Caribbean recipe · Yado Market
Escovitch fish is Jamaica's crispy fried fish under a hot vinegar pickle of onions, carrots, pimento and Scotch bonnet,1 the star of Good Friday2 and best with sweet fried festival.3 Here's the full recipe, festival two ways, and where to buy the seasonings in Chicago.
Quick answer: how to make escovitch fish
- Season whole snapper with fish seasoning and fry until crisp.
- Simmer vinegar with pimento, onion, carrot and Scotch bonnet.1
- Pour the hot pickle over the fish.
- Serve with festival: Grace mix $4.99 or homemade.
At a glance
- Serves4
- TimeAbout 45 minutes
- FishWhole red snapper or fillets
- At YadoFestival mix $4.99 · fish seasoning $3.99
- Get itPickup at 1651 E 87th St, Chicago, or U.S. shipping
The dish
What Is Escovitch Fish?
Escovitch fish (also spelled escoveitch) is whole fried fish topped with a hot, tangy pickle of vinegar, onions, carrots, chayote (cho cho), pimento berries and Scotch bonnet pepper.1 The name comes from escabeche, the Spanish and Portuguese way of preserving fish in vinegar, and the dish is a legacy of Spanish and Portuguese influence in Jamaica.1
It's the Jamaican Easter fish: many Jamaicans skip meat on Good Friday, so fried fish and escovitch fish take the center of the table, next to bun and cheese.2 The rest of the year it's a weekend favorite with festival, the slightly sweet fried dumpling made with flour, cornmeal and sugar.3
The heat comes from Scotch bonnet, a pepper rated 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units, about as hot as a habanero.4 The warm, clove-like note comes from pimento, Jamaica's name for allspice.5
Recipe
Escovitch Fish Recipe
For the fish
- 4 small whole fish (red snapper, parrot fish or porgy), cleaned and scaled, or 4 thick fillets
- Juice of 2 limes (to rinse the fish)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Grace fish seasoning (or salt and black pepper)
- Oil for shallow frying
For the escovitch pickle
- 1 cup white or cane vinegar
- 1 large onion, sliced in rings
- 1 carrot, cut in thin strips
- 1/2 chayote (cho cho), cut in thin strips (optional)
- 1 to 2 Scotch bonnet peppers, sliced (seeds out for less heat)
- 10 to 12 whole pimento berries
- 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt
Steps
- Rinse the fish with lime juice and water, pat it very dry, and cut 2 or 3 slits on each side.
- Rub the fish seasoning all over and into the slits. Rest 15 minutes.
- Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy pan until hot. Fry the fish 5 to 7 minutes a side until crisp and golden.
- Check it's done: fish is ready at 145°F, or when the flesh is no longer see-through and flakes easily with a fork.6 Drain on paper.
- For the pickle, bring the vinegar, pimento, sugar and salt to a simmer. Add onion, carrot, cho cho and Scotch bonnet; cook 1 to 2 minutes so the vegetables stay crunchy.
- Pour the hot pickle over the fried fish. Serve right away for crisp fish, or let it sit for an hour (or overnight in the fridge) for the traditional soaked-in flavor.
Can't find Scotch bonnet?
Crumble a few dried hot bird peppers into the vinegar, or finish with a few dashes of Jamaican hot pepper sauce.
Shop the guide
Escovitch & Festival Shopping List
Everything from the pantry side is in stock at 1651 E 87th St, Chicago, for pickup, or ships anywhere in the U.S.
The side
How to Make Jamaican Festival
Festival is a deep-fried bread that's a little sweeter than a regular Jamaican fried dumpling, made from flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk and butter.3 It's the classic partner for fried fish and escovitch fish, and also great with jerk chicken.3
Add water as the pack says, knead to a soft dough, roll into fingers and fry until golden. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Best for: weeknights, big batches, no measuring
Shop festival mix · $4.99 →1 cup flour, 1/2 cup fine cornmeal, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp butter, about 1/2 cup milk or water. Knead, rest 10 minutes, shape and fry.
Best for: when you want to tweak the sweetness
- Mix the dough until smooth and soft, not sticky. Rest it 10 minutes.
- Divide into 8 to 10 pieces and roll each into a finger about 5 inches long.
- Fry in medium-hot oil, turning, for 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden and cooked through.
- Drain and serve hot next to the escovitch fish.
Make it yours
Escovitch Variations & Tips
Nutrition
What Is in Escovitch Fish?
Escovitch fish is usually made with red snapper. The fish itself is lean and high in protein. Here is what 100 g of raw snapper contains, according to the USDA:7
Frying adds fat from the oil, and the festival dumplings add flour and sugar, so a full plate has more calories than the fish alone.
Where to Buy Escovitch Ingredients in Chicago
Get Grace fish seasoning, Grace festival mix, whole pimento, ground allspice, dried hot bird pepper and Jamaican hot pepper sauce at Yado African & Caribbean Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago, IL. Order online for pickup before Good Friday or the weekend, or get it shipped anywhere in the U.S.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is escovitch fish?
Jamaican fried fish topped with a hot vinegar pickle of onions, carrots, cho cho, pimento and Scotch bonnet.1
Is it escovitch or escoveitch?
Both spellings are used for the same dish; both come from the Spanish escabeche.1
What fish is best for escovitch?
Whole red snapper is the classic choice. Porgy, parrot fish, kingfish steaks and tilapia also work.
Why do Jamaicans eat fish on Good Friday?
Many Jamaicans avoid meat on Good Friday, so fried fish and escovitch fish become the main meal.2
What is festival made of?
Flour, cornmeal and sugar, with baking powder, salt, milk and butter, shaped and deep-fried.3
What do you serve with escovitch fish?
Festival is the classic side.3 Bammy or hard dough bread also work. Add a cold drink like sorrel or homemade ginger beer.
How hot is a Scotch bonnet?
100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units, about the same as a habanero.4
Where can I buy festival mix near me in Chicago?
At Yado African & Caribbean Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago, for pickup, or online with U.S. shipping.
Sources
- Escabeche, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- Easter celebration: faith, food and festivity, The Gleaner (Jamaica), April 2025. past.jamaica-gleaner.com
- Festival (food), Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- Scotch bonnet, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- Allspice, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
- Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature, FoodSafety.gov. www.foodsafety.gov
- Fish, snapper, mixed species, raw (FDC ID 173698), USDA FoodData Central. fdc.nal.usda.gov
