Ackee is a fruit-producing plant. West Africa, the Caribbean, southern Florida, and Central America are all home to this species. In Jamaica, mature ackee fruit is consumed as a meal and is regarded as a nutritional mainstay, however, unripe ackee fruit is extremely deadly.
INGREDIENTS
- Salt cod
- Diced yellow onion
- Diced bell pepper,
- Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small tomato cored and
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable diced
- fresh thyme leaves and tender stems, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Sliced avocado for serving
- One 18–20-ounce can ackee
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
- Rinse salt cod under cold running water to remove any salt from its surface. Cover with new water and transfer to a medium bowl. Soak for 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and chill overnight.
- Drain the salt cod, remove the soaking water, and place the fish in a small saucepan with new water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until salmon flakes readily when poked with a fork. Drain and discard cooking water, return the fish to the pot, cover with a fresh change of water, and boil for an additional 20 minutes if the cod is still too salty—it should have a saltiness similar to bacon.
- Drain and flake the salt cod into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces after it has been cooked and seasoned to your preference, eliminating any bones and silvery membranes. Place aside.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet, and garlic are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Cook, stirring periodically until the flakes of salt cod is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato, scallion, and thyme, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the veggies are soft and the mixture is fragrant.
Add ackee, swirl gently to integrate (do not over-mix or the ackee will turn mushy), and simmer for 3 minutes, or until ackee is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately with sliced avocado.
Comments are closed.