Jamaican escovitch fish with rice and peas

Crisp fried fish topped with a tangy, peppery pickle of onions, carrots and peppers, the Jamaican way. Served with coconut rice and peas.

Ingredients

• 150 ml White wine vinegar
• 15 g Caster sugar
• 1 g Ground allspice
• 1 Onions, thinly sliced
• 100 g Carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 Peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 Fresh chillies, Scotch bonnet if you dare, thinly sliced
• 300 g Basmati rice, rinsed
• 400 g Kidney beans, drained
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 2 Spring onions, whole, lightly crushed
• 2 g Dried thyme
• 0.1 Garlic, crushed
• 600 g White fish fillets, 4 thick pieces
• 40 g Plain flour
• 1 g Ground allspice
• 4 g Salt
• 1 g Black pepper
• 60 ml Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. Warm the vinegar, sugar, allspice and 50ml water in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Add the onion, carrot, pepper and chilli, simmer for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.
2. Put the rice, beans, coconut milk, 200ml water, spring onions, thyme, garlic and a pinch of salt in a pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat until the liquid has gone. Remove the spring onions.
3. Pat the fish dry and season with salt, pepper and allspice, then dust in the flour.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fish until crisp and golden on both sides and cooked through.
5. Spoon the warm pickle and some of its liquid over the fish and serve with the rice and peas.