A Splash of Sour

The first time I ate escabeche is engraved forever in my mind. I was 8 and visiting my grandmother at Santa Anita, her ranch in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, during the cattle roundup. This is the bittersweet time of the year when the calves are separated from their mothers. They are branded and have their ears notched to identify them, and then they are dehorned.

The male calves also have their testicles cut off. I watched as the cowboys removed them and placed them in a blue enamelware pot. When it was full, they took these huevitos de toro, or “little bull’s eggs” (aptly called “mountain oysters” in English), to my grandmother, who promptly breaded and fried them and put them in a vinegary sauce flavored with bay leaves, peppercorns and jalapen~os. The next day she had a party to serve escabeche de huevitos.

Few people in the United States know what “escabeche” means, even though anyone who has had pickled jalapen~os has eaten one.

Basically, escabeche is a cooked ingredient marinated or pickled in a vinegar sauce seasoned with herbs and spices. There are all kinds of escabeches--meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, vegetable, even fruit. They are light and delicious and have many layers of flavor.

But flavor is only part of their charm. They are great for entertaining, because they can be made ahead and are usually served at room temperature. Best of all, escabeches are easy to make.

The cardinal rule for escabeche is to use the freshest ingredients and the best vinegar you can get.

The quality of the vinegar is more important than you might realize. The ideal vinegar is one that has been allowed to mature without pasteurization or preservatives. Low-quality vinegars will give a hard edge to the dish instead of a mellow, subtle finish.

The flavor of the vinegar will determine the flavor of the dish. I prefer to use white wine vinegar because it is subtle, but sherry vinegar adds a pleasing woody tone. Pineapple and cider vinegar can lend a fruity note. But stay away from balsamic vinegar: It overpowers the other ingredients.

In any case, you must dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water or other liquid to reduce the acidity. My mother uses a strong bay leaf tea with an intense herbal flavor. If a recipe calls for it, I also like to add oil perfumed with fresh herbs.

Let the escabeche sit for a few hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator, to develop the flavors fully. Then let it come to room temperature before serving.

Because all sorts of foods can be prepared in this way, the recipes I give here are basic ones. The technique is the important thing; once you learn it, you can change the ingredients to suit your taste or according to the ingredients you have on hand.

I must caution that pork, veal and beef will be relatively tough, and they’ll develop a gray color if left in the marinade too long. Try poultry, fish and shellfish instead.

My mother is known for her sensational chicken escabeche. At my New York restaurant, Zarela, we often serve mussel escabeche as a special.

We also top grilled fish and fried oysters with red onion escabeche. Other vegetables lend themselves beautifully to this treatment.

I like to keep pickled vegetables--cauliflower, carrots, new potatoes, pearl onions, heads of garlic--in the refrigerator at all times for a quick snack. You can even make fruit escabeche. My cousin Hector makes a delicious version from fresh peaches in a chipotle chile-vinegar sauce.

The technique, like the name, goes back to the ancient Persians, who called it sikba^j (literally, vinegar stew). Originally, it was probably a way of preserving food; the acetic acid in the vinegar is a hostile environment for microorganisms. The dish spread to the Arab world during the Middle Ages, and the Moors took it to Spain. They pronounced the name something like iskbej, and the Catalans, who spell it escabeitx, introduced it to the rest of Spain.

By any name, the process remained the same throughout its travels: Stew, poach or fry pieces of meat and let them rest in vinegar for a day or two to develop flavor.

There are no medieval Arab recipes for vegetable escabeches, but there is a fish version, samak musakbaj (literally, fish made into sikba^j). The fish was fried and covered with vinegar seasoned with celery leaves, coriander seed and saffron. Interestingly, the modern Italian dish scapece alla vastese follows this recipe almost exactly.

Vegetable escabeches were apparently invented in Spain, possibly for periods of abstinence such as Lent. The Spaniards took the escabeche technique to the New World, and today it is found in some form or other in every Latin American country. (And not only there. In the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean, it’s called scovetch.)

Another dish that’s widespread in Latin America is also based on marinating food with an acidic ingredient and has a similar name: ceviche (also spelled seviche or cebiche).

The difference is that ceviche is always made from seafood, the marinade is always citrus juice and the main ingredient is not cooked, although it stiffens up as if cooked and people say the citrus juice “cooks” it.

I discovered ceviche at about the same time that I learned about escabeche.

