Jamaican Escovitch Red Snapper

Lightly battered red snapper is topped with a tangy sauce in this Jamaican-style escovitch recipe fragrant with allspice and Scotch bonnet pepper.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 219 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, or more to taste
• 1 pound red snapper, gutted and scaled
• ⅛ cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
• ½ Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and sliced
• ½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Wash red snapper thoroughly with water and lime juice. Let soak in lime water with 1 teaspoon black pepper in the refrigerator, 10 to 20 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.

Step 2

Mix flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Pat snapper dry with paper towels and lightly coat both sides with flour mixture.

Step 3

Heat oil in a heavy frying pan until very hot. Deep-fry snapper until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of the oil.

Step 4

Add onion, Scotch bonnet pepper, whole peppercorns, and allspice to the oil in the frying pan. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Pour in vinegar and stir until heated through. Add ketchup and simmer for 1 minute. Pour over hot snapper and let soak in. Serve hot or cold.