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Ackee and saltfish
Jamaica's national dish: buttery ackee folded through flaked salt cod, peppers and scotch bonnet
On a Jamaican Sunday morning, from Kingston yards to country kitchens in St Mary, the smell of salt cod frying with onion, thyme and scotch bonnet means breakfast is nearly ready. The ackee itself is a red tree fruit whose cream-coloured flesh cooks up soft and mild, a lot like scrambled egg, and it soaks up the salty fish and peppery oil around it. It is eaten with fried dumplings, boiled green banana, roast breadfruit or hard dough bread, and is just as welcome at lunch. A note on safety: ackee is only safe when the pod has ripened on the tree and opened by itself, and the black seeds and pink membrane are removed. Outside Jamaica, tinned ackee is the safe, easy choice and is what this recipe uses. Chef's tip: soak the saltfish overnight and then boil it once; taste a flake before it goes in the pan, because you can always add salt but you can't take it out.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz boneless salt cod (saltfish)soaked in cold water for 8–12 hours, water changed twice
- 10 ½ oz tinned ackeedrained weight (one 540 g tin)
- 3 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 3 spring onions (escallion)chopped
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet pepperdeseeded and finely chopped; use a whole one if you like heat
- ½ red peppercut into strips
- ½ green peppercut into strips
- 2 tomatochopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 9 oz boneless salt cod (saltfish), cover with fresh water in a pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain.
12 minStep 2: Taste a small flake. If it is still very salty, cover with fresh water and boil for 5 minutes more. Common mistake: skipping this taste test; over-salty fish ruins the whole pot and the ackee can't balance it.
5 minStep 3: When the fish is cool enough to handle, flake it into small pieces with your fingers, removing any skin and stray bones.
Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 onion, 3 spring onions (escallion), 2 cloves garlic and ½ scotch bonnet pepper and fry for 3–4 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
4 minStep 5: Add ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper and 3 sprigs fresh thyme and fry for 3 minutes, until the peppers just start to soften.
3 minStep 6: Stir in 2 tomato and the flaked saltfish and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the tomato softens and the fish is hot right through.
5 minStep 7: Gently fold in the drained 10 ½ oz tinned ackee and season with ½ tsp ground black pepper. Turn the heat to low, cover and let it warm through for 3–4 minutes, folding once or twice only. Tinned ackee is already cooked and breaks up easily, so stir with a light hand.
4 minStep 8: Remove the thyme stalks and serve hot with fried dumplings, boiled green banana, roast breadfruit or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ackee and saltfish take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of spring onions (escallion)?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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