Fish Escabeche

I’d like to share with you one of the best Filipino dishes. Other people call this recipe as “SWEET & SOUR FISH”. Here are the ingredients:

fish (any frying fish will do)
calamansi juice (lemon or lime juice)
oil
green & red bell peppers (cut julienne style)
ginger (cut in julienne style)
tomatoes
onion (sliced)
garlic
carrots
pineapple juice
pineapple chunks
sugar
vinegar
cornstarch

Rub salt on fish (outside and inside after splitting the abdomen and taking the guts out). Fry in hot oil. Set aside.

Pound extra ginger, add a little bit of water and squeeze the juice out. Collect juice. Set aside.

To make the sweet and sour sauce: In another frying pan, heat oil, then add sliced onions and pounded garlic, stir fry. When the onion has become transparent and the garlic pieces become brown, add the strips of ginger and the green and red peppers. Stir fry. Add pineapple juice and tomato sauce or catsup for coloring. If you desire a sweeter sauce, add sugar; for more sour taste, add vinegar. Add pineapple chunks. And don't forget the ginger juice. This is really the secret of a good sweet sour sauce. The zesty taste of ginger. Thicken with a little bit of cornstarch*. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

You can now pour this over the fish and serve. However, I prefer the fish to be cooked a little bit in the sauce so it could absorb the flavor. To do this, put the fish into the simmering sauce and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.