Haddock en Escabeche

When I saw Rick Bayless the first time on the newly launched Cooking Channel a few weeks ago, I was hooked: this man knows Mexican cuisine. He does not only have his James Beard award and a Top Chef win to prove it, but his talking about Mexican cuisine speaks for itself. Since his shows are on PBS (appropriately), but not available on satellite, I ordered a few of his DVDs from his website.  Today, I watched one of the DVDs, and lunch was decided: haddock en escabeche.

Serves 2

2 TB olive oil

1 medium white onion, sliced in full rounds, 1/8-inch thick

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly sliced into long thin sticks

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1 large sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), plus a few sprigs for garnish

1 sprig fresh marjoram (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), plus a few sprigs for garnish

A 1-inch piece cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly and coarsely ground

2 bay leaves

3 whole cloves

a few black and green olives
2-3 pickled jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

Salt, about 1 teaspoon

2 haddock fillets

1. Making the escabeche. Heat the oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots on not too high heat; stir often, until onions are crisp-tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, water, thyme, marjoram, cinnamon stick, pepper, bay and cloves. Cover, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat, add the jalapeños, and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon.It should still be brothy.

2. Season the haddock fillet with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet, add a 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and set over medium heat. When hot, fry the haddock. Cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer the haddock to a baking dish and pour the escabeche over the fish. Let cool to room temperature, and serve.

3. Serving. Remove the bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon. Garnish with sprigs of thyme and marjoram. Enjoy!