Escabeche is tasty, easy, and a perfect pickling sauce for any fish.
The sauce has a mild sweet vinegary taste which goes very well with kingfish steaks and vegetables like cassava and unripe plantains.
Fermentation
This dish requires patience and will need to refrigerate at least 24 hours prior to eating. Yes, it may take some time but it will be worth the wait!

Pescado en Escabeche (Pickled Fish)
Escabeche is tasty, easy, and a perfect pickling sauce for any fish or vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white onion chopped
- 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 7 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup spanish olives pitted
- 1 1/2 cups olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Kingfish
- 2 large kingfish steaks
- 1 lemon
- adobe seasoning
- salt & pepper for taste
- oil for frying
Instructions
First, prepare the escabeche by heating a large sized saucepan to stovetop medium heat. Pour in a little olive oil to sauté. Throw in the chopped white onion, minced garlic, and chopped red bell pepper when the pan is ready.
Sauté the mixture for 3-5 minutes while continuously stirring. Slowly pour in the olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss in the spanish olives, bay leaves, salt, and the black peppercorns.
Stir the mixture around and reduce the heat to simmer. Set aside for 45 minutes. Heat a medium frying pan to medium-high heat. Cover the bottom of the frying pan with oil for frying.
Season the king fish steaks with adobe seasoning, salt & pepper, and squeeze half of the lemon onto both sides of the fish. Slowly put each king fish steaks into the pan, and fry each side for 3-4 minutes. Make sure to not over fry the fish. It should be golden on the outside, while making sure the fish meat is still soft.
Place king fish steaks into a small-medium sized glass container. Pour escabeche sauce over the fish and cover the container with a tightly sealed lid. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours for pickling process. Before eating, let fish thaw to room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Recipe calls for two large king fish steaks but four to six small palm sized will fit.
I followed the ingredients but used 3 gloves, had no BLK peppercorn.. I’m hoping it tastes just as good..