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Ackee and saltfish served with vegetables and spices
Jamaican saltfish with Ackee fruit

Traditional Jamaican ackee and saltfish

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Jamaica's national dish is a true history lesson on a plate: the meeting of salted cod from North Atlantic waters with the ackee fruit arriving from West Africa on a tropical island. Although ackee is technically a fruit, when cooked it takes on a creamy, buttery texture deceptively similar to scrambled eggs, which perfectly counterbalances the marked, salty character of the fish. This is the 'King of Breakfasts' in the Caribbean, but a majestic dish at any time of day.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 20 mins
⌛ Total Time 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 420 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Caribbean

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large bowl for soaking
  • Saucepan for pre-cooking fish
  • Wide frying pan
  • Chopping board and knife

Allergen Information

⚠️ Fish
⚠️ Milk (butter)

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the saltfish in cold water for at least 8-12 hours (or overnight), changing the water several times. Then place in fresh water, bring to the boil, and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Tip: The purpose of soaking and boiling is rehydration and reducing salt content (diffusion) to make the fish edible.
2 ✓

Drain the cooked fish, remove the skin and bones, then flake into smaller pieces (shards) with a fork or by hand.

Tip: The fibres of the fish remain tough due to drying, giving the dish a pleasant chew.
3 ✓

Dice the onion, pepper, tomato and chilli finely, crush the garlic. Heat the oil and butter in a wide frying pan.

Tip: Butter is important for the Caribbean flavour profile, but oil prevents it from burning too soon.
4 ✓

Sauté the onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add the tomato and chilli, then simmer for a few more minutes.

Tip: Thorough sautéing brings out the sweetness of the vegetables, which counterbalances the salty taste of the fish.
5 ✓

Fold in the prepared cod, and fry together with the vegetables for 5 minutes for the flavours to meld. Season with pepper.

Tip: No need to salt here, as there is enough salt left in the fish.
6 ✓

Finally, very gently add the drained ackee. Just turn it over to warm through, but don't break it up.

Tip: Ackee texture is extremely fragile and creamy; if you stir it too much, it turns to mush.
7 ✓

Serve warm. Traditionally eaten with boiled yam, banana or hard dough bread.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use fresh fish?
The essence of the recipe is the texture and concentrated flavour of the salted, dried fish. With fresh fish, this would be a completely different dish. If you can't get 'saltfish', salt a very firm-fleshed white fish heavily before frying.
Where can I get ackee?
In Europe, it is mostly available in tinned form in deli shops. Tinned ackee is already cooked, so handle it very carefully.
The dish became too salty.
Soaking the cod is critical. If it still remains salty, serve with more plain boiled vegetables (yam, plantain) or bread.

Ingredients

  • 400 g Tinned Ackee (drained)
  • 300 g Saltfish (Salted, dried cod / Bacalao)
  • 50 g Butter
  • 1 pc Onion
  • 2 pc Tomatoes
  • 1 pc Green pepper (Capsicum)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 pc Chilli pepper (to taste)
  • 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil