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Escabeche de Pescado

Crispy fried fish lacquered in a sweet-sour onion and aji amarillo pickle — a Moorish-inspired Peruvian classic served cold or warm.

⏱ 20 minPrep time
🔥 30 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Escabeche de Pescado

Escabeche traveled from Spain’s Moorish kitchens to Peru, where it met aji amarillo and became something entirely its own. Fish is fried until crisp, then bathed in a vinegary, golden onion sauce that turns the whole dish sweet, sour, and gently spicy.

Sweet, sour, and golden from head to tail

The onions keep a wonderful crunch in their vinegar bath while the fish stays crisp beneath the glossy sauce. Eaten warm or cold, with rice and olives, every bite snaps with vinegar and hums with aji warmth.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge them lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the fish for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crisp; drain on paper towels and arrange in a shallow dish.
  3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil, then cook the onion rings over medium heat for 6 minutes until soft but not browned.
  4. Add the garlic and aji amarillo paste and cook 1 minute, then pour in the vinegar, stock, oregano, and bay leaf.
  5. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes until slightly reduced, then season with salt.
  6. Pour the hot onion sauce over the fried fish, scatter the olives on top, and let it sit for at least 15 minutes so the flavors meld.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature with rice and boiled sweet potato slices.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Letting the fish rest in the sauce — even overnight in the fridge — is traditional and makes the flavor bloom. Escabeche keeps 2 days refrigerated and is delicious cold.

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Recipe details

Prep20 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →