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5 from 1 vote

Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica. At first glance this breakfast dish looks like scrambled eggs but ackee is actually a fruit that has a taste similar to heart of palm and a smooth almost custardy texture. Mild ackee picks up seasoning from the onion, peppers, and tomatoes. The dish gets briny pops from the flaked salted cod and freshness from thyme and green onions.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Jamaican
Keyword ackee, bell pepper, cod, dairy-free, egg-free, jamaican, main, nut-free, saltfish, seafood, tomato
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 372kcal
Author Jenny Ross

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces salt cod or fresh cod, see note
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or coconut oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 Scotch bonnet chili stemmed, seeded, and minced, or use 1 habanero
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 roma tomato diced
  • 2 green onions sliced thin
  • 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 19 ounce can ackee 300g fruit, drained
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 avocado sliced for serving

Instructions

  • Rinse the salt from the salt cod and then cover with water in a medium size bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or one hour at room temperature).
  • Drain cod and add to a small pot. Cover the fish with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Taste and if still too salty, drain the water and bring to a simmer again for another 20 minutes. When cooked, drain the water and flake into bite size pieces and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, peppers, Scotch bonnet, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions are soft and translucent and the peppers are soft, 5-10 minutes.
  • Add the tomato, green onion, thyme, and cod. Cook until hot and the tomato is softened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the ackee and gently fold it in, trying to keep the pieces intact. Too much stirring will break down the fruit into a mush. Cook until heated through then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with avocado and a few green onion slices for garnish.

Notes

In place of the salted cod, you can also pan fry some fresh cod and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then just flake this into the dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 4170mg | Potassium: 1303mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1290IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 6mg