Recipe: Ackee and saltfish
This recipe from Motherland by Melissa Thompson sees a Jamaican classic, ready to be served with delicious dumplings
When I go to visit my parents and Dad makes this, I'm immediately transported to my childhood. The dish is so evocative for me. Still, to this day, my parents split the tasks: Dad on ackee and saltfish, Mum on plantain and dumpling duty.
Because canned ackee is so expensive, Dad would only use one can and that determined how much could be made. So instead I'd monitor Mum as she mixed the dumpling dough, willing her to make loads. This is a dish I always eat with my hands, using torn bits of fried dumpling to scoop up mouthfuls. And I mop up every bit of sauce.
Ackee and saltfish encapsulates the essence of Jamaican food in its conjoining of ingredients from various sources to create something that, to me, is greater than the sum of its parts. Saltfish imported from North America, primarily Canada, was traded with Europe as part of the Triangular Trade. In the Caribbean, a poorer-quality version called ‘West India Cure' or ‘Jamaica Cure' – that would have been rejected by Europeans – was eaten. This featured heavily in enslaved people's diets as a protein source. Ackee, in turn, is a fruit that was brought to Jamaica from West Africa on a slave ship in 1778.
The exact moment the two were paired has never been definitively pinpointed, to my knowledge. But perhaps, back when saltfish was not of the highest quality, other ingredients were added to dilute its taste.
Serves 4
- 225g saltfish, rinsed and soaked overnight
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½–1 Scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped, to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
- 2 spring onions
- Chopped leaves from 3 thyme sprigs
- 150ml water
- 540g can of ackee, drained
Put the saltfish in a pan of water and bring it to the boil. Simmer until the fish is cooked through and soft; the time this takes will vary depending on the type of fish, so expect anything from 8 up to 20 minutes. Once cooked, drain. When it is cool, break the fish into smaller pieces, checking for bones and removing them as you go and removing the skin as well.
Pour the oil into a frying pan and fry the onion, red pepper, garlic and Scotch bonnet over a medium heat until they soften, without letting them colour; 8-10 minutes.
Add the saltfish, cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, spring onions, thyme and measured water. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes and spring onions soften. Gently stir in the ackee, being careful not to break the curds up. Warm through for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with seasoned callaloo and fried dumplings or other hard food.
