What is Escabeche
The word ESCABECHE translates to pickled. The process is relatively simple. Onions, peppers, garlic, olives, capers, and peppercorns are lightly sautéd in oil with some lemon or vinegar (I use both).
Escabeche is supposed to be eaten cold, but my mom would always serve it hot, which I like. You can make anything in escabeche, chicken, fish, even green bananas, my favorite!
Guineos en Escabeche makes a great side dish for any occasion or main course. The pickling of the onions with the lemon or vinegar, plus the olives and capers make the sauce tart. Even though green bananas are not sweet, there is a small hint of sweetness that counterbalances the tartness of the sauce. Some people add a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe, but I do not think it is necessary.
Learn more about Bananas, Plantains, and Banana Leaves!!
Preparing the bananas
- Cut bananas off of the banana hand. Also, cut off the bottom of the banana. For this method, I will refer to the end that attaches to the "hand" as the top and the dark end the bottom.
- Make a cut to the skin only lenghtwise. Try not to cut into the fruit.
- At this point, you can separate the skin off the fruit with the blade of the knife or begin cooking it to remove the skin later. But for this preparation you will boil the bananas for about 20 minutes, then remove the skin. The skin peels off relatively easy once the bananas are cooked.
My first ebook is almost ready!
Have you gone to the supermarket and seen all those plantains and wondered how to cook them? So I decided to create a glossary of the ingredients we use in Puerto Rican cooking for my first ebook.
This book will cover the ingredients, different ways we use them, and a few basic recipes that we use regularly. The ebook is completely free. All you have to do is sign up on my waiting list. Once the book is complete, I will email a downloadable copy.
As simple as making sofrito!
Making Guineos en Escabeche
In a big pot add the green bananas. If you are using standard bananas, cut them in half. If you are using baby bananas leave them whole. I normally count two to three baby bananas per person or one and a half standard bananas per person.
Fill the pot with enough water to cover and have the bananas float freely in the water.
Bring the pot to a boil. Once it starts to boil add salt to the water. Boil the bananas for about 15 minutes or until when the bananas are pierced with a fork the fork goes in effortlessly and the banana falls off easily.
While the bananas cook, start making the escabeche sauce. In a frying pan, heat oil. Add onions and peppers and cook until translucent.
Add chopped garlic. Cook until garlic is aromatic and golden in color. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes.
If you are using regular bananas, cut the bananas into 1-inch rounds. If you are using baby bananas, you can leave them whole or cut them in half.
Toss in cooked green bananas. Heat through and serve. If preparing cold, pour bananas and sauce onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving or overnight. This sauce works great with any other ingredient like; chicken, or salted cod and serve
Guineos en Escabeche
Escabeche is a pickling sauce we use with green bananas, fish, seafood, chicken; you name it! It is deliciously sour and savory, full of onions, garlic, peppers, capers, and peppercorns.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Olive OIl
1 Onion
4 cloves of Garlic
1 Cubanelle Pepper
12 Green Manzanillo Olives
1 teaspoon Capers
6 Peppercorns
2 tablespoons of Lemon
2 tablespoons of Vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- In a big pot, add the green bananas.
- Fill the pot with enough water to cover and have the bananas float freely in the water.
- Bring the pot to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add salt to the water.
- Boil the bananas for about 15 minutes or until the bananas are pierced with a fork. The fork goes in effortlessly, and the banana falls off easily.
- While the bananas cook, start making the escabeche sauce;
- In a frying pan, heat oil.
- Add onions and peppers and cook until translucent.
- Add garlic. Cook until garlic is aromatic and golden in color.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Toss in cooked green bananas. Heat through and serve. For cold serve, see notes.
Notes
- If you are using standard bananas, cut them in half. If you are using baby bananas, leave them whole. I normally count two to three baby bananas per person or one and a half standard bananas per person.
- If preparing cold, pour bananas and sauce onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving or overnight. This sauce works great with any other ingredient like; chicken, or salted cod and serve
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 62
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 102.8 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: .7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: .7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
Zoe Forestier Morman
Puerto Rican Cuisine Explorer
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, but my family and I left the island at 15. It wasn't until years later that I realized how disconnected I was from my country, culture, and cuisine. Learn More . . .
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