Photo Laurie Smith for Saveur magazine.
Escabeche Casa del Sol
There once was an excellent restaurant called La Casa del Sol in Ciudad Juarez, Chihu, across the border from El Paso, Texas, owned by our dear friends the Estavillos. During the time I lived there (1973-1983) there were no really good, more elegant restaurants in El Paso, but you could cross the border into Mexico and have a great meal. Then 9/11 came and crossing the border became a huge ordeal and we lost La Casa del Sol. They served this delicious escabeche with tortilla chips as a snack.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 carrots peeled, trimmed, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme I use 4-6 fresh sprigs and remove them before serving
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano I use 4-6 fresh sprigs and remove them before serving
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram I use 4-6 fresh sprigs and remove them before serving
- 8 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 head cauliflower cored and cut into florets
- 4 jalapeños stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- 3 medium zucchini trimmed and sliced
- 1 1-pound jicama peeled, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch dice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and bay leaves. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
- Add cauliflower, jalapeños, vinegar, and 1 cup water. Stir well, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and jicama. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Vegetables should remain crunchy, so do not overcook.
- Transfer to a bowl and discard bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve at room temperature. Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 43mgPotassium: 527mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4280IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
