Easy Spanish recipe | Pickled fish

This easy Spanish recipe tackles one of my favourite recipes, pickled fish. It’s a dish that I always order when I spot it in the chilled tapa cabinets. Personally I prefer it as part of a selection of tapas… but it also goes really well with salad.

I promised this would be one of our easy Spanish recipes – and it is. Pickled fish – pescado en escabeche – enjoy!

Ingredients for pickled fish

• a kilo of your favourite white fish fillets
• 300 millilitres of white vinegar
• 300 millilitres of white wine
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium leek
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 small tin of roasted red peppers
• Plenty of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• Half a dozen black peppercorns
• Salt

Method for pickled fish

• Peel and finely julienne the carrot, onion and leek
• Finely dice the roasted red peppers
• Finely slice the garlic – this should be wafer thin
• Remove all bones and skin from the fish fillets (skinning is optional)
• Sprinkle a little salt over the fish, rub it in gently and leave it for about an hour
• Pour 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil into a large cazuela or heavy based frying pan
• Pan fry the fish on both sides over a medium to high heat until it JUST starts to turn golden
• Remove it from the pan and set it to one side
• In the same pan, toss in the carrot, onion and leek and saute over a low to medium heat until translucent and softened
• Throw in the garlic and peppercorns and stir well
• Pop the fish back into the pan and add the vinegar and white wine
• Let it simmer gently for about 10 minutes
• Remove from the heat and transfer into a heatproof dish
• Cover and leave it to cool
• Serve cold – drained first

Spain Buddy tips

This dish needs to be kept simple, so don’t mess with the ingredients too much. Enjoy it for what it is. But if you must… try these suggestions

• Replace the carrot and peppers with young tender fresh green beans (runners) or asparagus tips
• Any white fish will do, but this also works well with anchovies, salmon and tuna
• The finer you slice the veggies – the faster they’ll cook… but feel free to leave them chunky if that is your preference
• If the fish breaks up as you transfer it from pan to heatproof dish – that’s okay!

Elle Draper

Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.