Jamaican Escovitch Fish
In short: Whole fried snapper topped with a hot, tangy pickle of vinegar, onion, carrot and scotch bonnet. Served with festival or bammy. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Escovitch fish is fried whole fish dressed with a sharp, peppery pickle of vinegar, onion, carrot and scotch bonnet. In Jamaica it is a Good Friday and Christmas morning favorite, and a roadside lunch along the coast, nearly always served with festival or bammy. The fish is fried until crisp and the pickle is poured over while both are warm, so the flavors soak in. It keeps well for days, which makes it an easy dish to cook ahead.
Instructions
- Score each fish with 2 or 3 diagonal cuts on each side. Rub inside and out with the salt, black pepper and thyme. Let stand for 15 minutes, then pat dry.
- For the pickle, bring the vinegar, water, allspice, peppercorns, salt and sugar to a boil in a small pan. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper and scotch bonnet and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Dredge the fish lightly in the flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles at once. Fry the fish two at a time for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp and the flesh flakes at the thickest part.
- Drain the fish on paper towels, then lay them in a shallow dish.
- Spoon the warm pickle and its liquid over the hot fish. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour, and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Serve with festival, bammy or hard dough bread.
Tips
- No snapper? Any firm whole fish such as sea bream, porgy or mackerel works. Fillets also work, fried for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- If your vinegar is very sharp, use 3/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water so the pickle tangs without stinging.
Questions and answers
How long does escovitch fish keep?
Covered in the refrigerator it keeps for 3 to 4 days, and many people find it tastes better after a day, once the pickle has soaked in. Serve it at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Is escovitch fish served hot or cold?
Usually warm or at room temperature. The fish is fried hot and the pickle is poured over right away, then it rests before serving.
How is escovitch different from ceviche?
Escovitch fish is fried first and then dressed with a cooked vinegar pickle. Ceviche uses raw fish cured in citrus juice, so the two taste and eat very differently.
How long does it take to make Jamaican Escovitch Fish?
About 50 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Jamaican Escovitch Fish?
About 340 kcal per serving, with 41 g of protein, 12 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 340 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 41 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 1000 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
