saltfish buljol Archives | CaribbeanPot.com

While I did share a similar saltfish buljol recipe back in 2009, you’ll find subtle differences with this version, especially the price difference in using salted Pollock vs the Salted Cod I used in that version. With the current state of inflation and high prices in the supermarket, I trust you’ll appreciate this cheaper version of Saltfish Buljol. We’re NOT sacrificing flavors!

You’ll Need…

1 lb salted Pollock (salted Cod is traditionally used)
1 tomato (diced)
1 medium onion (sliced thin)
3 scallions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 lime (juice)
1/2 medium carrot (grated)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 sprigs thyme (leaves only)

Important! I used an entire scotch bonnet pepper in this recipe, but you can cut back (or add more) to meet with your tolerance for heat. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though all of the ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Unlike Salted Cod which needs to be soaked in cold water or boiled to remove the salt and rehydrate the fish, I find that all one needs to do with Pollock is to pour hot water from your kettle over it in a large bowl, allow it to soak until the water cools. Then all you’ll do next is drain, rinse with cool water and flake or shred as needed.

Please note that you can always refer to the video below if I didn’t explain anything fully or you’d like to tune in for my banter and tips.

The texture of the shredded salted fish is one of those things you can personalize to your own liking. In the past I’ve also put the saltfish into a food processor and got it really fine. As the Pollock soaked in the hot water I prepped the other ingredients, so it’s now time to assemble.

Place the prepped salted pollock into a large bowl (try to squeeze dry after rinsing), followed by everything except the oil and lime juice.

Before I forget… I used BONED (boneless) salted Pollock, but I still kept an eye out for any tiny bones as I shredded it.

Give it a good mix, then place a frying pan on a med/high heat and heat the oil until you start seeing smoke. Now pour this hot oil over everything and give it a good mix. The hot oil (this method is called chunkay) and it allows us to waken up the flavors of everything and also act as a means of helping those flavors combine in the oil (liquid).

The final thing to do is to drizzle on the lime (or lemon) juice to give it that citrus punch and to brighten things overall. TIP! Add some diced zabouca (avocado) in the mix and you can thank me later.

The question is always “what do you serve this with?”.. for me 4 things comes to mind immediately. Directly onto salted crackers as a snack. With plain old flour dumplings. A side to Dhal and Rice. Or served with boiled ground provisions or green cooking banana.

Yea, you can serve this warm or cold.

Drop me your comments below, tag me on Instagram and don’t forget you can now get my cookbook – The Vibrant Caribbean Pot, 100 Traditional And Fusion Recipes @ CaribbeanPot.com/CookBook/

Festive Saltfish Buljol Recipe.

May 28, 2025December 9, 20146 Comments

This being the holiday season I thought I’d take a classic recipe for making saltfish buljol and put a little festive spin on it, to serve at your holiday party or to take with you as you visit family this holiday season. We’ll follow the same basic rules of making traditional saltfish buljol (basically a fish salad) and add a few other ingredients to help balance and brighten up the overall flavors of this classic dish. You’ll notice that I did post this under the gluten free recipe section, but do keep in mind that you’ll need a gluten free bread or cracker to serve these on, to meet with your complete gluten free dietary needs.

You’ll Need…

2 cups prepared salted fish (cod / shredded)
2 scallions (green part only)
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced tomato (seeded)
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon (juice)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig thyme (chopped)
2 birds eye pepper (bird pepper) seeded and diced

The first step is to prepare the salted cod – place in a deep pot with cold water, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 20 minutes (you can watch this video : How To Prepare Salted Fish For Use. Then drain, rinse with cool water and flake/shred. This process removes the majority of the salt (or it will be too salty) and rehydrates the fish. I would recommend using deboned salted fish as it makes for less work. But do remember to still be on the lookout for tiny bones as you flake the fish after boiling. Tip – after preparing the saltish, you can add it to a food processor and give it a couple pulses to get a lovely shredded texture.

Basically all you have to do now is dice the mango, tomato (please remove the seeds), scallion and cucumber. If you want to add more pizzazz to the dish you can also add some chopped grapes or pineapple.. or basically any firm fruit you like.

It’s all about assembling now. In a large blow place all the ingredients and gently fold together so you keep the shape of the mango and any tender fruit you use. I would then allow this to marinate for about 30 minutes, then top on your favourite cracker or bread.. in my case I used slices of French Baguettes. Another great idea would be to use lettuce leaves as wrappers and scoop some of the buljol in the middle and wrap them like spring rolls.

You’ll notice that we didn’t add any salt to this dish as the remaining salt from the salted cod (or whatever salted fish you use) will be enough to season this dish. Be carefully when handling the hot pepper and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after. I would not recommend assembling these (on the bread etc) until you’re about to serve it as the bread or cracker will go a bit soggy after about 30 minutes.

