“Jamaican Escovitch Fish is a dish where fried fish is topped with a spicy sauce and pickled vegetable medley. It is usually served with bread, festival or bammies. This is one of my favourite dishes to eat and also make. And since we’re in the season of finger food, I thought it fitting to recreate this traditional dish into something a bit fancier, that you could have in just one or two bites. It pairs perfectly with a cold, Red Stripe beer.” – Chef Noel Cunningham, Cuisine by Noel
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb fish fillet
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 6 pimento berries
- 1 cup white vinegar
- Oil for frying
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
- 3 bammies
DIRECTION
To prepare fish, rinse well. Cut fillet into bite-sized pieces and pat dry with paper towels.
Season fish with salt and pepper then dredge in flour, lightly dusting off the excess flour. Deep fry fish over high heat.
Once cooked, remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towel to allow the oil to drain.
Cut bammies into 4 medium squares and soak in the coconut milk for 10 minutes. While the bammies are soaking, heat a frying pan and fill it up to ½-inch high with vegetable oil. Once hot enough, fry the bammies until golden brown.
Remove from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towels to allow any excess oil to drain.
Make the pickle: in a frying pan sauté all the vegetables with 2 tablespoons of oil then add vinegar; leave to reduce then add sugar and pimento berries.
To serve, place fish on top of bammies, then top with escovitch pickle and enjoy.
