No, It's Not Scrambled Eggs. It's Ackee!

As a child, I was often awakened on Saturday mornings by the smell of a hearty breakfast wafting through the house. My favourite days were the days my mom would make ackee and saltfish. What’s that you might ask? Well, ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica while ackee and saltfish is the national dish. I know what you’re thinking. Fish and fruit for breakfast? Such an odd combination. Interestingly, ackee is unique and unlike any other fruit. Not only is it savoury, but it also cannot be eaten unless it’s cooked.

In my household, we typically got ackee from the tree in our backyard. However, our neighbours would also help themselves to the ackee on our tree, and we would have to go to the market when there was none left for us. This was a huge part of the experience for me as my mom and I would bond while cleaning the ackees. When she migrated, it was impossible to see, smell or taste ackee without thinking of her.

After my mom migrated, I cooked ackee and saltfish on the days I missed her a little extra. It was nostalgic having the smell of this dish drift through our house, and I'd reminisce as I ate. Not only was it our national dish and one of my favourite things to eat, but it was also a core part of my dearest childhood memories with my mom.

I later relocated to Canada and was distraught that I did not have access to fresh ackees. How was I supposed to cook ackee if I didn't have access to it? Would I have to travel to Jamaica every few months to get my ackee fix? Luckily, Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore sold canned ackees! Quite frankly, I wasn't a huge fan of canned ackees as we can all agree that fresh is always better. However, I was thrilled to at least have access to it and almost cleared the shelf during my first purchase.

It was always an interesting experience preparing ackee around my non-Jamaican friends. They'd think I was making scrambled eggs and I'd chuckle and give them the lowdown. Though ackee and saltfish smells nothing like eggs, it is easy to see why people would mix up the two. After all, they are both bright yellow in appearance and served at breakfast time. But, it is important to note that in Jamaica, ackee is not bound to breakfast time and can be eaten for lunch, dinner and as a snack (even at midnight).

So, what is ackee, anyways?

Ackee, also known as Blighia Sapida, is a tropical fruit that is native to West Africa. It first arrived in Jamaica in 1778 and has been a staple ever since. Ackees grow on evergreen trees, and their pods are harvested when the husks split open. It is advised not to force the fruit open but rather wait for it to yawn and open naturally. As ackees ripen, they change from green to a bright red hue. Each fruit typically has three pods, and if you are lucky, you’ll find the occasional fruit that has a fourth pod.

And saltfish?

Saltfish was introduced to the Caribbean in the 16th century and arrived on vessels from Canada and other parts of North America. It is a meaty white fish that has been salt-cured and dried. This allows it to be stored for a long period of time without refrigeration. Prior to cooking, the saltfish, also known as codfish, is rehydrated by soaking it in warm water. This process also removes most of the salt from the fish. Be careful not to remove all of the salt as you do not want to end up with bland or tasteless fish.

Recipe

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

Ingredients

12 ackees or one can of ackee

2 stalks green onion (or escallion)

1 small red bell pepper

1 scotch bonnet pepper (habanero can be used as a substitute)

1 medium onion

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Maggi All Purpose Seasoning

1 small tomato (optional)

2 sprigs thyme

1 tbsp pimento/allspice berries

1/2lb saltfish

2tbsp coconut oil

2 cloves garlic

Salt to taste (I don’t add extra salt because I think the Maggi seasoning and saltfish provide enough salt, but some people prefer to add more salt)

Instructions

1. Soak the saltfish for roughly two hours or overnight to remove some of the salt. You can change the water a few times if you’d like. Rinse thoroughly once done soaking and boil on medium heat for fifteen minutes. Taste the saltfish, and if the salt level is to your liking, remove from the pot and let it cool. If it is still too salty, continue to boil and taste until your desired level of saltiness is achieved.

2. If you are using fresh ackees, clean them by removing the seeds and all traces of the pit in the arils. Boil the ackee until tender. Do not overboil or you will end up with mush!

3. While the ackee is boiling, chop the green onions, onions, red bell pepper, tomato, garlic and scotch bonnet. You can remove the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper if you would like less heat. If you love heat, feel free to include the seeds.

4. Heat the coconut oil in a dutch pot or frying pan on medium-high heat.

5. Add the garlic to the hot oil and sautee for a minute then add the rest of the chopped seasoning and cook for approximately two minutes.

6. Add the saltfish to the pot and sautee for an additional two minutes.

7. Add the ackee and fold it into the seasoned saltfish. Do not mix the contents of the pot too much as this can also result in mush.

8. Add the black pepper, Maggi seasoning and salt if using. Stir this into the mixture and let it simmer for up to five minutes on low heat.

9. Serve with the side dish of your choice!

Notes

Ackee can be poisonous if the unripe arils, seeds or husks are ingested. Ackee fruit poisoning is referred to as “Jamaican vomiting sickness” in Jamaica. This can also occur if the arils aren’t fully cooked.

Ackee and saltfish can be eaten with fried dumplings, boiled dumplings and boiled green bananas, roasted and fried breadfruit (but not Christina Milian’s raw version), fried ripe plantains, white rice or even bread. My favourite combination is ackee and saltfish with fried breadfruit, fried plantains and avocado.

If you'd like to have juice with this meal while keeping it authentic, then I would suggest a cold glass of Jamaican soursop juice.

If you try this ackee and saltfish recipe, let me know what you think. For some, it is an acquired taste. As for me, I cannot get enough, and I look forward to making more memories of this dish with my future children!