Ackee and Saltfish

It’s no secret that I LOVE Caribbean food, especially if it’s Jamaican. Every visit, I can’t get enough. That’s why I have to make it at home. And y’all, the taste of this ackee and saltfish recipe? It’s something else! Ackee is a fruit (yup, a fruit) that just has this way of soaking up all the goodness from the cod and the other ingredients, giving you a bite that’s tropical and savory. Make it for breakfast like the locals do, serve with some fried plantains or rice and peas and get your life.

How to make saltfish and ackee

1. Place cod in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak, changing the water every few minutes.
2. Discard soaking water and place the cod in a saucepan.
3. Cover with fresh water and a lid, and bring to a boil.
4. Discard boiling water, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil once more.
5. Once cooked, remove the fish from the saucepan. It should flake easily.
6. Break the fish up into small pieces with two forks.

7. Add onion, scallion whites and light greens, bell pepper and Scotch bonnet pepper to a nonstick skillet with oil. Cook until softened and translucent.
8. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook again.
9. Add cod and cook for a few minutes.
10. Add tomatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender.
11. Add ackee and cook until heated through.
12. Turn off the heat, stir in dark greens of scallions, and season with salt and pepper.

Ackee and Saltfish Recipe

This Ackee and Saltfish recipe is fantastic, y'all! Jamaican cuisine at it's finest full of flavor from the salted cod, ackee and spices! Easy to make, even easier to eat!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

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Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• 1 3 Quart Sized Saucepan
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 large skillet

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces salted cod boned and skinned
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup yellow onion diced small
• ▢ 2 scallions minced, divided
• ▢ ½ cup bell pepper diced small
• ▢ ½ Scotch bonnet pepper stemmed, seeded, minced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon fresh
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ cup tomato diced small
• ▢ One 19-ounce can ackee drained
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ Black pepper

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Instructions

• To prepare cod, rinse cod under cold water, removing visible salt. Place in bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for one hour, changing the water every 15 minutes. Discard soaking water and place cod in a small saucepan. Cover with fresh water and a lid and bring to a boil. Discard boiling water, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil once more. Fish should flake easily. Break fish up into small pieces with two forks. Set aside.
• To a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, scallion whites and light greens, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper and cook until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add cod and cook for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes.
• Add ackee and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, careful not to overmix and turn ackee mushy. Turn off heat and stir in dark greens of scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with rice and peas or plantains.

Notes

1. Take Your Time with the Cod: Don’t rush the process of rinsing, soaking and boiling the salted cod. This step is crucial for removing excess salt and ensuring the fish has just the right texture. Patience is key here!
2. Don’t Overmix: When it comes time to add the ackee to your skillet, treat it with a gentle hand. Ackee has a delicate texture, and overmixing can break it down and turn it from creamy to mushy. Just a few stirs here and there until it’s heated through, and you’re good!
3. Add the Ackee Towards the End: Ackee doesn’t need a lot of time to cook, just enough to heat through. Adding it towards the end of your cooking process ensures it stays tender and soaks up all those delicious flavors without overcooking.
4. Careful with the Seasonings: Saltfish is already pretty salty from its curing process, so when you’re seasoning, go light on the salt and taste as you go. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it away once it’s in there.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 4313mg | Potassium: 1341mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1023IU | Vitamin C: 74mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 10mg

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Recipe Tips

1. Don’t Rush: Don’t rush the process of rinsing, soaking and boiling the salted cod. It removes excess salt so the texture is right.
2. Don’t Overmix: Ackee has a delicate texture, and overmixing can break it down and turn it from creamy to mushy.
3. Add the Ackee Towards the End: Ackee doesn’t need a lot of time to cook, just enough to heat through.
4. Careful with the Seasonings: Saltfish is already pretty salty from its curing process, so when you’re seasoning, lighten up on that salt boo. Just taste as you go.

Recipe Help

More Jamaican Recipes

• Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
• Jamaican Oxtail Recipe
• Jamaican Beef Patties
• Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe
• The BEST Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
• Saltfish Fritters

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