Ackee & Saltfish Fried Rice.

May 31, 2023May 31, 2023Leave a Comment

Here’s another version of Fried Rice I make when there’s leftover cooked rice in the fridge and a can of Ackee in the pantry. This rendition is a take on Classic Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish (salted Cod), which happens to be one of my favorite breakfast dishes.

You”ll Need…

3-4 cups cooked rice (chilled)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 large onion (diced)
3 scallions (chopped)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup prepared salted Cod
1/2 med green bell pepper (diced)
1/2 med red bell pepper (diced)
1 can Ackee (rinsed/drained)
1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Important! May I suggest you watch the recipe video below before you get started, and refer to it during the cooking process, as there are many in-depth explanations as to why I did things this way.

You’ll be eating in under 12 minutes, so it’s important that you prep everything in advance.

TIP! Be gentle when handling the canned Ackee as they are very tender and you can crush them easily. All I did was pour it into a strainer and allowed cool water to run over it… then it drained as I chopped and diced.

Using a wide non-stick pan on a medium flame, I added 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, followed by the prepared salted Cod pieces. Stir well, then add the leaves of the thyme, onion, black pepper and bell peppers. Turn the heat down to low, so it slowly softens up.

Now add the crushed garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Then it’s time to add the rinsed/drained Ackee to the pot, but be VERY gentle. Mix well and cook on medium/low for 4 minutes.

Add the chilled rice to the pot. Watch the video below as I explain why I moved the cooked Ackee over to one side and added the rice to the other.

As the rice warms through, top with the mushroom flavored soy sauce and mix well. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, then top with the scallions and mix well (rice).

We’re almost done. It’s now time to combine everything so all of those wonderful flavors get a chance to come together. Be gentle.

Time to enjoy a hearty serving of Ackee and Saltfish Fried Rice. (Serves 2 people easily) Forgot to mention, I used boned (bones removed) salted Cod, but you can use salted Pollock.. be mindful to keep an eye out for any remaining bones as you prepare it.

Gluten Free Vegan

Tasty Vegan Ackee And Saltfish.

May 28, 2025February 8, 2020Leave a Comment

Confused yet? I know the title says Vegan, but Saltfish! The simple explanation is… the classic dish is called Ackee and Saltfish in Jamaica, so I felt it was the easiest way to pay tribute to this national dish, while still keeping it vegan (and gluten free) friendly. Make sense yet?

You’ll Need…

1 can Ackee (washed/drained)
1.5 tablespoon coconut oil
1 bell pepper (sliced in thick strips)
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3 cloves garlic (diced fine or crushed)
3 scallions (chopped)
4 sprigs thyme (leaves)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Important! If making this recipe gluten free be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Since I live in Canada I have no choice but to use the ackee found in a can. This canned ackee is pre-cooked and in a salty brine solution. Drain the brine, rinse with cool water and set aside to air dry as we prep the other ingredients.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide pan on a low heat then add the scallions and bell pepper. Stir well then add the garlic, black pepper and scotch bonnet pepper. Remember to wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after handling the scotch bonnet pepper (and don’t include any seeds nor the white membrane around the seeds, unless you want the raw heat) .

Cook on the low heat for two minutes then add smoked paprika, tomato (I cut the grape tomatoes in 1/2) and parsley. I find that the slight smoky heat from the paprika reminds us of the Salted Cod which is traditionally used in this recipe in Jamaica. Cook a further 2 minutes.

For even more flavor, it’s time to go in with the thyme leaves and the salt. Your heat is still on low – cook another 2 minutes. Then gently add the Ackee to the pan. Be VERY Gentle please. Stir well to mix all the flavors.

Since the Ackee will be precooked, all you have to do is make sure it heats though and you’re done (about 3-4 minutes).

Taste for salt and adjust if necessary, then get ready to enjoy a lovely vegetarian version of Classic Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Breakfast Gluten Free Seafood

Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

May 28, 2025October 15, 20151 Comment

Breakfast was usually a grab and go routine for me as a young fella on the islands during the week, as I went to school in the city and it meant leaving our sleepy village very early in the morning. I had to take a 2nd taxi (shared) when I got into San Fernando (2nd largest city in Trinidad) to make it in time for the first bell. So weekends was when mom would go all out with whatever we wanted for breakfast. Now this sort of breakfast was never included as I only developed a liking for many of the ingredients you’ll see me use, during my travels across the Caribbean as an adult. However the dish itself represents the sort of satisfying breakfast you’d find across the West Indies, especially on the weekends.

You’ll Need…

4 green cooking bananas (cooked)
1-2 cups prepared salted fish (Cod)
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup diced bell pepper
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 large shallot (or 2 cloves garlic & 1 small onion)
1 can ackee (drain / rinsed)
2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 small okra (cut in half – length)
6 cups Jamaican callaloo (trimmed/shredded)

Note: If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Video Tutorials:

How To Prepare Jamaican Callaloo For Cooking

How To Shop For, Cook And Peel Green Bananas.

How To Prepare Salted Fish

Please use the video tutorials above to prepare the necessary ingredients. If using canned ackee as I did, be gentle and rinse with cool water to get rid of the brine it’s packaged in and set aside. On a medium flame, heat the olive oil (or coconut) and add the diced shallot and thyme. Lower the heat to low and let it cook gently for 3 minutes.

With your heat still on low, add the prepared salted cod and the black pepper and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the cut/trimmed ockra and scotch bonnet pepper (remember to use as much as you can handle and don’t use any seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Stir well and cook for a couple minutes.

It’s now time to add the prepared Jamaican callaloo (chorai bhaji) and stir well. It will look like it will overflow, but it will shrink (wilt) down as it cooks. Add all the other ingredients, except the cooked green bananas and ackee and mix well.

After 5 Minutes, add the cooked green bananas (cut into 1 inch pieces) and mix well. Then GENTLY fold in the ackee. Please be gentle as it’s very tender and can fall apart very easily. Warm trough and combine the flavors and you’re basically done.

An amazing one pot Caribbean breakfast beast served (enjoyed) hot. Feel free to add other types of ground provisions to the mix (like yams, dasheen, cassava etc) and be sure to have some slices of fried plantains on the side with some coconut bake or johnny cakes.

ackee and saltfish

Ackee & Saltfish Fried Rice.

Tasty Vegan Ackee And Saltfish.

Recipe Card

Delicious Vegan Ackee and “Saltfish”

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Ingredients

Instructions

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Ultimate Caribbean Breakfast Recipe.

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