Ackee and Saltfish with Breadfruit – Jamaican cuisine
I rarely get fresh ackee and breadfruit from Jamaica so, when I do it’s a treat to cook it. Thanks to my aunt from Jamaica I get to enjoy the fruits of the island almost like I was there.
Ackee is a fruit and the unripened or inedible parts of the fruit are toxic. However, you don’t have to worry about that if you get canned ackee. Fresh ackee prepared properly is great to cook with.
This dish is not a favourite for all people but it is a traditional Jamaican dish. Another traditional side dish is breadfruit. Neither ackee nor breadfruit really taste like a sweet fruit. Breadfruit almost taste like a yam. Ackee is very soft in texture and has very little flavour by itself.
Ingredients for Ackee and Saltfish:
- Ackee (fresh or canned)
- Salted cod fish (boned fillet or pieces – important to get it with where the bones have been removed)
- 1/2 an onion chopped
- 2 stalks of green onion or scallion chopped
- 1/2 a tomato chopped
- 1 teaspoon of thyme or fresh thyme stalk
- Black Pepper
- 1 or 2 cloves of minced ginger
- A touch of Scotch Bonnet Pepper chopped (if you like spicy food)
- 1/4 of box of Coconut Cream
- Vegetable Oil (or alternative oil or butter)
Directions:
- Rinse Salted Cod Fish with hot water in strainer/colander (to remove some of the salt)
- Boil the Salted Cod Fish in a pot of water for approx. 45min. to an hour
- After boiling Salted Cod Fish rinse in cold water and drain in strainer/colander and break fillet into smaller flakes/pieces by hand or with a fork
- Heat frying pan and add oil to the pan – Add all ingredients except the Ackee and Salted Cod Fish
- Cook the ingredients in the pan for approximately 5 minutes and then add the flakes of Salted Cod Fish into the pan and stir occasionally (if it seems dry in the pan add a little water)
- Add the Ackee last and stir gently and less frequently as it is a delicate fruit and will turn to mush if stirred too often
- Serve after cooking with Ackee after approximately 15 minutes
While you boil the salted cod fish in a pot you can fry the breadfruit in a frying pan for approximately 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Directions (Breadfruit):
- Slice roasted breadfruit into thin slices (cut in half, then quarters and slice to preferred thickness)
- Fry in pan with butter or oil for approximately 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add salt and serve with Ackee and Saltfish
