This is one of those dishes which immediately takes me back to the Caribbean and my childhood days. Mom would usually make this for us (myself, brother and dad) the odd Saturday dad didn’t have to go to work. The breadfruit came directly off my grandmother’s tree and it was roasted on an open fire in a coal pot for that true island goodness. While I don’t have a coal-pot, nor can I achieve the same unique flavor it gives the breadfruit, this dish is still incredible. Definitely my idea of comfort food.
You’ll Need
1 Large onion (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
2 cups prepared smoked herrings
5-8 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
1/4 medium cabbage (shredded)
1 medium breadfruit (roasted)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Please wear gloves when handling the smoked herrings as the oils can leave a distinct odor on your hands. And as we’ve discussed in the past, when handling scotch bonnet or any HOT pepper, you’ll want to use gloves and/or wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.
Videos To Watch!
How to prepare smoke herrings.
How to roast a breadfruit
How to roast a breadfruit in your oven
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a med flame, then add the onion, garlic, thyme, black pepper and scotch bonnet pepper (don’t include the seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Turn the heat to as low as it will go and cook gently for 3 minutes.
Prepare the smoked herrings (I used fillets).. watch the video above (click on the link).
It’s time to add the parsley to the pot, stir well then add the prepared smoked herrings.
After a minute or so you can add the tomato and stir well. my heat is still on low.
Give it about 3-4 minutes, then add the cabbage and stir. Cook for another minute or two. I like my cabbage to have a slight crunch. Cook longer if you wish. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to this dish as I find that the salty element the smoked herrings bring, is enough for my liking. However near the end you can taste and adjust the salt to your liking.
Turn the heat up to med and add the prepared pieces of roasted breadfruit. All you have to do now is coat the breadfruit with the smoked herring base and warm through. Usually 3-5 minutes.
This is one of those dishes which may give you the sleepies after.. yea it’s that good. If you don’t have/like smoked herrings, you can use salted cod or there are times I use bacon as a base as well. Instead of having the breadfruit as wedges you can cut them into smaller pieces. Feel free to go in with other vegetables etc.. sweet pepper, thinly sliced carrots, broccoli, green beans will work great.
Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I made it last night with my boyfriend. It was delicious. I had to amend it a bit because we didn’t have cabbage, so I used a little green pepper plus some coconut milk and tomato sauce. It was my first time trying breadfruit and I loved it with the smoked fish.