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Seafood

Ackee & Saltfish Fried Rice.

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.

vegan ackee and saltfish
Gluten Free Vegan

Tasty Vegan Ackee And Saltfish.

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.

Recipe Card

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 40 mins

Description

A plant-based take on the iconic Jamaican dish, blending creamy ackee with flaky hearts of palm in a savory, spicy sauté.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video
  1. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic, onion, and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes, scotch bonnet, and thyme leaves, and cook another 3 minutes.
  3. Gently stir in ackee and hearts of palm. Cook for 5–7 minutes until warm and blended.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, and optional kelp flakes.
  5. Stir in scallions, cook 1 minute more, then remove from heat. Serve hot.

Note

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.

Tell us what you think
Seafood

The Ultimate Ackee And Saltfish Recipe.

jamaican ackee and saltfish (16)

As many of you know, there’s been several “Ultimate” dishes I’ve shared in the past and I’d like to add this Ackee and Saltfish dish to that list of amazing meals.  We were fortunate to have visited Jamaica a few weeks ago and even more lucky to have our friend’s mom cook us a traditional breakfast while we were at their home in Portmore. I have to confess that it was my first experience with ackee and saltfish and how quickly did I fall in love with this, the national dish of Jamaica.

I don’t ever recall seeing any ackee trees or even hearing about eating it while growing up in Trinidad and Tobago (have to ask my dad the next time we chat), but I assure you that it would make a great addition to our rich landscape and I know it would quickly become a hit on many breakfast tables throughout the twin island republic.

In this recipe I’m using canned ackee, but I assure you that though it’s very delicious, it cannot compare to the fresh ackee that was prepared for us. (BTW, do you know that in Ontario, we pay in excess of $11 a can for ackee? That’s over $72 TT or $970 Jamaican dollars) Really have to go plant some trees and cash in on this.

You’ll Need…

1 can ackee (use fresh if you have – about 2 cups)
1/3 lb saltfish – boneless/skinless  (salted cod or other)
1 medium onion sliced
1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
fresh thyme (couple sprigs)
1 medium tomato cubed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil (see note below)
2 scallions
1/4 medium sweet bell pepper
2 cloves garlic

Note: I like using olive oil, but you can use vegetable oil or butter as I’ve seen some people do. Since we’ll be using salted fish, there’s no need for any salt in this dish. Finally, if using canned ackee as I did, do handle with care or it will break-up easily and become “mush”.

Start by putting the dry salted fish to boil in a pot on high heat, then simmer for about 20 minutes (you can also soak in cold water overnight before boiling if you wish). I try my best to get the boneless/skinless saltfish as it makes for less work. After boiling drain, rinse under cool water and squeeze dry. Now break apart into the size pieces you like. I’ve seen people use a fork to sort of shred the saltfish, but I find that I like the texture of large flakes. Also, this allows me to actually taste the saltfish when eating.

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While the saltfish was boiling to remove the excess salt that is was cured in (also re-hydrates and tenderizes the fish), I prepared the ingredients that we’ll be using in this dish.

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In a large sauce pan, heat the oil on medium heat (or if want you can use butter or margarine), I love the flavour the cold press extra virgin olive oil gives to this dish. Then add the garlic, sliced onions and scotch bonnet pepper. Allow that to cook for a couple minutes (until the onion softens up a bit), then add the sweet pepper (bell pepper) scallion, black pepper,  and thyme. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes, then add the pieces of saltfish and cook for another 3-5 minutes. To prevent the tomato becoming too mushy, I now add it to the sauce pan and let it warm through for about a minute or two. Remember to stir, so all the ingredients get a chance to marry and explode with spectacular flavor.

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Now is time to add the star of the show. Now here’s the thing about canned ackee.. it’s VERY fragile. So after I open the can, I pour everything into a strainer and run cold water over it. Just to remove that liquid it’s been packed in. After this drains, I add it to the saucepan with everything else, but I DON’T stir with a spoon. I use two forks and gently toss it with the other ingredients. The trick is not to break it apart, or you’ll end up with a huge pot of mush. After adding the ackee, it takes a minute or two for it to heat through and absorb all those wonderful layers of flavor we built.

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jamaican ackee and saltfish

It’s amazing how simple, yet tasty this dish is. Very similar to the tomato and saltfish we make in Trinbago, except you add the ackee which gives it a unique taste and texture. It looks very much like scrambled eggs, but I assure you that no scramble eggs will ever taste like this.

That lovely morning outside Kingston we had boiled green banana (green fig), yam, dumplings and some of the best bread I’ve ever had (hard dough) and we washed it all down with a piping hot cup of Milo sweetened with my favorite… condensed milk.

WIN!  CONTEST!  WIN!

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It’s that time again – we’re giving away the following cookbook (see above) to one lucky person for the month of April.  All you have to do is leave me a comment in the comments section below (please say something about this recipe) and your name will be automatically entered to win this amazing cookbook, highlighting the art of mastering pasta dishes. Yup! Not Caribbean, but a wonderful way to  learn some Italian cooking with easy step by step recipes. There are two bonus ways you can have your name entered in the contest, giving you 3 chances at winning. Along with leaving a comment below, go to the Facebook fan page and/or the Youtube cooking channel and leave a comment  there. I don’t care what your comment is, but it would be nice if you could tell me what you like about Caribbean food and if the recipes I share are helpful.

Here are the rules pertaining to winning the copy of “Pasta Step By Step Cookbook”…

– contest is open to everyone globally

– there are 3 ways to enter your name (see above)

– 1 winner will be chosen at random (if you left 3 comments, your name will be entered 3 times)

– contest is open from April 14 – to midnight April 30.

– winner will be announced within 1 week of the official close date.

– the winner will have 1 week to contact us with mailing address

– we will cover all shipping expenses (standard mail)

I hope you take a moment to enter your name as I’d really like to mail this cookbook out to you. It’s simple, free and a great way to experiment with some Italian cooking. Good luck to everyone who enters.

Happy cooking

Chris…

I'm Chris

Welcome to my kitchen, where Caribbean flavor takes center stage. Since 2009, I've been sharing recipes, stories, and memories that celebrate the food I grew up with and the people who taught me how to cook.

Whether you're here to master the classics, try something new, or just find comfort in a bowl of soup or plate of rice, there's a spot for you at this table.

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