Ackee & Saltfish

Name: Ackee & Saltfish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: jamaican
Ingredients: 600g boneless salted cod; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 medium onion finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves finely chopped; 3 spring onions thinly sliced; 1 scotch bonnet pepper deseeded and finely chopped; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp ground pimento (allspice); 1/2 red pepper deseeded and finely chopped; 1/2 green pepper deseeded and finely chopped; 1 large tomato chopped; 2 x 540g cans ackee drained

4.15 (6)

⏱ 65 mins 🍽 Serves 6 🌶 jamaican ✅ Easy 🏷 Breakfast

Prepare a classic Jamaican ackee and saltfish, a beloved brunch or lunch dish. The recipe involves desalinating salted cod before combining it with gently sautéed onions, garlic, scotch bonnet, and bell peppers. The mixture is then folded with soft ackee fruit and simmered with thyme and pimento. It yields a hearty, aromatic meal full of distinctive Caribbean flavours, perfect for sharing. This method ensures the ackee remains intact for the best texture.

Ingredients

600g boneless salted cod
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
3 spring onions thinly sliced
1 scotch bonnet pepper deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground pimento (allspice)
1/2 red pepper deseeded and finely chopped
1/2 green pepper deseeded and finely chopped
1 large tomato chopped
2 x 540g cans ackee drained

Method

Place the salted cod in a pot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes before draining. Cover the fish again with fresh cold water.
Boil and drain the fish repeatedly until the salt level suits your taste. For ideal seasoning, boiling it three times is suggested. After draining, let it cool. Use a fork to flake the cod into chunks and set it aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is very hot, reduce the heat. Cook the onion, garlic, spring onions, and scotch bonnet until they soften, which should take about 5-7 minutes.
Introduce the flaked cod to the pan. Season with black pepper, thyme, and pimento, then stir everything together and cook for approximately 3 minutes.
Mix in the chopped red and green peppers along with the tomato. Cook these for 2-3 minutes. they help moderate the dish's heat.
Gently add the drained ackee to the pan with another dash of black pepper. Carefully fold the ackee into the mixture to avoid breaking it up.
Let the combined ingredients simmer together for 3-5 minutes, then it is ready to be served.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories435 kcal

Fat22 g

Saturates1 g

Carbs5 g

Sugars4 g

Fibre1 g

Protein53 g

Sodium876 mg

Salt2 g

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy

CategoryBreakfast

Cuisinejamaican

DietGluten-free