Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dried salted fish, such as cod
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
- 3 large onions, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 hot red pepper, such as scotch bonnet, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, broken with your hands
- 2 (18-ounce) cans ackee*, drained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a bowl of cold water, soak fish at least 8 hours or overnight, changing water at least two times. Drain and transfer the fish to a saucepan. Discard soaking water. Cover the fish with fresh cold water by 1-inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain again and set the fish aside to cool. Discard water. When cool enough to handle, remove, and discard any bones and/or skin, and flake the fish into small pieces. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until very crispy and all of the fat is rendered. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain and set aside. Pour off most of the fat, then add the butter to the skillet. Add the onions, cayenne, garlic, bell peppers, thyme, green onions, red pepper, and allspice and cook until the vegetables are tender but not browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, fish, and drained ackee and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve alongside a plate of white rice or rice and beans cooked in coconut milk. Crumble the reserved bacon strips over the top of the ackee and serve.
* PLEASE NOTE: Eating unripe fresh ackee is unsafe. Only ripened canned ackee is available in the United States. It is regulated and certified by the U.S. government to be ripened fruit and safe for consumption.
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By yardieforlife
Miami, Fl
on November 23, 2011
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I totally agree with Brittany. I never knew it was possible to put all these things in a ackee dish without having it look like scrambled eggs. Though my Grandfather used to use garlic and onions he never added any of the other things. All it needs is a clove of garlic, thyme, onion and some black pepper. My mom uses tomato but not a whole one, about a quarter. Back in the days when people couldnt afford codfish/saltfish, we used to use creng-creng which is dried salted pork intestines or fried salted pork.
Emeril is right about serving it with rice because some people have it for dinner with white rice. Other dinner alternatives is to serve it with roasted breadfruit or boiled bananas, dumplings and yams. For breakfast it is best served with white bread, fried breadfruit or fried dumplings/johnny cakes
By brittany.2477_1...
Clifton, NJ
on April 10, 2009
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" As a Jamaican, im sorry Emeril but u make it so wrong.... u don't need much of the ingredients that u put in it. If u put to many ingredients in it you will overpower it.
Ackee is a very delicate food so if u put too many ingredients in it, it breaks and that isnt that good. You want firm not soupy. I know people have their own versions of ackee but leave it to the JAMAICANS to make Ackee"
No Disrespect but most of the stuff i said was true and im sure people who read this will agree with me.
If u want a good plate of ackee find a jamaican that can make good ackee.
I love all of ur other recipes though but someething tasted funny in this one..
Like the person said..( here is a duplicate
Ackee and saltfish taste better without garlic and allspice. Finely chopped escallion can be used instead of onions;or it can be an additional seasoning with less onions.Use a small amount of fresh not canned tomatoes. (Tomatoes take away the flavour of the ackee. I prefer not to use it. Ackee is served best with fried dumplings, boiled yams, boiled green bananas and fried ripe plantains.
By kcm4me_9424144
Miami, FL
on January 10, 2008
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I am a Jamaican.
Ackee and saltfish taste better without garlic and allspice. Finely chopped escallion can be used instead of onions;or it can be an additional seasoning with less onions.Use a small amount of fresh not canned tomatoes. (Tomatoes take away the flavour of the ackee. I prefer not to use it. Ackee is served best with fried dumplings, boiled yams, boiled green bananas and fried ripe plantains.
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