Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
Creamy, buttery, and satisfying Jamaican ackee and saltfish is a traditional dish that will broaden your breakfast horizons and give you a delightfully unique taste sensation. You may not be familiar with one or two ingredients, but believe me when I say this breakfast is fit for a queen (or king).
Ackee may not be very popular in the States, but it’s a legendary fruit in Jamaica—that’s right, a fruit. And I enjoyed plenty on my last trip to the island because this West African fruit grows all over Jamaica. Plus, it goes so well with saltfish (salt-preserved cod).
What Makes Ackee Special
This savory member of the lychee family has a creamy, delicate texture. At first glance, it looks like soft scrambled eggs, right? There are two types: butter and cheese. The buttery one is soft and mashable, while the cheese one holds its shape like curd. Both taste slightly nutty and take on the flavors of whatever they’re cooked with.
Unripe fruit is highly toxic, so if getting it fresh, please make sure it’s completely ripe. If you don’t live where it grows and don’t have a Caribbean market near you, Amazon is just a click away.
How to Make Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
- Drain the ackee, cut up the soaked saltfish, fry the bacon, and sauté the aromatics.
- Add the seasonings, tomatoes, bell peppers, Scotch bonnet, and cook for a few minutes. Add the saltfish, then add the ackee and cook gently. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If you can’t find salted codfish (bacalao), use fresh tilapia or cod instead. Cut it into pieces and cook through before adding the ackee. You may also need to add more salt to your taste.
- Scotch bonnets are quite hot, so if you aren’t a fan of spicy dishes, replace the pepper with a milder pepper, like aji dulce, or leave it out altogether.
- Scrambled eggs, tofu, and steamed and diced cauliflower are delicious substitutes if you can’t find ackee.
- While you can’t legally get fresh ackee in the U.S. because it can be toxic if not fully ripe, canned ackee is considered safe.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Ackee is best served fresh, but you can make it the day before if needed. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and heat it over medium heat on your stovetop when ready to eat it. The texture won’t be the same, but it’s still good.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because the ackee can turn mushy.
What Goes With Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
This dish is delicious with festivals, Caribbean boiled dumplings, fried plantains, and callaloo. You could also opt for baked plantains. If making it for dinner, make rice and peas for a satisfying meal.
More Soul-Satisfying Jamaican Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in September 2015 and has been updated with additional tips and beautiful images.
Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish
Ingredients
- ½ pound (226g) boneless salted cod
- 1 19-ounce can ackee, drained
- 4-6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (3g) minced garlic
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 small bell pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon (2g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2g) paprika (optional)
- 1 Scotch bonnet, habanero, or ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
Instructions
- Soak salt cod in water overnight, drain, cut into cubes, and set it aside. Drain the canned ackee and set it aside.
- Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp (3-5 minutes).
- Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour out all but a tablespoon or two of the bacon drippings and save them for another recipe.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pan, and sauté for about a minute, occasionally stirring to prevent burning.
- Add the thyme, green onions, and tomatoes, and continue cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the bell pepper, black pepper, paprika, and Scotch bonnet until thoroughly combined, and cook for another 5 minutes, adding water if needed.
- Finally, toss in the saltfish and cook for a few minutes. Add the ackee, cook for about 3 minutes more, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly, and garnish with the bacon.
Tips & Notes:
- Be careful when cooking ackee since it’s delicate and falls apart easily. Add it towards the end when only about 3-5 minutes are left, and avoid continuous stirring.
- Salted codfish is quite salty. Soak it in water overnight to rehydrate and remove excess salt. You can boil it to remove even more. But definitely don’t add any extra salt to this recipe.
- Take advantage of those bacon drippings left in the pan after cooking. You may want to remove some but leave 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan to sauté the other ingredients for an extra flavor boost.
- FYI, you can’t find fresh ackee in the U.S. because it can be toxic. However, the canned ackee has been inspected by the FDA and is considered safe.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Beautifully authentic
Keluhatannya sangat enak dan seperti resep telur orak arik kalau di indonesia
Thank you, Iji!