Techniques
How to Make Escabeche
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Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min active (+ 8 to 24 hours overnight)
Total
24 hr 25 min
Serves
Makes 1 pint
Escabeche is a Spanish and Latin technique for pickling food that's already been cooked. The ingredient gets charred, blanched, or fried first, then submerged in a cold brine and left overnight. The result is softer and deeper than a quick pickle, with the cooked flavor and the acid working together over time.
Ingredients
- Ingredient to pickle (red onions, jalapenos, calamari, shrimp, vegetables)
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- Aromatics: Mexican oregano, garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, a dried chile
Instructions
- 1Cook the ingredient first. For onions: slice thin and char on a dry pan until edges are lightly blackened. For jalapenos and carrots: blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. For calamari or shrimp: flash-fry or quickly saute until just cooked through.
- 2Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 3Pack into a jar or container while still warm.
- 4Make the brine: combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and aromatics. Stir until the salt dissolves. The brine should be cold or room temperature when you pour it over.
- 5Pour the brine over the packed ingredient. Press down so everything is submerged.
- 6Seal, refrigerate, and let sit overnight. Minimum 8 hours; best at 24 hours.
How to Use This
Escabeche is a topping, a condiment, or a standalone dish depending on what's in the jar. Red onion escabeche goes on tacos, grilled fish, and plates. Calamari escabeche is a dish on its own. The overnight rest is what separates it from a quick pickle: the flavor integrates and the texture settles in a way that can't be rushed.
Why This Method Works
Cooking the ingredient first changes its texture before the acid works on it. A raw onion pickled quickly stays crisp. A charred onion that sits overnight in brine becomes something different: softer at the edges, with the smoke and the brine absorbed all the way through. The cold brine preserves the cooked quality while the acid slowly works its way in over several hours.
Make It Yours
- Red onion escabeche: Char red onion slices on a dry skillet until edges blacken. Brine in apple cider vinegar with a pinch of Mexican oregano overnight. Goes on almost every taco.
- Jalapeno and vegetable escabeche: Blanch jalapenos, carrots, and cauliflower together. Brine with garlic, bay leaf, and oregano. Good at 12 hours, better at 24.
- Calamari escabeche: Flash-fry cleaned calamari rings in hot oil until just cooked through. Transfer immediately to cold brine with lemon and fresh herbs. Rest 8 to 24 hours.
- Shrimp or scallop variation: The same approach works for lightly seared shrimp or scallops. The acid continues the cooking gently through the overnight rest.
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