The Sinclair’s Nick Venezia shares his family’s recipe for scapece (aka escabeche in Spain, or savoro in Greece or escoveech in Jamaica). The Venezia version of the marinated fish dish features a firm white fish, dressed with onion, vinegar, a little bit of sugar and mint to give it a refreshing seasonal twist. Served chilled, it’s a great addition to the summer repertoire.
Scapece
Details
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 pound of solid white fish like halibut, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 1 large red onion, cut into thin slices
- 1 bunch of mint, cut into long, thin strips
- 2 cups buttermilk (enough to cover fish for breading)
- 1 cup corn flour
- 3 cups canola oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
- Soak fish in buttermilk, then remove to a bigger sized plastic Ziploc bag.
- Dredge fish in corn flour, knocking off any excess flour, and set aside.
- Heat a thick bottomed pan and add 1" of canola oil. To test to see if it's ready, gently and carefully add a piece of the corn flour-coated fish, which should sizzle right away if the oil is hot enough.
- Add the dredged fish in batches, cooking to a golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and set on a thick layer of paper towels to drain.
- Toss the fish and onions in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add the red wine vinegar and sugar, and chill.
- Toss with fresh mint right before serving.
