Pescado en Escabeche

Pescado en escabeche 

My nephew from Trinidad, Nigel, and his brother, Leon, from Spring Hills, Florida, paid me a visit on Saturday. I was ready to make the tried and true chicken, rice and beans. Then, Nigel requested food with a fancy name but a Caribbean touch. Thinking of that request, the next day I made Escabeche, a first cousin to ceviche. It's bathed in lime juice, sautéed in olive oil and refrigerated in onions and olive oil. I used a base recipe from Carmen Aboy Valldejuli's classic book "Puerto Rican Cookery."  Here's my version.

                Pescado en Escabeche
2 cups olive oil
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons mixed peppercorn
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 bay leaves
2 large onions
6 King fish slices, 1 inch thick 
2 limes, zest and juiced. Save zest for other uses.
1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper 
Olive oil for frying
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1. In a large pot, add 2 cups of olive oil, vinegar, peppercorn, bay leaves and onions, cook over low heat 45 minutes. Let cool and reserve. 
2. Clean and rinse fish. Throughly dry steaks
with paper towels. Sprinkle with lime juice.  
3. Heat 1 cup olive oil in large sauce pan and add the garlic. Remove garlic when brown.
4. Dust fish in seasoned flour. Add slices and brown on both sides, about 15 minutes.
5. In a deep glass dish, lay slices of fish in the bottom.
Pour oil/onion mixture over fish, cover and place in refrigerator for at least four hours. 
Serve cold.