Belize - Escabeche

What is escabeche? Escabeche is a marinade - it can be fish, chicken, pork, whatever meat you want! I made a few changes on this recipe, but I think it still turned out pretty good! Visually, it looks like it would be bland, but it holds a lot of good Caribbean flavor.

Some fun facts about Belize:

• Belize doesn't have any major fast-food chains, such as McDonalds, Burger King or Starbucks.
• 1 million visitors visit Belize every year, 70% being Americans.
• 90% of the people can read and most can speak three languages: English, Spanish and Creole. 

I listened to some traditional Belizean music while I cooked.

 

Escabeche

6 chicken thighs (bone-in) - I used boneless thighs and cubed them

1 cup fresh lime juice - I used lemon juice

1 + 6 cups water

pinch + 1 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped - I used minced garlic (3 tsp)

2 tsp dried oregano - I used ground oregano

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

5 allspice berries - I used ground allspice (5 tsp)

10 black peppercorns - I used ground pepper (1/4 tsp)

2 bay leaves - I didn't use any

1 cup vinegar - I used distilled white vinegar

cooked rice

1.  Place chicken thighs in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice, 1 cup water, jalapeno, and a pinch of salt.

3. Pour the lime mixture over the chicken, ensuring all pieces are well-coated.

4. Cover and refrigerate for at last 2 hours or overnight (This step not only infuses the chicken with a tangy flavor but also tenderizes it.)

5. In a 6-quart pot, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

6. Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and pat it dry with paper towels.

7. Add the chicken to the pot and brown it on all sies. This will take about 5-7 minutes. remove the chicken and set it aside.

8. In the same pot, add garlic, oregano, onions and carrots. Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

9. Return the chick to the pot, and add allspice berries, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt.

10. Add 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to cover the chicken (6 cups). Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

11. Put 1/2 (or more) cooked rice in a bowl and soon soup over it

In English, the official language of Belize ....  I earned my badge!