What is escabeche?

Escabeche is the name for a food treatment, found in Southern Europe and Latin America, that involves fish or chicken (and occasionally other meats and vegetables). The fish (etc.) is fried then cooled and pickled in an acidic sauce, and flavored, typically with paprika and/or garlic. Chefs work to balance the acid with the other elements of the dish.

Like its distant relative ceviche, escabeche often involves seafood and an acid, but the similarities end there. Escabeche is served cold.

In Top Chef Wisconsin ™, Laura was praised for the balance of her Mussel Escabeche. 

A quick escabeche can be made in minutes by combining sliced vegetables with red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt, a small amount of sugar, and aromatics such as garlic and fresh herbs. Unlike traditional long-marinated versions, a quick escabeche is ready in 20 to 30 minutes. It adds brightness, acidity, and crunch to rich or fatty dishes. 

Watermelon radish is an excellent candidate: its peppery flavour softens pleasantly in the acid while its striking pink-and-white colour remains vivid.