Moroccan · Salad
Essaouira Sardine Escabeche
A tangy, make-ahead way with Essaouira's plentiful sardines — the fish lightly fried, then steeped in a warm marinade of vinegar, olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika until they turn silky and sharp. Left a day to develop, this escabeche is served cool as a starter, a Mediterranean-Atlantic technique long at home on the Moroccan coast.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 5
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 800 g fresh sardines, cleaned
- Flour, for dusting
- 8 garlic cloves, sliced
- 120 ml white wine vinegar
- 120 ml olive oil, plus more for frying
- 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp cayenne and salt
Method
- 1
Fry the sardines
Dust the cleaned sardines in flour and fry them briefly in hot oil until just golden, then drain and lay in a dish.
- 2
Make the marinade
In the olive oil, gently cook the sliced garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne and bay until fragrant, then add the vinegar and a little salt and warm through.
- 3
Steep
Pour the warm marinade over the fried sardines so they are well covered.
- 4
Rest
Cool, then refrigerate at least a day so the sardines soak up the sharp, spiced marinade.
- 5
Serve
Serve cool, not cold, with the marinade spooned over and bread alongside.
Chef's tips
- Fry the sardines only lightly; they finish 'cooking' as they steep in the acidic marinade.
- Give it a full day in the fridge — escabeche is all about the flavours melding over time.
- Bring it back to cool room temperature before serving so the olive oil is loose and fragrant.
Frequently asked questions
How long does escabeche keep?
Well covered in its marinade it keeps for several days in the fridge, and the flavour deepens, making it an ideal prepare-ahead starter.
Can I use other fish?
Yes; small mackerel, mullet or fillets of firmer fish all take well to the escabeche treatment.