Pescado Escabeche

Ok I heart escabeche...pretty much anything that you can make escabeche (pickled)...guineos (green bananas), guineo con molleja (green bananas with chicken gizzards), pulpo (octopus), and pescado (fish)...I love!  So, one day, during one of our many trips to Sam's we spotted corvines en ruedas (corvine fish rounds).  I told Mama how much I love that fish escabeche and immediately, she picked them up and said, "I'm going to teach you how to make this."  I was elated!  As you know, my joy is not only mine alone...it is now yours...enjoy!

The fish!

                    Ingredients:                       
Corvine Fish Rounds                  Adobo
Minced Garlic                          
Corn Oil (for frying)
Olive Oil (1/2 cup)
Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Onions
Olives
Bay Leaves



First step is to make sure that the fish pieces aren't too wet.  Mama covers them top to bottom with hand towels while she gets the rest of her ingredients together.

Covered fish!

Once the fish is less moist (that's what she said...LOL), you sprinkle some Adobo on the pieces and then spread a hearty amount of minced garlic on the fish...enough to coat it.   Mama likes using her (clean) hands to really get the garlic in there!

Minced Garlic

Mama gets her hands dirty!

Adobo

Have your skillet heated with oil, ready for frying and one by one put those babies in.  Be careful not to over fry them...the fish should still be soft and not overcooked.  I made that mistake only because I really enjoy crunchy fish.  The gambler came over to eat and made sure to tell me that while it was a great meal, I did overcook the fish LOL.  Mama didn't appreciate her commentary and told her I did it on purpose (with a semi threatening tone).  I told the gambler I appreciated her suggestion and would definitely try to cook the fish less next time.  Then I gave Mama a 'chill out' look and she walked away and got lost in her word search book within minutes.

Fry time!

Getting them crunchy LOL

While the fish is frying you can start to prepare your escabeche portion of this dish.   First step, cut up a few onions (depending on how much you like onions depends on how many you use).  I think I used about 1 and a half onions.

Onion rings!

Then you add a half cup of olive oil and a half cup of vinegar to the onions.

After that, you throw in the olives and a few fresh bay leaves.

Remember to keep an eye on that fish frying!  As for the escabeche, you should try to use a bowl that you can put a flame to because....well you now put it on the stove on low heat and let the flavors simmer together.  Every now and then you sauté the mixture until you feel the onions get softer.

Stirring, stirring!

Once the fish have all been fried and the escabeche has become one in the bowl, you combine the two!  Add whatever starch or veggie or both you'd like and you have a full meal!  Mama says to get the optimum flavor, you let the fish sit in the escabeche for quite awhile before you serve it...sometimes even overnight.  I, of course, couldn't wait and it was still delicious!  Enjoy folks!

I told you I like the fish crispy LOL!