Fish Escovitch with Festival

Ingredients

• 2 lbs whole fish
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup bell peppers
• 1 cup onions
• 1 cup scallions
• 1 medium carrots
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups festival flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water (for festival)

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean and scale the whole fish, then pat dry with paper towels.

2. 2

   Season the fish inside and out with salt and black pepper. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

4. 4

   Dredge the fish in all-purpose flour, shaking off any excess flour.

5. 5

   Once the oil is hot, carefully place the fish in the skillet. Fry for about 5-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.

6. 6

   In a separate saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, thyme, and sliced onions, bell peppers, carrots, and scallions. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

7. 7

   Let the vinegar mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened.

8. 8

   Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the fried fish, ensuring it is well covered. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.

9. 9

   In a large bowl, mix the festival flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.

10. 10

    Add the milk, vanilla extract, and water to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms.

11. 11

    Shape the dough into small oval dumplings.

12. 12

    In a separate pot, heat oil for deep frying over medium heat. Fry the festival dumplings for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

13. 13

    Serve the fish escovitch hot, topped with the pickled vegetable dressing, alongside the sweet festival dumplings.