Escoveitched Fish

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -6 ounces tilapia fillets
• 4 key limes or 4 cayman limes
• 1/2 cup flour
• ground black pepper, to taste
• seasoning salt, to taste (johnny's jamaica me crazy seasoned sea salt)
• peanut oil (for frying)
• 1 1/2 cups vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon tortuga hell-fire hot pepper sauce (found at tortuga rums online) or 1 teaspoon scotch bonnet pepper, to taste (minced and seeded)
• 1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips
• 1 small chayotes, peeled and cut into strips (cho-cho) or 1 small zucchini (sliced in strips)
• 2 medium onions, sliced into thin rings
• 12 allspice berries
• 8 whole black peppercorns

Recipe

• 1 fish:.
• 2 rinse the tilapia filets with water and sprinkle generously with lime juice.
• 3 let sit for 20 minutes.
• 4 pat dry and sprinkle each piece generously with seasoned salt and black pepper.
• 5 pour the flour into a shallow bowl and dredge each piece lightly, shaking off excess.
• 6 set aside.
• 7 heat about 1/2 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan until hot (but not smoking) and fry fish until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
• 8 remove fish and drain on paper towels, then arrange in a single layer in glass dish.
• 9 marinade:.
• 10 in a non-reactive saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients, from vinegar to black peppercorns, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about five minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
• 11 remove from heat and cool to lukewarm, about 20 minutes, then pour 3/4 marinade over the fish. (if you add it while still very hot, it will cook the fish more and turn it to mush.).
• 12 arrange fish so all pieces are evenly covered with mixture.
• 13 allow to marinate for at least eight hours or overnight in refrigerator, but serve at room temperature.
• 14 when serving fish, serve the remaining marinade on the side.