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As we’ve learned from this lovely blog, Filipino cuisine is the love child of Spanish and Chinese cooking. Escabeche, pickled fish, is a perfect example of this hybrid flavor palette. It has a very Chinese sweet and sour taste, cooked in a Spanish technique (think ceviche). For Filipinos, this is basically fried fish with atchara dumped on top of it. But that’s another story!

1 medium red snapper, whole
1/2 c green onions, julienned
1/2 c red pepper, julienned
1/2 c carrot, julienned
1/3 c ginger, julienned
6 tbs. minced garlic
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c water
1/2 c sukaang maasim (native white vinegar)
2 tbs soy sauce

Clean the fish and fry it in oil until it’s cooked all the way through. Set aside. Or, you can ask your fish monger to do it for you. Set the fish aside. In the same pan, saute garlic until it’s light brown, then add the onion. When the onion is translucent, add the carrot, ginger, red peppers, and half the scallions. Stir in the sugar, water, soy sauce and vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until the everything is cooked. Place the fish in a serving dish and pour the vegetable sauce over it. Garnish with the remaining green onions. Serve with steamed rice.

Note: If you want to take a shortcut and not have to make your own sauce (because you don’t trust that you can “season to taste” and get the lasang Pinoy right), I highly recommend that you buy Mama Sita brand escabeche mix.