Escovich: Jamaican-Style Fried Snapper

Votes: 8

Time: 30 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Escovich is a popular Jamaican fried fish, most often snapper, served topped with a special vinegar dressing made with carrots, onions, and hot Caribbean peppers. The snapper is cooked whole. The fish is first rubbed with a seafood spice mix and preferably marinated for a while. If you prefer, you can cook the fish in batter, adding the spice mix directly to the batter. Either way, after frying, it will be crispy and spicy on the outside and very juicy on the inside. Drizzle with the Escovich dressing and enjoy.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Fish

1 whole snapper
2 tablespoons seafood seasoning, recipe below
Fish batter, optional
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Dressing, for serving, see recipe below

Seafood seasoning

2 tbsp. ground allspice
1 tbsp adobo powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
0.5 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tbsp. ground white pepper
2 - 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Escovič gas station

1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
6-8 allspice peas
Sea salt
30 g carrots, grated or cut into thin strips
30 g sweet white or red onion, thinly sliced
4 - 5 Caribbean red peppers (Scotch Bonnet), chopped
1 sprig of fresh thyme

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast iron skillet to 175°C.
Make slits on both sides of the fish. Rub inside and out with seafood seasoning. Dip in batter, if using (see Note).

Deep-fry the fish until the skin or batter is crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with the dressing.

Seafood seasoningIn a food processor, combine the allspice, adobo, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Add the olive oil and process until the mixture turns a rich red color, about 45 seconds.
Escovič gas station

Combine vinegar with 3 cups of water in a saucepan. Add sugar, allspice, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, peppers, and thyme. Remove from heat and let the vegetables steep in the hot liquid for a while (they should remain crisp).

Note

If you're using fish batter, you can add seasoning to it. If time permits, marinate whole fish for at least an hour, and fillets for slightly less (depending on size). Escoviç dressing is a staple in Caribbean homes. The recipe varies from region to region and even from family to family. It's typically bottled, stored in glass jars, or other containers and used as a dip or drizzled over fried, baked, or steamed seafood.