Chinese Attempting Jamaican (Ackee and Saltfish)

So the most Jamaican thing i've ever had is Jerk Chicken from Nottinghill carnival, made authentically from a Jamaican family owned stall! I had to wait in line 20 minutes for it but boy it was hot and tasty!

I've always been one to try out different cuisines from different cultures- this time I think I was exploring the Jamaican flavours, hence my [jerk chicken buns] I created and was inspired by this Jamaican dish, and also partly because I had a few scotch bonnets left over!

The recipe I will be trying is from www.jamaicatravelandculture.com 

Recipe
(Serves 4 people)

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 lb of Saltfish (dried, salted codfish)
• 1 drained can of ackees 
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper
• 3 tbsp of Butter
• 1/2 a Scotch Bonnet
• 1 Sweet Pepper
• 1 Chopped Tomato
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 2 Cloves of Garlic

Directions: 

• Cover the saltfish in cold water. let soak overnight (minimum 8 hours) changing the water several times (this removes most of the salt)
• Bring a pot of water to boil and let the saltfish soak in it for 20 minutes (until fish is tender)
• Remove the fish from the water and allow to cool. 
• Remove all the bones and skin from the fish and rip fish into sections. (It says flake up in the recipe, but I enjoy my fish with a bit of bite and if your lazy like me you can just buy the boneless fish ;D) 
• Chop the onion, sweet pepper, chilli pepper and tomato
• Melt the butter on a pan and stir in the chopped onion, sweet pepper, chilli pepper, black pepper and thyme for about 3 minutes. 
• Add the tomatoes and fish and stir fry for about another 10 minutes. 
• Add ackee and stir until hot throughout, gently stirring so that the ackee does not break apart.
• Serve :) 

 The End Result!

I served this dish with fried dumplings, you can read how to make them in my previous post [here]

My Thoughts?

Please do not comment on my boulder like shape of my fried dumplings! It's the taste and not the look ok! xD

Anyway I enjoyed how different this dish tasted! It kinda tastes like a Mediterranean stew and goes perfectly with the cispyness of the fried dumplings. I certainly have never tried anything like it before, although I don't know if it is meant to turn out like this, having nothing to compare it to. Ackee and Saltfish is typically eaten for breakfast in Jamaica, so I served this up fresh for breakfast! It is a great breakfast meal- light and defo gives you that morning kick with the scotch bonnets in there! If you have never tried scotch bonnets before- I warn you they are a force to be reckoned with! This small little pepper has a huge bite for its size! And actually I am pleased to have discovered the scotch bonnet through making this dish, as it is now my favourite pepper!

I would defo use this recipe again!