The summer after that memorable cattle roundup in Chihuahua, my parents took a family vacation in the port town of Guaymas in Sonora. At that time, Guaymas was a sleepy little place with few tourist amenities, but the water was blue and the beaches were clean. I had known only desert and mountains, and it seemed like paradise. Here we were in the tropics, with miles of orange and lemon groves, tiny oysters by the bucket, fish of all kinds.

Before Guaymas, the only fish I had eaten were the breaded fillets (made from frozen fish) that were served by the Luby’s Cafeteria chain in Texas. But then I tasted my first zesty, tangy, refreshing ceviche. I remember how the flavors exploded in my mouth.

Unlike escabeche, ceviche has a somewhat mysterious history. The Peruvians, who are famous for their cebiches (as they tend to write it), claim the dish originated in their country. If so, it couldn’t have been in pre-Columbian times, because there were no citrus fruits in the New World then.

The idea may really have come from Southeast Asia, where the Filipinos, for instance, make a sort of ceviche they call kilawen.

Like escabeche, ceviche is very easy to make but depends even more on using the freshest ingredients.

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If you are making ceviche, buy a whole fish. Make sure that the eyes are clear and round and that the fish has a fresh sea smell. Pick it up and hold it in the palm of your hand--if the tail flops down, you will know the fish is a little old because the muscles have relaxed. When you’ve picked your fish, have the butcher or fish merchant filet it for you.

If you can’t get a whole fish, buy the freshest filets you can find. But avoid frozen fish. It not only loses its flavor, it also disintegrates into a mushy pulp when you add the lemon or lime juice.

The kind of fish used for ceviche varies from country to country and region to region, but a firm-fleshed variety--red snapper, hake or sea bass--works best. Tuna makes delicious ceviche, but it turns gray after two or three minutes in the marinade. Shellfish and squid should be blanched before marinating.

In Mexico, the marinating liquid is usually lime juice. The lemons and sour oranges used in other countries are deemed too sweet, and their lower acidity requires a longer steeping time. Limes “cook” the fish faster.

About that “cooking.” Does the citric acid in the lime juice really cook the fish? No, but the resulting texture is just like that of cooked fish: The proteins coagulate in the acidic environment the same way they do over heat. By the way, the marinade does not kill bacteria the way cooking does. Apart from the “cooked” texture, ceviche is as raw as sashimi, which is one reason the fish has to be fresh.

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How long you let the fish rest in the juice varies greatly, depending on the type of fish and how it is cut (you should use a very sharp knife to avoid fraying the flesh). When “done,” the flesh should be firm to the touch and opaque, not translucent. To test it, probe the thickest part with a fork. Just as with cooked fish, when it flakes, the fish is properly done.

Drain the fish and pat it dry. Some cooks rinse it in cold water first. The fish is now ready to mix with the flavorings of your choice. In traditional ceviches, availability and regional preferences dictate what they will be.

Ceviche is fairly new to Mexico, and it is very likely that Peruvians introduced it in the second half of the 19th century.

“Nuevo Cocinero Mejicano en Forma de Diccionario,” a comprehensive dictionary of Mexican dishes and food terms published in 1853, lists escabeche but not ceviche. But today each state of Mexico has its own version, and the worlds of escabeche and ceviche often meet here; many ceviches are flavored with jalapen~os en escabeche.

In Acapulco, the port city of the state of Guerrero, avocados and green olives are added for richness and an interesting flavor note. In the Caribbean, habanero chiles impart a fruity, very spicy note to marinated conch. Cilantro is usually the herb of choice for ceviche, but some people use Italian parsley. In some places, coconut milk and squid ink can be part of the marinade. Some recipes call for catsup, mayonnaise or even heavy cream.

The accompaniments also vary. Mexican ceviches are usually served with saltine crackers and pico de gallo salsa on the side. Peruvians prefer boiled potatoes and chunks of corn on the cob. In Ecuador, the favorite accompaniment is large popped kernels of corn. Crisply fried plantain slices are traditional in Honduras.

In the United States, diners have been discovering the joys of ceviche.

Many years ago, I tried serving it at my restaurant, and in the beginning it met with great resistance; but now our daily ceviche special routinely sells out. In Patria Restaurant, where New York chef Douglas Rodriguez creates magical Nuevo Latino cuisine, one of the most popular items is a tasting featuring a Honduran tuna ceviche with coconut milk, an Ecuadorean shrimp ceviche and a Peruvian black ceviche made with squid ink.

