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Home » Ackee and Saltfish Recipe

Ackee and Saltfish Recipe

June 6, 2021 by Chef Marsha Leave a Comment

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ackee and saltfish
Ackee and Saltfish

This Ackee and Saltfish recipe will take you to the core of the Jamaican roots. Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaican. This ackee and saltfish dish is currently known worldwide and enjoyed by many people. 

There is at least one Jamaican aisle or grocery store in every foreign country that I have been to and I have been lucky enough to find both ackee and saltfish. 

Delicious is an understatement when it comes to trying to describe this Ackee and Saltfish recipe.

What is Ackee? 

Ackee is a term derived from the West African term "Akye Fufo". The Ackee tree was brought to the Caribbean during the slave trade by West Africans. This delicious and buttery fruit is the national fruit of Jamaica and bears in bunches on an evergreen tree.

Ackee in the Skillet
Cooked Ackee

Although ackee is not a popular food item in Africa, African still use the tree, its fruits and leaves for other purposes. Other uses of ackee, other than eating, are: 

  1. Using the immature fruits to make soap
  2. Using the wood from the tree for termite repellant 
  3. Building structures from the wood of the tree
  4. Parasite Poison for Fish- using the seeds for the ackee fruit
  5. Topical Ointment made from the crushed leaves 

What is Saltfish?

Saltfish is a dried fish that is salted for preservation.

There are a few different names when it comes to saltfish.

The other names for saltfish are:

  1. Salted Cod
  2. Salted Pollock
  3. Bacalao.
Cook Up Saltfish
Cook Up Saltfish

Usually, in the Caribbean, saltfish is used in a wide variety of delicious dishes. Some of these dishes are, Saltfish Fritters, Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish and Jamaican Seasoned Rice.

Why is Ackee and Saltfish the National Dish of Jamaica?

As mentioned above, the Ackee fruit is the national fruit of Jamaica, and is the key ingredient in the National Dish of Jamaica, which is this Ackee and Saltfish Recipe. 

The evergreen ackee tree is known to constantly bear fruits throughout the year and in all areas of Jamaica.

 For many years and even now, Jamaica is the only country that treat the ackee fruit as food. even though the crop was introduced to other Caribbean islands.

Ackee and Saltfish Calories

Low in calories, ackee is one of the most natural foods you will ever eat. Ackee is very nutritious, high in fatty acids and rich in protein, potassium, iron, and Vitamin C. 

There are about 200 calories in every 4 ounce serving of ackee. When it comes to saltfish, there is a high salt content which may contain a lot of sodium. 

What to Eat with Ackee and Saltfish?

Jamaican in itself is versatile, where you can mix and match your carbs and proteins for any meal. Below, I will list a few popular food items that Jamaicans enjoy with any ackee and saltfish recipe. 

Ackee and Saltfish
Ackee and Saltfish

Top 12 Jamaican Side Dishes 

  1. Green Banana (Boiled)
  2. Yellow Yam (Boiled and Roasted)
  3. White Yam (Boiled or Roasted)
  4. White Rice (Steamed)
  5. Rice and Peas (Steamed)
  6. Dasheen (Boiled)
  7. Coco (Boiled)
  8. Dumplings (Fried or Boiled)
  9. Breadfruit (Roasted, Fried or Boiled)
  10. Ripe Plantain (Fried or Boiled)
  11. Green Plantain (Fried)
  12. Pumpkin (Boiled)

Is Ackee and Saltfish Vegan?

With the exclusion of the saltfish, ackee is a clean vegan dish. 

Ackee is very nutritious, high in fatty acids and rich in protein, potassium, iron, and Vitamin C. The fruit grows in red pods and is not entirely edible. The only edible part of the ackee fruit are the yellow flesh on the inside of the red pods.

The red ackee pods will need to be open and showing the black seeds, before picking.

Otherwise, it is poisonous. 

vegetables for Jamaican National Dish

Where to buy Ackee?

Nowadays, you can find many different ackee brands and can be found in stores or on Amazon.

Below, I have listed a few canned ackee brands (NOT SPONSORED), found on Amazon:

  1. Linstead Market Ackee - Click Here
  2. Grace Ackee - Click Here
  3. JCS Ackee - Click Here
  4. Ocho Rios Intl - Click Here
  5. Spur Tree - Click Here
  6. Country Isle Ackee - Click Here
  7. Double Duece - Click Here
Ackee and Saltfish Ingredients

Ackee and Saltfish Ingredients

The ingredients used in this ackee and saltfish recipe are shown in the photo above. They are:

  1. Soaked Saltfish
  2. Thyme
  3. Pimento
  4. Tomatoes
  5. Cooked Ackee
  6. Onions
  7. Garlic
  8. Sweet Pepper
  9. Scotch Bonnet
  10. The two ingredients not in photo are cooking oil for saute and black pepper.
Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee and Saltfish Recipe

Jamaican National Dish
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Boiling Saltfish 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 1130 kcal

Equipment

  • Skillet or Frying Pan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Cutting Board
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Knife
  • Strainer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Can Cooked Ackee
  • 8 Ounce Unsalted Saltfish Soaked or Boiled
  • 1 Small Onion Sliced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic Chopped
  • ½ Teaspoon Scotch Bonnet Pepper Chopped
  • ½ Cup Bell Peppers Chopped
  • ½ Cup Tomatoes Chopped
  • 3 Whole Pimento or Allspice Berries
  • 1 Sprig Thyme
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper Optional

Instructions
 

  • Place a skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil
  • Once heated, add chopped garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento, thyme sprig, tomatoes, onion and bell peppers.
  • Stir and saute for 3 minutes before adding the unsalted saltfish
  • Saute for another 2 minutes before adding the cooked ackee
  • After adding the cooked ackee, turn the flame to low and gently stir the ackee to incorporate.
  • Keep the flame low for another 3 minutes then remove from the heat.
  • Serve best with Boiled Green Banana

Video

Notes

For Jamaican Imported Pimento
Visit My Etsy Shop 
Jamaican Grown Pimento
 
 
Getting Rid of Salt from Saltfish
Saltfish can be either soaked overnight or boiled to get rid of the excess salt.
When boiling saltfish, I usually wash any visible salt from the fish before boiling twice.
After rinsing the saltfish, I add cold water and the fish to a small pot and bring to a boil. The fish wills till be a little salty at this point so I repeat the step once more before moving on with the recipe.
Whenever I use saltfish for any dish, I seldom use salt as the salt in the fish add flavor to the dish. You may add salt to your liking.
This recipe can be vegan with the exclusion of the saltfish.
 
 
Keyword jamaican cuisine, jamaican dishes
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Hi, I'm Marsha!. She moved to New York at the age of 14, where she attended Truman High School in the Bronx which offered a Culinary Program. Upon graduating from Truman, she continued her education at SUNY Delhi, where she achieved a degree in Culinary Management BBA.

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