There are different techniques to preserve food that have been used throughout human history. One of these techniques is the escabeche.
These methods are used to ensure that the products can withstand the passage of time, preventing the loss of flavor and nutritional qualities that they have naturally.
What is the escabeche?
Escabeche is a technique used by great chefs to make food remain in good condition for longer, thus avoiding having to freeze it.
Thanks to this form of preservation, it is possible for pickled foods and products to maintain all the properties that make them suitable delicacies for a healthy and balanced diet.
In addition to helping to preserve food, the escabeche has the power to add great flavor and aroma to the dishes in which it is included as an ingredient, creating a tasty and incredible sensation with each bite.
This technique can be used with different foods such as fish or meat, especially wild animals, or vegetables.
Escabeche: how is it done?
The elaboration of the escabeche is very simple to carry out.
Its ingredients are vinegar, salt, white wine, oil and some aromatic herbs. Other ingredients that are usually used for stir-fry, such as onions, garlic and carrots, can also be used in the preparation.
The pickle can withstand two different types of processing: cold pickle or hot pickle.
One of the best-known examples of the use of cold marinade is anchovies in vinegar. Thanks to the marinade, in addition to being much better preserved, they have a much more powerful flavor. The acids in the vinegar will gradually “cook” the fish.
But in the case of meat, the marinade should always be done hot. Before introducing the pieces of meat in the marinating liquid, it is necessary to have cooked them in advance.
Where does the escabeche originate from?
The name given to this type of elaboration comes from an Arabic and Persian word that is pronounced as “iskabech”. Little by little this word was translated until it reached the one we use today: escabeche.
The Persian word that was used referred to a meat stew that was made with vinegar, in addition to other ingredients. This word appeared in traditional literature thanks to the well-known story of “The Thousand and One Nights”.
In those days, refrigerators did not yet exist; That is why it was necessary to invent ways to preserve foods such as meat and that they reached all homes.
Among these methods, acids began to be used to help maintain different foods. Vinegar and wine were two of the most famous ingredients to preserve products; and now they are part of the recipe to make the escabeche.
Other theories about the escabeche indicate that, despite the fact that its designation is Arabic, its origin is Spanish.
The word in Spanish, escabeche, appeared in the year 1525 in a cookbook, written by a very famous Catalan gastronomic author for being the first to write cookbooks on the European continent.
Although there are different theories about the meaning and origin of this word, what is more than clear is that escabeche is a culinary technique that has become a trend, which allows food to be kept in good condition and helps it enhance its wonderful flavor. .
Escabeche: a traditional preparation that survives the passage of time
In these times when ultra-processed foods are in fashion, pickling has become a traditional technique that remains at the top of culinary techniques.
Either to prevent food from freezing or as a cooking method that helps to bring out and establish its flavor, pickling is a traditional cooking and preservation method that has endured over time, being used to create authentic gourmet dishes.
The foods made with this technique are easy-to-cook recipes that serve as a side dish and that allow unique and exclusive foods to be brought to the table without losing their properties, as well as their maximum flavor.
