Red Mullet Escabeche with Shallots, Orange and Capers

Name: Red Mullet Escabeche with Shallots, Orange and Capers
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; 2 shallots, cut into thin rings; ½ cucumber, peeled and seeded; 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar; 4 × 225–275 g (8–10 oz) red mullet, scaled, filleted and all pin bones removed; The juice of 2 large oranges, plus one curl of zest; 2 fresh tarragon sprigs; 4 tablespoons olive oil; A knob of butter; 1 tablespoon fine capers or chopped large ones; The juice of 2 large lemons, plus one curl of zest; 3 tablespoons water

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Fabulous Food

By Gary Rhodes

Published 1997

About

Escabeche is a Spanish way of preparing fish and meat. The word itself literally means ‘pickled’ but, before pickling, the main ingredient is cooked. This dish will suit most fish, especially trout, herrings and mackerel, and the fish will take on a lot more flavour if this dish is prepared a few hours in advance.

Ingredients

4 × 225–275 g (8–10 oz) red mullet, scaled, filleted and all pin bones removed
½ cucumber, peeled and seeded

Method

Mix the shallot rings with the capers in a small pan and add the vinegar and water. Bring to the simmer and cook for 1–2 minutes. Drain off the vinegar liquor into another small pan, reduce by a third and reserve. Keep the shallots and capers to finish the dish. Boil the two juices with their zests and one sprig of tarragon in a third small pan. Reduce by half. Once reduced, drain through a sie