Equipment
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 250 g salted cod, whole or thick fillets
- 340 g canned ackee, drained carefully
Aromatics and Seasonings
- 30 ml coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 3 garlic, minced
- ½ scotch bonnet pepper, finely minced, seeds and membrane removed
- 80 g red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 4 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 412 kcal
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 4604 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 95 mg
- Potassium
- 1360 mg
- Calcium
- 160 mg
- Iron
- 2.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 97 mg
- Phosphorus
- 627 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 63 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 67 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 6.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.19 mg
- Niacin
- 5.0 mg
- Folate
- 37 mcg
- Water
- 72 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the salted cod in a large mixing bowl, cover completely with cold water, and let it soak overnight in the refrigerator to rehydrate and draw out the excess curing salt.
Drain the soaking water from the cod. Place the fish in a medium pot covered with fresh water. Bring to a rapid boil at 100°C/212°F and cook for 20 minutes to tenderize the fish and remove remaining harsh salt.
Drain the boiled fish and allow it to cool until safe to handle. Remove and discard any skin and bones. Flake the flesh into bite-sized pieces using your fingers or a fork.
Empty the canned ackee into a colander and drain the brine very gently. Ackee is extremely delicate and will turn to mush if handled roughly.
Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced yellow onion, scallions, minced garlic, Scotch bonnet pepper, and bell pepper. Sauté until the onions become soft and translucent.
Stir the chopped tomato, fresh thyme sprigs, and flaked saltfish into the skillet. Simmer together to allow the saltfish to absorb the aromatic flavors.
Gently fold the drained ackee into the skillet. Sprinkle evenly with black pepper. Allow the mixture to warm through completely without stirring further, just gently pushing the ingredients to heat evenly.
Remove and discard the woody thyme stems from the skillet. Serve hot alongside fried plantains, bammy, or hard dough bread.
Chef's Notes
- When preparing Scotch bonnet peppers, wear disposable gloves and avoid touching your face. The essential oils contain potent capsaicin. Removing the seeds and the white membrane inside will give you the beautiful fruity aroma of the pepper without an overwhelming heat.
- If you cannot soak the saltfish overnight, an alternative quick-prep method is to boil the fish twice: cover in fresh cold water, bring to a boil for 15 minutes, drain, and repeat with fresh water.
- Commercially canned ackee is pre-cooked and completely safe to eat. Never attempt to harvest and prepare fresh ackee unless you are experienced; unripe or improperly prepared fresh ackee contains toxins that can cause severe illness.
- Leaving the ackee pieces as intact as possible mimics the texture of soft scrambled eggs, which is highly prized in traditional Jamaican presentations.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Microwave on medium power or gently warm in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water.
Troubleshooting
Ackee breaks down and turns into a mushy paste
Cause: Aggressive stirring or overcooking the ackee after it was added to the pan
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the flavor will still be authentic and delicious
Prevention: Add ackee as the absolute final step, fold in gently from the bottom using a wide spatula, and heat only until warmed
The finished dish is overpoweringly salty
Cause: Saltfish was not soaked long enough or boiled thoroughly
Fix: Add extra chopped unsalted tomatoes or a splash of water to the pan to help dilute the concentration on the palate
Prevention: Always soak overnight and boil in fresh water. Taste a small flake of the fish after boiling to check salt levels before proceeding
Cultural Context
Ackee and saltfish stands proudly as the national dish of Jamaica. The ackee fruit is originally native to West Africa and was brought to the Caribbean in the 18th century, while salted cod was an inexpensive, shelf-stable protein imported from the North Atlantic to feed enslaved laborers. Today, this beautiful marriage of ingredients represents Jamaica's complex culinary history and vibrant island culture, commonly enjoyed for breakfast or dinner.
