There’s nothing like the crispy, tangy, spicy bite of a good Jamaican escovitch fish. Growing up, this was always a beach-day or holiday favorite — fried snapper topped with pickled onions, carrots, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
Ingredients
- Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 25 mins
- For the Fish
- 6 whole red snapper (cleaned and scaled)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp all-purpose or fish seasoning
- Oil for frying (enough to deep fry)
- For the Escovitch Pickle Sauce
- ½ cup vinegar (white )
- ¼ cup water
- 2 medium carrot (julienned)
- 2 onion (thinly sliced)
- 3 Scotch bonnet pepper (sliced, seeds removed for less heat)
- pimento seeds (allspice berries)
- 2 tbsp of the fish oil
- ½ tsp sugar
Instructions
- Season the Fish:
Pat fish dry with paper towel. Rub with salt, black pepper and all-purpose seasoning inside and out. Let it marinate for 10–15 minutes.
Fry the Fish:
Heat oil in a large frying pan onmedium-high. Carefully place fish in and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides — about 6–8 minutes per side depending on size. Remove and drain on paper towel.
Make the Pickle Sauce:
In a small saucepan, combine fish oil, vinegar, water, onion, carrot, pepper, sugar and pimento berries. Bring to a light boil for 2–3 minutes — just enough to soften the vegetables but keep them crunchy.
Combine:
Pour the hot pickle mixture over the fried fish. Let it sit and soak up the flavors for a few minutes before serving.
Serve & Enjoy:
Best enjoyed with bammy, festival, or even a slice of hard dough bread to soak up the spicy vinegar sauce.
Tips:
- You can use parrotfish, porgy or butterfish if snapper isn’t available.
- For a milder flavor, use half a Scotch bonnet or remove the seeds.
- The longer the fish sits in the pickle, the better it tastes — perfect for making ahead!
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen! I’d love to see how your escovitch fish turned out — share your photos and tag @khaliaskuisine so I can repost them.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube (@khaliaskuisine) for more cozy Jamaican recipes, kitchen moments, and island vibes.
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