Ackee and saltfish
Ackee and saltfish is a spicy Caribbean classic and makes a quick but flavourful meal.
Ingredients
For the ackee and saltfish
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp finely crushed garlic
- pinch thyme leaves
- 1 tsp finely chopped Scotch bonnet chilli
- ½ green pepper, finely chopped
- ½ red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 240g/8¾oz boiled salt cod, broken into flakes
- 200g/7oz tinned ackee, drained and left whole
For the roasted peppers and onions (optional)
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¼ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú caster sugar
To serve (optional)
Method
For the roasted peppers and onions (if using). preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Put the peppers, onions, thyme, garlic, chillies and oil into a large baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Mix together and roast for 20–25 minutes.
Put the vinegar and sugar into a saucepan with 300ml/10fl oz of water and bring to the boil. Add the roasted peppers and onions to the saucepan and set aside to pickle.
For the ackee and saltfish, heat the oil in a frying pan and sweat the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and scotch bonnet and sweat gently for a further 10 minutes. Add the peppers and sweat for a few more minutes until soft. Add the tomato and cook for a further 10 minutes over a low heat.
If serving with eggs, boil the eggs for 6–7 minutes until soft-boiled. Put immediately into cold water and when slightly cooled, peel and slice in half.
Stir through the saltfish and then add the ackee, turning it very gently through the mixture.
Serve the ackee and saltfish immediately on warmed plates. Serve with the boiled eggs and avocado (if using).
Recipe Tips
If you're going to cook your own salt cod, remember to soak it for a good 24 hours, or at least overnight, to remove the excess salt. Change the water every few hours if you can. After the soaking you can poach it as normal, to use in this recipe.