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Okra and saltfish
Jamaican okra sautéed with flaked salt cod, onion, tomato and Scotch bonnet
Okra and saltfish is a Jamaican home breakfast and quick dinner, cooked in kitchens from Kingston to Montego Bay and eaten with boiled green bananas, fried dumplings, yam or white rice. Rounds of okra are sautéed with onion, garlic, tomato, thyme and Scotch bonnet, then the flaked salt cod is folded through. The cod needs desalting first, so allow overnight soaking or the quick double-boil method; that is why the total time is honestly over half an hour. The usual mistake is stirring the okra too much and covering the pan, which turns it slimy; cook it in an open pan and keep stirring gentle. Chef's tip: a squeeze of lime at the end cuts through the okra and brightens the whole pan.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz boneless salt cod
- 14 oz okrastalk ends trimmed, cut into 1 cm rounds
- 3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 garlic cloveschopped
- 2 spring onionssliced
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- ½ Scotch bonnet chilliseeded and finely chopped; wear gloves
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ lime (optional)juiced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Desalt 10 ½ oz boneless salt cod: soak it overnight in the fridge in cold water, changing it twice, or cover with cold water, bring to the boil, simmer 10 minutes, drain, and repeat with fresh water. Taste a flake: it should be mildly salty.
20 minStep 2: Drain and cool the fish, then flake it into bite-size pieces, removing any skin or bones.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat. Add 14 oz okra in a single layer and fry, turning only now and then, until bright green and lightly browned, 4–5 minutes. Keep the pan uncovered.
5 minStep 4: Add 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 spring onions, 2 fresh thyme sprigs and ½ Scotch bonnet chilli and cook until the onion softens, 3 minutes.
3 minStep 5: Add 2 tomatoes and cook until they slump into a light sauce and the okra is tender but still holds its shape, 3–4 minutes.
4 minStep 6: Fold in the flaked fish and ½ tsp ground black pepper and heat through for 2 minutes. Taste before adding any salt (it rarely needs it), remove the thyme stalks and finish with ½ lime.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does okra and saltfish take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 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.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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