Escabeche

Escabeche is a cooking and preservation technique in which fish, poultry, or game is first fried or poached, then marinated in a mixture of vinegar, olive oil, onions, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. The acidic marinade preserves the food while infusing it with bright, tangy flavour. The technique has Moorish origins and spread from the Iberian Peninsula across the world.

In Portugal, escabeche is most commonly applied to sardines, horse mackerel (carapau), and partridge. Canned fish in escabeche sauce is a Portuguese conservas classic. The technique exemplifies the Mediterranean genius for combining preservation with pleasure, turning practical necessity into gastronomic tradition.