Red snapper Escovitch with Harissa Sauce
Whole fried red snapper seasoned with warm spices, topped with a tangy pickled bell pepper and onion escovitch, and served with a smoky homemade harissa sauce.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Food processor or blender
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 2 medium to large whole or filet red snapper cleaned
- 6 whole habanero peppers or jalapeño or scotch bonnet for extra heat to your liking
- 6 whole all spice seed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- 2 teaspoon freshly cracked Madagascar wild peppercorns or black peppercorn
- Avocado oil or vegetable oil
For the Escovitch Pickles
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Pink Himalayan salt or sea salt to taste
- Freshly cracked Madagascar wild peppercorns or black peppercorn to taste
- Harissa sauce store-bought or homemade, for serving
For the Harissa Homemade Sauce
- 4 red bell peppers
- 2-3 red chili peppers adjust to taste
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Prepare the Harissa Sauce
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the red bell peppers and red chili peppers on a baking sheet.
- Roast for about 20-25 minutes until the skins are charred and blistered.
- Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a bowl, covering with plastic wrap. Let them steam for 10-15 minutes, then peel off the skins and remove the seeds.
Blend the Sauce
- In a dry skillet, toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the roasted peppers, garlic, toasted spices, smoked paprika, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Cook the Fish
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, cracked peppercorn, paprika, garlic powder, celery seed, cumin powder, and onion powder.
- Rub the seasoning mixture all over the cleaned red snapper, making sure to get into the slits and cavities.
- Heat enough oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to cover the bottom of the pan and season the oil with the all spice seed and hot peppers. The hot pepper will turn black but that's okay.
- Fry the red snapper for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until the fish is cooked through. Remove and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
Prepare the Escovitch Pickle
- In the same skillet, add the julienned carrot, bell pepper, and onion. Sauté for about 4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the vinegar, stir well, and bring to a simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly cracked peppercorns to taste. Remove from heat.
Assemble the Dish
- Serve with a generous drizzle of the harissa sauce under or over the fish, then spoon the escovitch pickle mixture over the top.