If you’ve never tried ackee and saltfish, you’re missing out.
Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica, and as you might expect it’s a powerhouse of big, bold flavors, just like this jerk chicken recipe. Combining the buttery, smooth texture of ackee and the tangy punch of saltfish, this is a dish that many Jamaicans consider their favorite comfort food.
If you’re headed to Jamaica anytime soon, you absolutely must try ackee and saltfish. You’ll find the dish on the menu at restaurants across this exotic island, and on many a Jamaican family’s dinner table too.
We’ll show you how to prepare the delicious dish soon, but we thought it was only right that we take the time to introduce you properly to these two staple Jamaican ingredient first.
What is Ackee?
Although its relatively widespread in Jamaica, you are unlikely to encounter ackee in many other places. It’s an unusual fruit, which is a member of the soapberry family. Its closest relatives, to give you an idea of the type of fruit we’re talking about here, are longans and lychees.
The ackee is known for its smooth texture, and unusual appearance which is reminiscent of scrambled eggs. It’s the shape of a pear and it’s usually boiled for around five minutes before being consumed.
There are so many interesting ways to enjoy this fantastic Caribbean fruit. It’s typically eaten as part of the ackee and saltfish dish, however you can also find it being used in more unusual ways in other ackees recipes. For instance, one Jamaican company produces ackee wine.
While you’re most likely to find ackee being eaten in Jamaica, it didn’t actually originate there. It was first found growing in West Africa.
It remains a popular food in the Ivory Coast, Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and a few other African nations.
What is Saltfish?
Saltfish is a delicacy across the Caribbean, but it’s definitely the Jamaicans who eat the most of it. If you have not yet discovered the delicate and delicious flavor of saltfish, you’re in for a treat.
Saltfish is a preserved fish, which has been dried and cured with salt. This was a typical way of preserving meat prior to refrigeration, and it remains a popular method due to the unique flavor that it gives the food.
Saltfish can be a range of different fish, but it’s usually a meaty white fish such as cod. In the Caribbean you’ll also find saltfish made with pollack, snapper or shark.
Prior to cooking, saltfish must be rehydrated and soaked overnight in water. This removes most of the salt. It is important, however, not to remove all the salt from the fish, as that’s where it gets its great flavor.
How to Make Saltfish
Caribbean people have been enjoying saltfish since the 16th Century, and its popularity shows no sign of slowing down.
When saltfish rehydrated and much of the salt has been removed, you can try the staple Jamaican saltfish recipe. Sauté your fish with a mixture of flavorsome herbs, such as thyme, onions, hot peppers and tomatoes. It’s great when served with rice, roti, fried dough known as bakes and a healthy helping of root vegetables.
Of course it’s also really good with ackee!
Our Favorite Ackee and Saltfish Recipe
There are a few different ways to prepare the national dish of Jamaica. Like any popular dish, recipes have evolved over time, and have passed from generation to generation. Many home cooks and chefs in Jamaica have their own unique take on this classic recipe. But if you’d like to learn how to make ackee and saltfish, we recommend you start with this simple Jamaican ackee and saltfish recipe.
You Will Need:
½ pound of Saltfish
½ cup cooking oil
3 cloves of garlic
Fresh thyme
2 onions
1 cup of bell peppers
¼ Scotch bonnet chilli
1 can of ackee
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
Method:
- Soak your saltfish overnight in cold water.
- In the morning, drain the water and soak for one hour in hot water. The fish will now be rehydrated and ready to use.
- Fry garlic, thyme, onions, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet on the stove for five minutes. Stir.
- Add your saltfish to the pan of garlic, thyme, onions, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet peppers.
- Simmer the mixture for a further five minutes.
- Once five minutes has passed, add your ackee to the mix.
- Season with black pepper and paprika.
Your dish is ready to serve!
Have we inspired you to try this authentic Jamaican dish? You’ll be glad to hear it’s simple to prepare and so flavorful!
If you are off to Jamaica to an all-inclusive resort, make sure you don’t miss out on this great, authentic taste of the island.
FAQs
Canned ackee is already cooked and is stored in a brine, so be sure to rinse and drain it before using in your recipe. Ackee has a tendency to mash up easily because it's so delicate, so be very careful when you're mixing it into your recipe otherwise you'll lose presentation points!
Are ackee and saltfish good for you? ›
Ackee & saltfish, with grilled plantain and sautéed kale. Making the foods you love, simple and healthy. Ackee is rich in many nutrients, including fatty acids, which are known to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
What do jamaicans eat with ackee and saltfish? ›
Some folks eat ackee and codfish alongside rice and peas, or with boiled green bananas, or just on plain white rice. I'm partial to sliced avocado and, if I have time to make some, fried dumplings. The fish makes the dish salty and funky; the ackee gives it a consistency similar to scrambled eggs.
How long to soak saltfish before cooking? ›
Soak at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain salt cod, discard soaking water, transfer fish to a small saucepan, and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until fish flakes easily when prodded with a fork, about 40 minutes.
Is canned ackee safe to eat? ›
Ripe ackee can be frozen, canned, or cooked. Most of the ackee products in the U.S. are imported from tropical countries, such as Jamaica, Belize, and Haiti. If an ackee fruit isn't properly processed, the finished product might still contain enough hypoglycin A to make it dangerous to eat.
How long does it take for ackee to poison you? ›
Toxicity is dose dependent and usually manifests within 6–48 hours of ingestion with recovery usually within 1 week. Symptoms begin with intense vomiting, followed by a quiescent phase and then subsequently more vomiting, seizures, and coma. In fatal cases, death usually occurs within 48 hours of ingestion.
What are the disadvantages of eating ackee? ›
Ingestion of unripe Ackee fruit may result in the metabolic syndrome known as "Jamaican vomiting sickness." Clinical manifestations may include profuse vomiting, altered mental status, and hypoglycemia. Severe cases have been reported to cause seizures, hypothermia, coma, and death.
What does ackee do to your body? ›
The ackee fruit is also rich in vitamin A, an antioxidant that may help fight free radical damage and inflammation. Vitamin A also supports the immune system, is good for skin and eye health and also promotes cell growth. Another antioxidant that ackee contains is vitamin C.
Does ackee raise blood sugar? ›
Special Precautions and Warnings
The unripe fruit contains poisonous chemicals that can cause dangerously low blood sugar, liver damage, severe vomiting, and death. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Unripe ackee fruit is unsafe when consumed while pregnant or breast-feeding.
How long do ackee and saltfish last in the fridge? ›
Prepared ackee, such as an in ackee and saltfish, will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
When it comes to reheating this saltfish recipe, you've got a couple of options. You can use the microwave, giving it a gentle stir every 30 seconds until it's heated through. Or, if you've got a bit more time, you can warm it up in a skillet over medium-low heat. Just don't stir it too much.
What is a fun fact about ackee and saltfish? ›
Ackee and saltfish is traditionally served with bread fruit. This was imported from new guinea as another inexpensive way to feed slaves, as its full of carbs and fibers. This then became a staple dish among Jamaicans. To Jamaica, ackee and saltfish is not just a healthy breakfast, but it more symbolizes their history.
Is ackee a fruit or vegetable? ›
The ackee (Blighia sapida), a tropical fruit belonging to the Sapindaceae family, has its origin in West Africa but has traversed the Atlantic Ocean, making the Caribbean (where it grows wildly and is also cultivated) its home.
What is the best thing to soak fish in? ›
Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes
(Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.
What is the national dish of Jamaica? ›
Ackee and saltfish is the Jamaican national dish prepared with ackee and salted codfish.
Do you wash ackee? ›
If you have fresh ackee, you first have to clean it before you can cook it. To clean the ackee: remove the pieces from the seed pod then separate the seed, membrane and aril. Keep the arils and discard the rest. In the video below, I demonstrate how to do this.
Can you bring canned ackee to the US? ›
Per OFW Law, ackee packs plenty of fatty acids, protein, vitamin A, and zinc in its fruit. So, shoppers may find it canned and frozen on U.S. shelves. Domestic growers provide some of this product, but anybody trying to import ackee from beyond U.S. borders can't do so if it's raw.
How do you prevent ackee poisoning? ›
Differentiating ripe versus unripe ackee fruit is necessary to prevent any potential adverse health effects. Unripe fruit is green to yellow and has a closed appearance and seeds are difficult to see. Cooking an unripe fruit does not reduce its toxicity. The seeds remain toxic and should not be ingested.
What are 3 benefits of canned ackee? ›
Nutritional reports on ackee usually state that they are rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium but low in phosphorus and zinc. Some studies show that the high oil content of ackee arils can be compared to that of peanuts, rapeseed and sunflower seeds and higher than that of soybeans.
