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Tilapia escabeche
Tilapia is not the only fish you can use. Any firm and fleshy fish is good. If you’d rather not deal with a whole fish (I understand that preparation can be a real challenge), it is alright to use fillets.
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Filipino
Prep Time
15
minutes
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
minutes
Marinating time
2
hours
hours
Total Time
2
hours
hours
35
minutes
minutes
Servings
4
people
Author
Connie Veneracion
Ingredients
2
whole tilapia
(about 1.2 kilograms total weight) cleaned and gutted
2
tablespoons
rock salt
½
teaspoon
ground black pepper
2
cloves
garlic
peeled and lightly pounded
2
one-inch knobs
ginger
peeled and lightly pounded
2
stalks
lemongrass
(white portion only) lightly pounded
Vegetable topping
1
onion
2
cloves
garlic
2
stalks
lemongrass
white portion only
1
one-inch knob
ginger
1
small
carrot
1
bell pepper
Sweet sour sauce
¼
cup
vinegar
½
cup
white sugar
½
teaspoon
salt
2
tablespoons
tomato sauce
2
teaspoons
corn starch
dispersed in two tablespoons water
To cook tilapia escabeche
cooking oil
Instructions
Season the fish
Rinse the tilapia and pat dry with paper towels.
Score both sides of the fish.
Rub the salt and pepper evenly over the entire surface of both fish.
Divide the lemongrass, garlic and ginger into two portions, and use one portion to stuff the cavity of each fish.
Place the fish in a covered container and leave to marinate in the fridge for two hours.
Prep the vegetables
Peel and thinly slice the onion.
Peel and mince the garlic.
Peel off and discard the tough outer stalks of the lemongrass then thinly slice the tender portion.
Peel and julienne the ginger and carrot.
Cut the bell pepper into halves, scoop out and discard the seeds. Julienne the deseeded bell pepper.
Make the sweet sour sauce
Stir the vinegar, sugar, salt and tomato sauce in a sauce pan.
Heat the mixture, stirring often, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour in the starch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and no longer cloudy.
Cook the vegetables
Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan.
Saute the sliced lemongrass, garlic and ginger until aromatic.
Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper.
Cook the vegetables just until done. Scoop out and set aside.
Fry the tilapia
Take the fish out of the fridge and dry with paper towels once more.
In a thick-bottomed frying pan, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of two inches.
Lightly coat the tilapia with corn starch; shake off the excess.
Fry the tilapia, turning them over for even cooking, until golden and crisp.
Assemble the tilapia escabeche
Arrange the fried tilapia in shallow bowls.
Drizzle sweet sour sauce over the fish.
Top with the vegetables and sliced scallions.