ESCABECHE

~ Tagalog Lang

1 whole fleshy fish (lapu lapu, red snapper, carp, or mackerel)
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
flour for dredging fish
oil for frying
2 T. oil
1 t. minced garlic
1 T. ginger root, cut into strips
1/2 c. sliced onion
1/2 c. red bell pepper strips
1/2 c. green bell pepper strips
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
2 c. water

Rub the fish with salt & pepper. Dredge with flour and deep-fry in very hot oil. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil. Add garlic, ginger, onion, and bell peppers; saute lightly until crisp-tender. Set aside.

In a small pan, whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, vinegar and water. Simmer five minutes or until thickened, whisking often.

Place fish on serving dish. Pour sauce over fish, then arrange bell pepper mixture on top.

Notes: My sister suggested we try this tasty Filipino dish. We modified it slightly according to what we have on hand, using cod fillets from the freezer and whole wheat flour because I ran out of regular. I know frying is key to the recipe, but I'm going to try broiling it next time to see if there's much of a difference in taste. We serve it over brown rice.