Escabeche

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 8

Donna Melendez of Sacramento was looking for Bandera's escabeche recipe or one similar. Escabeche (es kah BEH cheh) originated in Spain and is cooked fish that is refrigerated in a spicy marinade for many hours and usually served as an appetizer. Although we haven't received Bandera's recipe, Janice Thornton of Merced shares this version.

Ingredients:

2 pounds mild-flavored fish steaks

½ cup olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and threaded on a toothpick

2 canned California green chilies, seeded and chopped

½ cup vinegar

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 orange, juiced

Lettuce, sliced oranges, ripe olives and sliced hard-cooked eggs for garnish

Instructions: Sauté fish steaks in olive oil on both sides until lightly browned. Arrange fish in a shallow serving dish. In the same pan, cook the onion slices and garlic cloves until lightly browned. Discard garlic. Add green chilies, vinegar, cumin, salt and orange juice. Pour over the fish and chill. Serve with garnishes.

Per serving without garnishes: 266 calories; 24 grams protein; 5 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams fat (3 saturated, 11 mono- unsaturated, 2 polyunsaturated); 37 milligrams cholesterol; 372 milligrams sodium; 0 fiber; 4 grams sugar; 55 percent calories from fat

This story was originally published March 5, 2008 at 6:36 AM with the headline "Escabeche."