Not to be confused with ceviche, escabeche isn’t so much a dish as it is a marinade. Historically a means of preserving meat, it can be used with everything from rabbit to sardines. The marinade is typically a mixture of wine vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic, pimentón and laurel. Of the most common are seafood escabeches; the fish is cooked and then marinated, for at least a day, deepening the flavors and imparting a slight tang. Mejillones en escabeche (shown) are particularly popular among the Spanish and in many cases are preferred to fresh mussels. Visitors may be surprised by the high prices of preserved foods in Spain, but pay attention, you’ll find that those prices correspond with products that are considered a delicacy. And if preserved seafood sounds unappetizing, ease your way in with the milder escabeche de perdiz, a gourmet partridge variety.
