Escovitch Snapper Recipes

JAMAICAN FRIED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Pat the fish dry and cut 3 small slits on each side of the fish. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 quart oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Carefully place the fish in the pan and fry until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Remove fish and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir onion, garlic and carrot into the pan; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add thyme, allspice, habanero pepper, vinegar, water, salt, and sugar and continue cooking until onions have softened and liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes.
• Serve fish topped with onion mixture spooned over the top.

JAMAICAN ESCOVITCH RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Wash red snapper thoroughly with water and lime juice. Let soak in lime water with 1 teaspoon black pepper in the refrigerator, 10 to 20 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Mix flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Pat snapper dry with paper towels and lightly coat both sides with flour mixture.
• Heat oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. Deep-fry snapper until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of the oil.
• Add onion, Scotch bonnet pepper, whole peppercorns, and allspice to the oil in the frying pan. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Pour in vinegar and stir until heated through. Add ketchup and simmer for 1 minute. Pour over hot snapper and let soak in. Serve hot or cold.

JAMAICAN ESCOVITCH FISH RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash the fish in water with the juice from the lime/lemon.
• Drain away the excess water and dry the fish as much as possible, using kitchen paper roll helps a lot.
• Mix mix the salt and black pepper together to make the fish seasoning.
• Rub the seasoning all over and into the fish. Cut small deep gashes in each sides of the fish and rub the seasoning into it.
• To a frying pan, add about a ¼ cup of cooking oil, just enough to cover one side of the fish at a time (you are NOT deep frying the fish). Place on medium to high heat.
• Cut the garlic cloves in half and drop them into the oil along with 5 grain of pimentos berries and who whole scotch bonnet pepper.
• Once the oil is hot carefully place fish in. After 2-3 minutes turn the heat down to medium. Fry both sides of the fish until is crispy.
• Pour away the oil in the frying leaving about 1 tbsp. On low heat, add the onion, the rest of the pimento berries, the slice scotch bonnet pepper, carrot strips and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the vinegar and brown sugar, cook for another 2-3 minutes
• Pour over the fried fish and leave to absorb the flavour.

JAMAICAN ESCOVITCH FISH

Steps:

• Rinse fish; rub with lemon or lime, seasoned with salt and pepper or use your favorite seasoning. I used creole seasoning. Set aside or place in the oven to keep it warm until sauce is ready.
• In large skillet heat oil over medium heat, until hot, add the fish, cook each side- for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through and crispy on both sides. Remove fish and set aside. Drain oil and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of oil
• Add, bay leave, garlic and ginger, stir-fry for about a minute making sure the garlic does not burn
• Then add onion, bell peppers, carrots, thyme, scotch bonnet, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, all spice-continue stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Add vinegar, mix an adjust salt and pepper according to preference. Let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.
• Discard bay leave, thyme spring and serve over fish with a side of this bammy. You may make the sauce about 2 days in advance.

ESCOVITCH SNAPPER

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or cast-iron skillet to 350 degrees F.
• Score the fish on both sides with a knife. Sprinkle inside and out with the Seafood Spice Rub. Coat in batter if using (see Cook's Note).
• Fry the fish until the skin, or batter, is crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Serve with Escovitch Dressing.
• In a food processor, pulse together the pimento seeds, adobo, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt, black pepper and white pepper. Add the olive oil and process until the mixture has a deep red color, about 45 seconds.
• Combine the vinegar and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Add the sugar, pimento seeds and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, onions, peppers and thyme. Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cook slightly in the hot liquid (they should still be firm).

JAMAICAN ESCOVITCH FRIED RED SNAPPER

Steps:

• Rinse and clean fish with juice from the lemon. Pat dry. Cut 3 diagonal lines across the sides of each fish.
• Mix spices sea salt, cracked black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, celery powder, and cumin in a small bowl.
• Season the outside and inside cavity of the fish with the spice mix.
• Fill a large frying pan with oil, about ½ inch deep, to high heat.
• Season the oil by adding 6-8 pimento seeds and ½ of the scotch bonnet pepper (or a whole pepper for a more intense heat) into the oil. The scotch bonnet pepper will eventually turn black as it cooks. That's ok!
• Place fish in the frying pan away from you. Adjust the heat between medium and high to avoid the fish being burned.
• Fry for 5-6 minutes on each side. The fish should be slightly brown to blackened.
• Remove fish from frying pan and allow to drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Allow the oil to cool and strain, reserving ½ cup of oil. Discard remaining oil.
• In a large saucepan, warm reserved oil to medium heat. Add fresh oil if needed.
• Add onions, remaining allspice seeds, red pepper, green pepper, carrot, and remaining scotch bonnet pepper to lightly saute.
• Saute for about 5 minutes, you want the vegetables to keep their body and crunch.
• Add the rice vinegar, and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Place onions and pepper sauce over the fish.
• Serve with Jamaican Rice and Peas.