Saltfish and Ackee with Bacalao
Equipment
- Large skillet or sauté pan A nonstick or cast iron skillet works great here. If you don’t have one, any wide pan will do.
- Medium pot (optional) For boiling the salted cod if you want to reduce the salt faster.
- Cutting board and sharp knife Prepping your vegetables is quick with a good setup.
- Slotted spoon For handling the delicate ackee without breaking it up too much.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb salted cod bacalao, soaked overnight and rinsed
- 1 can 19 oz ackee, drained gently
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper red or green, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 scallions chopped
- 1 small tomato diced
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper optional, for heat, deseeded and chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Fresh thyme sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
Soak and Prepare the Cod
- Rinse your bacalao and soak it in cold water overnight, changing the water at least twice. The next day, boil it for 10 minutes to remove excess salt, then drain and flake the fish into bite-sized pieces.
Sauté the Aromatics
- Heat oil in your skillet over medium heat. Add onions, bell peppers, garlic, and thyme. Sauté until fragrant and soft—about 5 minutes.
Add the Saltfish
- Toss in the flaked cod and stir well to combine. Let it cook with the vegetables for another 5 minutes to soak up all that flavor.
Introduce the Ackee
- Gently fold in the ackee and diced tomato. Be very gentle—ackee is soft and breaks easily. Cook for another 3–5 minutes, just until warmed through.
Final Touches
- Sprinkle in black pepper, add chopped scallions and scotch bonnet if using. Stir once more and remove from heat.