Jamaica · Jamaican
Ackee and Saltfish
Jamaica's national dish: buttery ackee folded through flaked saltfish, peppers and thyme.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Course
- Breakfast
Ingredients
4 servings
- Prepared ackee500 g
- Thyme3 sprigs
- Onion and sweet pepper1 each
Preparation
- 1
Soak the saltfish overnight, then boil briefly and flake, discarding bones.
- 2
Sauté onion, pepper, thyme and scotch bonnet until soft.
- 3
Add the saltfish and cook two minutes.
- 4
Fold in the ackee gently and heat through without breaking it up.
Tips
- — Fold, never stir: ackee collapses if you treat it like scrambled egg.
Nutrition
Nutrition per serving · Calculated
- calories
- 324 kcal
- protein
- 22 g
- carbs
- 9 g
- fat
- 23 g
- fiber
- 3.1 g
- sugars
- 2 g
- sodium
- 980 mg
The ingredient behind this recipe
Ackee
Caribbean PantryJamaica's national fruit, eaten as a savoury and harvested only when it smiles.
- Origin
- West Africa, brought to Jamaica in the 18th century
- Flavour
- Buttery, delicate, faintly nutty
- Calories / 100g
- 151 kcal
- Seasonality
- January to March, June to August
The story behind this ingredient
Ackee must open naturally on the tree before it is safe to eat — a rule passed down orally for generations and now written into Jamaican food law.
More recipes with this ingredient
Caribbean Culinary Ecosystem