You can even find ceviche at Japanese restaurants. Nobu Matsuhisa, the chef of Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills and Nobu in New York, lived in Peru for many years and serves delicious Japanese Peruvian ceviche at both restaurants. He simply makes a ceviche sauce and adds it to whatever seafood he has on hand. You can do the same at home.

Both ceviche and escabeche are perfect dishes for summer. Not only are they light, refreshing and easy to make, but they can be made ahead of time, and they’ll look great on your next fiesta table.

PICKLED FISH FILLETS (Escabeche de Pescado)

This recipe will appears in my next book, “Savoring the Day,” to be published in 1997.

5 large sprigs Italian parsley

1 (3- to 4-ounce) French roll, sliced and fried in about 3 tablespoons olive oil until golden

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 large cloves garlic

1 large onion, thinly sliced into half-moons

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

8 whole cloves

5 bay leaves

1 cup white vinegar

4 (6-ounce) black or sea bass fillets, skin on

10 large pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 pickled jalapen~os, tops and seeds removed and thinly sliced

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place parsley sprigs and bread in food processor and grind. Set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic cloves and cook until golden, pressing down on them with back of spoon to release flavor. Remove and discard garlic cloves. Add onion and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add bread-parsley mixture, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add vinegar and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Let cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry fish fillets until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side, taking care that they do not overcook. Transfer carefully to 1-inch-deep serving platter. Sprinkle olives, capers and pickled chiles over fillets and pour sauce over. Let rest in refrigerator, covered, 4 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

395 calories; 408 mg sodium; 56 mg cholesterol; 25 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 0.63 gram fiber.

PICKLED RED ONION GARNISH (Escabeche de Cebolla)

These onions not only taste great on their own, they are the perfect garnish for other escabeche dishes or for any barbecued or roasted meats that could use a jolt of sour. The onions can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. This recipe is from my book “Food From My Heart” (Macmillan, 1992).

1/4 cup olive oil

8 cloves garlic

1 large sprig rosemary

1 large sprig thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 red onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

Salt

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Heat oil in medium skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and peppercorns. Stir to combine and saute 1 minute.

Add sliced onions. Saute 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Stir in vinegar. Bring to rapid boil and remove from heat at once. Onions should still be slightly crunchy.

Makes about 2 cups.

Each tablespoon contains about:

19 calories; 10 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.05 gram fiber.

PICKLED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SALAD (Escabeche de Pollo y Verduras)

This recipe was adapted from Aida Gabilondo’s “Mexican Family Cooking” (Ballantine, 1986).

BAY LEAF TEA

2 cups water

4 large bay leaves

Place water and bay leaves in small saucepan and bring to boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to 1 cup; remove from heat and allow to steep until infusion is deep, dark color with intense flavor. Remove bay leaves before using.

ESCABECHE

1 quart chicken broth

3 (4- to 6-ounce) chicken breasts

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon mashed garlic

2 cups sliced zucchini

4 carrots, diced (or use frozen)

3/4 pound fresh green beans, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (or use frozen)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup diced onion sauteed in 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon crushed oregano

1/4 cup canned pickled red jalapen~os

Bring chicken broth to boil, add chicken breasts, reduce to simmer and cook through, 18 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and let cool. Remove bones and cut meat into bite-size pieces.

Combine 1/4 cup olive oil with mashed garlic and pour over chicken. Cover and set aside.

In boiling salted water to cover, cook zucchini 2 minutes, carrots and green beans 3 to 4 minutes and peas 2 minutes. Vegetables should be crisp-tender. Drain each as it is done and set aside until cool.

Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar with 1/4 cup olive oil in large bowl. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Add poached vegetables and sauteed onions, stirring well to combine. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup vinegar with Bay Leaf Tea. Add sliced garlic and 1 teaspoon oregano.

Place 1 layer of chicken pieces in large serving dish and cover with layer of vegetables. Repeat if you have enough ingredients for 2 layers, and be sure that top layer has some pieces of chicken showing. Add Bay Leaf Tea and pickled jalapen~os. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle remaining oregano on top before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

384 calories; 665 mg sodium; 22 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams protein; 2.80 grams fiber.

PICKLED VEGETABLES (Escabeche de Verduras)

Tightly covered, this can be stored in the refrigerator up to one week. The recipe is from my book “Food From My Heart” (Macmillan, 1992).

