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Hot Pickled Fish
(Escabeche)
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| What You Need: |
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A 2- to 2½ -pound porgy or perch or other firm, white-fleshed fish, cleaned, with head and tail reserved and the body cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick steaks
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and cut crosswise into paper-thin slices
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped, scraped fresh ginger root
1 small onion, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 medium-sized carrot, scraped and cut lengthwise into ¼ -inch-wide slices, then crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips
1 medium-sized green pepper, stemmed, seeded, deribbed and cut crosswise into ¼ -inch-thick rings
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup malt vinegar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Wash the fish (including the head and tail) under cold running water and pat the pieces completely dry with paper towels. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the cup of oil over moderate heat until it is very hot but not smoking.
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2. Add all the fish pieces and fry them for 5 or 6 minutes on each side, or until they are crisp and richly browned. With a slotted spatula transfer the fish to a platter lined with a double thickness of paper towels. Discard the oil in the skillet.
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3. Wash and dry the skillet, and in it heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil until a light haze forms above it. In order, fry the garlic, ginger, onion, carrot and then the green pepper rings in the hot oil, stirring each vegetable constantly for about a minute before transferring it to a plate and frying the next. As you proceed, add more oil to the pan if necessary.
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4. Add the cornstarch mixture, vinegar, brown sugar and salt to the oil remaining in the skillet and stir over moderate heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
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5. Add the fish, garlic and ginger, baste with the vinegar sauce, and bring to a boil again. Add the onions, carrots and green pepper rings and stir for a minute or so.
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6. To serve, arrange the pieces of fish attractively on a deep, heated platter, reassembling them into their original shape if you like. Intersperse the vegetables with the fish pieces or arrange them around the edge. Then taste the sauce for seasoning and pour it over the fish and vegetables.
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