Ugandan Ackee and Saltfish
A flavorful and unique dish featuring ackee, a fruit with a savory, slightly nutty taste, combined with rehydrated salt cod. This dish is often enjoyed for breakfast or brunch.
🧂 Ingredients
- 400 g Salt cod(boneless, skinned, soaked and boiled)
- 1 can (approx. 540g) Ackee(drained)
- 1 medium Onion(finely chopped)
- 0.5 medium Bell pepper(red, deseeded and chopped)
- 0.5 small Scotch bonnet pepper(stemmed, seeded, and minced (adjust to taste))
- 3 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 1 medium Tomatoes(diced)
- 2 stalks Scallions(thinly sliced (whites and greens separated))
- 1 teaspoon Thyme(fresh leaves)
- 2 tablespoons Cooking oil
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt(or to taste)
- 0.25 teaspoon Black pepper(freshly ground)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the salt cod: Soak the salt cod in cold water for at least 1 hour, changing the water several times. Alternatively, soak overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and repeat this boiling process once more to ensure it's not too salty. Drain and flake the cod into bite-sized pieces.
💡 Tip: The goal is to remove excess salt while retaining some savory flavor. - 2
Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, minced Scotch bonnet pepper, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 minutes - 3
Add the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and flaked salt cod to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the fish is heated through.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 4
Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for another 3-5 minutes until they soften.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 5
Gently add the drained ackee to the skillet. Stir very carefully to combine, taking care not to break up the ackee too much, as it can become mushy. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the ackee is heated through.
⏱️ 5 minutes💡 Tip: Ackee is delicate; handle it with care. - 6
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in the green parts of the scallions.
💡 Tip: Taste before adding salt, as the salt cod is already salty. - 7
Serve immediately. Ackee and saltfish is traditionally served with boiled green bananas, fried plantains, or rice and peas.
💡 Tip: This dish is best enjoyed fresh.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure ackee is properly prepared; unripe or improperly prepared ackee can be toxic.
- ✓Adjust the amount of Scotch bonnet pepper to your spice preference.
- ✓If you cannot find salt cod, you can use regular cod or other white fish, but you will need to add more salt to the dish.
🔄 Variations
- Add sautéed spinach or callaloo for extra greens.
- Some recipes include a pinch of allspice (pimento) for added flavor.