2 teaspoons anise seeds

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic

1 large sprig rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 large sprig thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

4 bay leaves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

4 small carrots, cut in thin strips or diced

1 large red onion, cut in thin slivers

2 zucchini, cut in thin strips or diced

2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips

Salt

3/4 cup wine vinegar

Heat anise in small, ungreased heavy pan over high heat, shaking pan often, until toasted and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

Heat oil in large skillet or saute pan over high heat until very hot but not quite smoking. Add whole garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and carrots. Reduce heat to medium-high and saute, stirring often, 2 minutes. Add onion, zucchini and chiles and saute 2 minutes more. Add salt to taste. Add vinegar and bring to rapid boil. Remove at once from heat. Vegetables should be somewhat crunchy. Stir in toasted anise. Let cool. Pour into glass or stainless steel container and refrigerate tightly covered overnight or at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about:

216 calories; 93 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.39 grams fiber.

NOBU MATSUHISA’S CEVICHE

At Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills and Nobu in New York, the daily ceviche special is made with this sauce and any fish scraps on hand. You can do the same. Change the vegetables, if you like. This is a perfect recipe for playing in the kitchen. Note: yuzu or citrus seasoned juice and panko (bread crumbs) are available in Japanese markets.

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

1/4 cup yuzu juice or Japanese citrus seasoned juice

1/3 cup cold water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons ground ginger root

2 teaspoons panko (bread crumbs)

Salt

2 pounds raw fish scraps, or cooked octopus, squid, lobster or shrimp

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup minced onion

Combine lemon juice, yuzu juice, water, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, ginger, panko and salt to taste in medium nonreactive bowl. Let rest 10 minutes.

Add fish, tomatoes and onion and let rest about 5 minutes. Drain and serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

108 calories; 555 mg sodium; 51 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 7 gram carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 0.25 gram fiber.

GUERRERO-STYLE CEVICHE (Ceviche de Guerrero)

Serve this with saltine crackers.

1 1/2 pounds sierra or red snapper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 1/4 cups catsup, optional

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

12 green olives, pitted and sliced

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crumbled

Salt, pepper

1/2 jicama, finely diced, optional

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 avocado, peeled and diced

2 to 3 pickled jalapen~os, sliced

Place fish and lime juice in medium nonreactive bowl, cover tightly and let rest in refrigerator until flesh is firm to touch and opaque, about 6 hours. Drain, pat dry and transfer to large bowl. Discard lime juice.

Add tomatoes, catsup, onion, cilantro, olives, oregano and salt and pepper to taste, stirring well to combine. Add jicama and olive oil, stirring well to combine.

Garnish ceviche with avocado and jalapen~o slices.

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings.

Each serving contains about:

151 calories; 86 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.90 gram fiber.

HONDURAN CEVICHE

I have eaten this marvelous ceviche many times at Patria restaurant and each time it thrills me. The recipe is from “Nuevo Latino” by Douglas Rodriguez (Ten Speed Press, 1995).

PLANTAIN CHIPS

3 cups canola or corn oil

2 green plantains, peeled and finely sliced lengthwise

Salt

Garlic powder

Heat oil to 350 degrees in deep fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Immediately add plantain chips 1 at time, but do not overload pan or oil will not stay hot enough. (Cook in batches, if necessary.) Deep-fry until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove chips with wire-mesh strainer and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder to taste and let cool.

CEVICHE

1 jalapen~o, chopped with seeds

2 tablespoons chopped ginger root

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk or fresh coconut water

1 1/2 pounds tuna, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 red onion, sliced into thin half moons

1/4 cup shaved coconut

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 cup seeded and diced red bell pepper

1 bunch watercress, leaves only

Place jalapen~o, ginger root, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and coconut milk in blender or food processor and puree until smooth. When ready to serve, toss with tuna and stir in red onion, coconut, green onions, chives and cilantro. Top with bell pepper and watercress leaves. Serve with Plantain Chips.

Makes 8 appetizer or 4 main-course servings.

Each appetizer serving of ceviche alone contains about:

242 calories; 298 mg sodium; 26 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 1.56 grams fiber.

Each of 8 servings of plantain chips alone contains about:

64 calories; 297 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

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Cook’s Tip

The sierra is the Pacific Ocean equivalent of the Spanish mackerel. It is fished from San Diego to Peru and can be found in Latin American fish markets. Bonito or any mackerel that is bought fresh can be substituted.