Escabeche de Pescado, Classic Chilean Pickled Fish Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• ½ tsp. freshly ground coarse sea salt
• 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeds left in, fine chopped
• 4 swordfish steaks or mahi mahi steaks, approx. 8 oz. each
• freshly ground black peppercorns
• all-purpose flour
• ½ cup dendé oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled and rough chopped
• 1 lb. snow peas, left whole, blanched
• ½ red bell pepper, seeded and rough chopped
• Some rough chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

1. Make your special Escabeche de Pescado pickling liquid first. Combine the vinegar, water, ½ tsp. salt, bay leaves, chopped chili pepper, and whole peppercorns in a deep walled saucepan (non-aluminum) or cooking pot. Bring to a vigorous, rolling boil, then cut the heat off and leave the pan or pot on the slowly cooling burner to gradually cool off while still actually cooking some more.
2. Season your fish steaks with freshly ground sea salt and black peppercorns and dredge them in the flour, pressing firmly to coat well, then shaking off any excess.
3. Heat the dendé oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or skillet, then sauté the fish until nicely browned on both sides, turn only once. Usually 3 minutes on the first side down, then 2 minutes on the other will do the trick.
4. While the fish is cooking, steam the snow peas and just blanche them—one the water is boiling, cut the heat off in about 30 seconds. You want them still nice and firm and crunchy.
5. Remove the fish when browned, and let them drain off any excess oil on paper towels. Pat the upside of the steaks with another paper towel.
6. In a very large bowl, place the browned fish steaks, as well as the chopped onion, bell pepper, and snow peas, then pour the pickling liquid over everything. Stir to combine and saturate equally, then cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours is even better.
7. When you are ready to eat your Escabeche de Pescado, take the bowl from the refrigerator, drain the pickling liquid off in a sieve or coriander. Remove and separate the snow peas and fish steaks, and combine the onion and bell pepper.
8. To serve, place a bed of snow peas on each serving plate, then a pickled fish steak on top, place a mound of combined chopped onion and bell pepper, and garnish with a sprinkling of rough chopped cilantro. Escabeche de Pescado is best, and traditionally, served cold, not at room temperature, so assemble the plates right before eating time.