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 Trout escabeche, fromSpain | |
| Region or state | Mediterranean, Hispanic America, Caribbean, the Philippines, Guam |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Fish, meat or vegetables |
| Ingredients generally used | Vinegar, peppers and onions |
| Variations | Brathering |
Escabeche is the name for several dishes inSpanish,French,Portuguese,Italian,Filipino andHispanic American cuisines, consisting ofmarinatedfish,meat orvegetables, cooked or pickled in anacidic sauce (usually with vinegar), and flavored withpaprika, citrus, and other spices.
In Spain and throughout theAmericas, many variations exist, including frying the main ingredient before marinating it.Escabeche ofseafood,fish,chicken,rabbit,pork, and vegetables are common inSpain, theCaribbean andPortugal.Eggplantescabeche is common inArgentina.
The Spanish and Portuguese wordescabeche originates fromAndalusi Arabic (spoken inMuslim Iberia) and ultimately Persian.[1] It is derived fromal-skepaj (السكباج), the name of a popular meat dish cooked in a sweet-and-sour sauce, usually containing vinegar and honey ordate molasses.[2] This technique spread throughout the formerPortuguese andSpanish Empires and is particularly common in Latin America and the Philippines.
The dish, which was inherited from the Spanish and Portuguese during the colonial era,[3] is known asescoveitch orescovitch fish inJamaica.[3] Fish and other seafood like shrimp and lobster are marinated in a sauce of vinegar, onions, carrots, chayote, pimento andScotch bonnet peppers.[3] It is known asscapece orsavoro inItaly,savoro inGreece (especiallyIonian islands), andscabetche inNorth Africa.
Escabeche is common inSpain and has evolved with local modifications in theSpanish-speaking world. It is well represented inPortugal, frequently by the namemolho à espanhola ("Spanish sauce"), usually spiced with peppercorns, chillies, peppers, onions, garlic and sliced carrots. The dish is popular in thePhilippines andGuam, both formerSpanish Viceroyalties, where it is similar to the original Spanish version, using locally available fish that is but respecting the original technique.
In international versions like in Peru,escabeche is usually poached or fried, then served cold after marinating in a refrigerator overnight or longer. The acid in the marinade is usuallyvinegar but can includecitrus juice (a common conservation technique—a pH of 4 or lower effectively prevents decomposition).[4]Escabeche is a popular presentation of canned or potted preserved fish, such asmackerel,[5]tuna,bonito, orsardines.
Fish escabeche is also aFilipino cuisine version ofsweet and sour fish. The dish is marinated in a fusion of ginger, vinegar-water, sugar, carrot, red bell pepper, ground pepper, and onion, and garnished withatchara.[6] InJosé Rizal's July 1892Dapitan exile, the letters in his novels mentioned fish escabeche as part ofmerienda cena, including tinolang manok, tsokolate, suman malagkit,tinagaktak,Leyte's salvero, and pan Bisaya.[7]
