning, Creole seasoning, and Jamaican curry are all delicious.
Leave out the scotch bonnet if you want a milder version. Or slice the peppers for more heat.
Wait until the oil is hot to add the fish for crispier results.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition