🐟 Ackee and saltfish

Name: Ackee and saltfish
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Jamaica
Ingredients: 250 g boneless salted cod; 540 g canned ackee, drained (or fresh, properly prepared ackee); 1 onion, sliced; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced; 3 sprigs thyme; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; Black pepper

Origin: Jamaica

388kcal

per serving · 250 g

155kcal

per 100 g

30 gProtein12 g / 100 g

25 gFat10 g / 100 g

8 gCarbs3 g / 100 g

Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica's national dish: salted cod, soaked and flaked, sautéed with onion, tomato, thyme and scotch bonnet pepper, then gently folded with boiled ackee fruit. The ackee looks like scrambled egg and has a soft, creamy, buttery texture and mild nutty taste, balanced by the salty fish and the heat of the pepper. It is a classic breakfast or brunch.

Diets

✓

No pork

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Keto-friendly3 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein12 g protein per 100 g — 31% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: salt cod

Not veganbecause of: salt cod

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Fish

What it is made of

ackeesalt codtomatoonionscotch bonnet pepperthyme

Recipe

4 servings40 min

Ingredients

250 g boneless salted cod
540 g canned ackee, drained (or fresh, properly prepared ackee)
1 onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and minced
3 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Black pepper

Method

Soak the cod in cold water for several hours or overnight, changing the water a few times, then boil for 10 minutes, drain and flake, removing any bones.
Heat the oil and soften the onion, scotch bonnet and thyme for 3–4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the flaked fish.
Gently fold in the ackee and heat through for 3–5 minutes without stirring too much, so it stays whole.
Season with black pepper and serve hot.

How to make it lighter

Ackee itself is rich in fat, so keep the cooking oil to 1 tbsp — about 120 kcal saved per tablespoon left out.
Serve with boiled green banana or yam and a pile of steamed callaloo or cabbage instead of fried sides.
Increase the tomato and onion for more volume per portion.

History

The ackee tree is native to West Africa and is generally believed to have reached Jamaica in the 18th century, while salted cod arrived through the Atlantic trade as cheap, long-keeping protein. The two came together in Jamaican kitchens, and ackee and saltfish is now widely regarded as the island's national dish.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →