An easy dish that brings the flavors of Jamaica into your kitchen!

Besides being the national dish of Jamaica, it’s hands down one of my all-time favorites – Ackee and Saltfish (saltfish is cod that’s been dried and salted).  I’ll eat this accompanied by anything – roasted or fried breadfruit, fried or boiled dumpling, boiled ground provision (a term used in the Caribbean to describe root vegetables), bammy (a.k.a cassava), or fried plantain.  While traditionally a breakfast meal, it can be eaten any time of day. If I had it my way, I would eat this dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – I can never get enough!

Ackee is a fruit, indigenous to West Africa and thus thrives in Jamaica’s warm, tropical climate.  It doesn’t have much of a taste on its own, so it’s the seasoning that you cook it with which enhances its flavor. 

The warning to “always make sure ackee has opened up naturally – to ensure the toxins are properly released” has been etched on my mind for as long as I can remember.  When prepared well, ackee is very delicious, however, eating ackee that hasn’t fully ripened is dangerous and could be fatal.  I remember learning about ackee as a child – how to know when it’s ripe, the dangers of eating it when it’s not fully ripened, and how to prepare it for cooking (or “cleaned” as the process is oftentimes referred to). 

I recall being at home in Jamaica as a child, sitting next to a large bowl filled with ripe ackee ready for cleaning.  My little hands would pull out the pieces from the opened pod, pull the seed from the yellow edible part known as the aril or the flesh, and clean away the pinkish-red membrane that was inside the crevice of the flesh at the base of the seed.  (The seed and the membrane would be discarded as these are poisonous).  Because the flesh would oftentimes break into smaller pieces or become mushy from the pressures of my hands, it was a huge accomplishment for me when it remained intact after undergoing this process.

Once that preparation was over, that’s when the real party began…

The first guests to arrive were the seasonings – thyme, scallion, onion, pimento, garlic, black pepper, green pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper.  They sizzled in the pot, getting acquainted with each other and allowing their distinct flavors to mix and mingle.   Next to arrive were the tomato and saltfish – which needed their own time to mingle with the other guests, creating the perfect atmosphere for the guest of honor – ackee.  Once ackee arrived, adorned in its show-stopping yellow attire, it made its way around the pot, greeting the other guests before they were all transported in style by a silver spoon to their next venue, and shortly after the party would come to an end. 

As much as I love this dish, there’s nothing worse than biting into a fork full of ackee and saltfish that tastes bland.  The secret to making a good ackee and saltfish is in the scotch bonnet pepper and the saltfish.  The scotch bonnet pepper gives it a kick of heat, but isn’t overbearing and in my opinion is essential to achieve an authentic and flavorful dish of ackee and saltfish and is the perfect complement to the saltfish. 

When prepared properly, the saltfish will retain just enough salt to help season the dish.  Now, I must admit I’ve had times when I failed miserably with the saltfish.  While daydreaming about the meal I would soon be feasting on, I boiled the saltfish too long so not even a hint of salt remained.  When that happened, I added a sprinkling of Adobo All-Purpose seasoning to the pan with all my ingredients and all was well again.

This dish is really simple to make and far too irresistible not to try for yourself.  I hope you’ll enjoy making it and sharing the dish with your friends and family, as you bring a little flavor of Jamaica into your kitchen.

PREP TIME  35 mins

COOK TIME 10 mins

TOTAL TIME 45 mins

COURSE; Breakfast, Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish

CUISINE; Caribbean, Jamaican

SERVINGS  4 persons

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can ackee (pre-cooked)
• 1 lb de-boned saltfish (salted codfish or pollock)
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• ¼ medium green bell pepper de-seeded & chopped, (optional)
• 1 small tomato diced
• 1 large garlic clove chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme chopped, (optional)
• 1 stalk scallion/green onions chopped
• ¼ small scotch bonnet pepper de-seeded & chopped. ADD SCOTCH BONNET PEPPER TO TASTE (*pepper seeds are super hot so remove them prior to cooking!)
• 4-6 pimento seeds
• ½ tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Boiling method: Rinse the saltfish thoroughly by running tap water over it to remove the excess salt. Add the saltfish to a large pot of water and let boil (uncovered) for 30 – 35 minutes. Pour off the salted water and taste a tiny bit of your saltfish. If the saltfish is too salty, return it to the pot with adequate water to cover the fish, then boil for another 5 -8 minutes. Remove the fish from the pot and place it in a bowl of cool water.
2. Soaking method (slow): Rinse the saltfish by running tap water over it to remove excess salt, then place it to soak in a large bowl filled with cold water. Let the saltfish soak overnight for up to 8 hrs. Pour off the salted water and taste a tiny bit of the saltfish to determine if it has the desired amount of salt. If it is still salty, add hot water and let it soak for another 10 minutes. (If you are using boneless and skinless saltfish, skip ahead to step 4)
3. Use the serrated edge of a dinner knife to gently scrape the scales and thick silvery skin from the fish. For (bone-in) saltfish, remove the bones and discard.
4. When the saltfish has cooled, use your fingers to ‘flake’ it into smaller pieces.
5. Prep the seasonings and set aside.
6. Drain the canned ackee and set aside.
7. In a large, wide skillet, heat the cooking oil on medium-high heat for 30 seconds.
8. Sauté the chopped seasoning lightly (about 10 seconds), then add the flaked saltfish.
9. Using a large wooden spoon, stir-fry the saltfish with the seasonings for 1 minute.
10. Cover the pot, and let cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
11. Add the cooked ackee, sprinkle with black pepper, then toss all ingredients together to stir-fry for 2 minutes.
12. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let cook for 3 minutes.
13. Uncover stir the pot, turn off the heat and let rest for 2 minutes.
14. Serve your delicious Ackee and Saltfish with roasted or fried breadfruit, fried dumplings, or boiled ground provisions.

(Recipe courtesy of https://roxychowdown.com/ackee-and-saltfish/)