THE STORY OF THE GERRET FISH

A story from the Port of Soller Fishermen …
Gerret (caramel, in Spanish) is a very common fish in the Balearic cuisine and is present in the markets, especially in winter. Males can reach 15 to 20 cm and females. They have a grayish hue, with lighter sides, and a rectangular black patch characteristic of the species. They are hermaphrodites, young females are and at age 2, when they measure more than 10 cm., they become males. It is in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, sea of Azov, and from Portugal to Morocco (including the Canary Islands and Madeira).

Escabeche is a method of storage of food in vinegar and is named also retrieved food.

Escabeche of fish is based on fried fish, that already the Romans (Apicius ‘De re coquinaria”) made and prepared with a mixture of olive oil, vinegar and wine, seasoned with aromatic herbs and other seasonings, crushed in a mortar.

It seems that the culinary technique of pickled was created at the same time by Persians and Arabs and was introduced by the latter in Catalonia during the middle ages. The Arabs were preparing it with meat and very rarely with fish but in catalan recipes Llibre de el Sent Soví, 14th century, 3 pickle recipes, of which one is with sardines. Catalan cuisine is extended to the rest of Spain, Italy, France, Belgium i the rest of Europe. The Castilian form marinade written, first appeared, in 1525, in the “book of the stews” Ruperto de Nola, Chef of the Aragonese King Fernando of Naples, edited in Toledo and which is a translation of the “Llibre de coc” of Mestre Robert (15th century).

The catalan name “escabetx” has given the Spanish “escabeche”, French “escabeche” Occitan “escabeche”, the Walloon “escaveche”, Portuguese “escabeche”, the Genoese “Sacabeccio” and the Sicilian “schivecch”.

INGREDIENTS:-½ kilo of gerret caramel) – 200 ml of vinegar (dark) – 200 ml. of water – 5 or 6 artichokes – 2 carrots – 1 bunch of FRY (grells) – 2 heads of garlic – salt – 1 bay leaf – flour to coat – oil for deep frying preparation: clean the fish, remove the scales and the head and let it drain in the colander.

Meanwhile, we chafamos the cloves of garlic. Cut carrots on sticks and sauteed bunch. Peel and cut the artichokes into fine pieces and let them soak with lemon so no rust.

Put a frying pan with oil to the fire. We offer salt fish and pass them through flour. We are frying them and place them in a dish on which we have put absorbent paper to remove excess oil. We will then position them in a clay pot.

Once we have fried whole fish, strain the oil to remove the remains of flour. In this same oil fry the garlic. When the garlic starts to take a little color, add the carrots, the FRY and artichokes. FRY a few minutes.

Add bay leaf, vinegar jar and the glass of water. Let boil 10 minutes to fire soft and half covered.

East elapsed time pour vinegar on the fish in the Pan and all vegetables.

It is advisable to wait 24 hours for the fish has got the taste of the vinegar. It is served cold.

Source: http://www.recetaspieras.com/2014/01/10/escabeche-de-gerret-caramel/ 

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