Gluten Free Seafood Side Dishes

A Classic Caribbean Summer Salad From My Garden.

May 27, 2025September 17, 20135 Comments

After posting the recipe video for this on the Cooking Channel, I got an email from a viewer saying “that’s nothing but saltfish buljol”. Let’s look at this comment for a brief minute before we get to the actual recipe. NO Absolutely NOT! Yes, there are ingredients in this recipe which may mimic our beloved saltifsh buljol, but when I think buljol I want the key ingredient or ‘star’ of the show to be salted fish. In a good saltfish buljol the salad itself is built around the salted fish, as you want that to shine through. In my recipe below you’ll notice that the salted fish is simply used for additional texture and flavor.

You’ll Need…

3 medium sized cucumbers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 birds eye peppers
1/4 cup sliced red onions
2 cups cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have)
1/2 cup prepared salted cod
pinch fresh ground black pepper

Remember to go through the entire list of ingredients if doing this recipe according to a gluten free diet.

To learn how to prepare salted fish (like salted cod) for use, watch this video: How To Prepare Saltfish.

This is so easy you’ll wonder why you’ve never made this before. Basically all you have to do is wash, peel and chop the vegetables. Then assemble in a bowl, top with the olive oil and lemon juice and toss. You’ll notice that I didn’t use any salt as the residual salt from teh saltfish will be enough to balance things.

Tips.

1. If you’re concerned about the raw heat of the peppers, do not use as much as I did and try not to use any seeds. This is where most of that heat resides.

2. To make this vegetarian leave out the salted fish, but remember to add some sea salt (according to your taste).

3. Can be made a couple hours in advance if you’re having guests over and need time to focus on other dishes.

Fresh ingredients from my garden… can’t tell you how much I loved this salad, especially since it was the reward for my work earlier in the spring. This salad has that true Caribbean vibe and is enough for about 6 people as a starter.

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Seafood Vegetarian

My take on saltfish buljol.

March 5, 2012August 11, 200922 Comments

Though close to the real deal, this recipe is NOT how traditional saltfish buljol is made. My dad would tell us that his grandparents buljol was very simple.. shredded saltfish topped with hot oil. Sliced onions, hot peppers and tomato if you were lucky enough to have those things. In the Caribbean saltfish is “king”. Used on it’s own or as a flavour enhancer, it’s now found in many dishes up and down the Caribbean chain of islands. Gone are the days when saltfish was considered a “poor man’s” meal and ever since the decline of the cod population in eastern Canada, it’s become very expensive.

In my recipe I used salted Alaska pollock, but you’re free to use cod, hake or any other dried salted white fish you may have available to you. I would also recommend that you get the boneless variety to avoid having to remove the tiny bones when preparing this dish.

You’ll need…

1/4 lb dried saltfish
1/2 medium onion sliced very thin
1 medium tomato cubed
1 clove garlic chopped very small
1/4 cup green bell pepper cubed
1 green onion (scallion) chopped thin
dash of black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place the salted fish in a deep bowl and boil enough water to completely cover it. After the water reaches boiling point (I use our electric kettle) pour it over the fish and allow it to soak for about 15 minutes or until it’s cool enough to work with. This water will help remove most of the “salt” that was used to cure the fish, or you’ll be stuck with a very salty dish. Not only does the hot water help remove the excess salt, it also makes the fish a bit tender and easier to shred.

Drain and rinse with tap water, then shred the fish into tiny bits. Try and squeeze out any remaining water that it may still have as best as possible.

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Now slice, dice and chop the pepper, onion, tomato, scallion and garlic and add to the bowl with the shredded saltfish. Give it a good dose of fresh cracked black pepper and mix. Finally, heat the olive oil in a frying an and just before it starts to smoke, pour the heated olive oil onto the everything in the bowl. Mix thoroughly and serve.

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salted cod

Saltfish buljol can be served with ground provisions, rice and dhal, stuffed into fry bake, on sandwiches and as a topping for crackers. Add a bit more tomato, green and red bell peppers and toss in some shredded cabbage and you’ll have a great salad.

Did you know?

Saltfish and the dishes made from it are known by many different names, for example baccalà (Italian), bacalhau (Portuguese), bacalao (Spanish), bacallà (Catalan), morue (French), klippfisk/clipfish (Scandinavian), saltfiskur (Icelandic), bakalar (Croatian), and buljol (Caribbean).

Please leave me your comments below.

saltfish buljol

Incredible Saltfish Buljol (budget friendly).

Festive Saltfish Buljol Recipe.

A Classic Caribbean Summer Salad From My Garden.

My take on saltfish buljol.

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