The Sunday Morning Ackee

Ingredients

• 1 can (19 oz) ackee, drained — or 12 fresh ackee pods, boiled and cleaned
• 8 oz saltfish (salted codfish)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 sweet pepper (bell pepper), sliced thin
• 2 stalks scallion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole (for heat without burning it down)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Fresh thyme sprigs

Method

1. The night before: soak saltfish in cold water. Change the water once or twice. If you're short on time, boil it for 20 minutes then drain and repeat once.
2. Boil the saltfish until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and flake it — pulling out any bones as you go.
3. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, scallion, and thyme. Cook until the onion is soft and starting to go golden.
4. Add sweet pepper and tomatoes. Stir and cook another 3–4 minutes.
5. Drop in the whole scotch bonnet — it perfumes the dish without destroying it. Remove it before serving if you want; leave it in if you know what you're doing.
6. Add the flaked saltfish. Stir through. Taste before adding any salt — the fish carries plenty.
7. Gently fold in the ackee. It's delicate. Don't mash it into scrambled eggs. Low heat, gentle hand.
8. Season with black pepper. Cook another 2–3 minutes until everything is heated through and the flavors have married.

Tips

Ackee must be fully open and ripe before picking or canning — unripe ackee is toxic. Canned ackee is already safe. Don't overcook it after adding; it should hold its shape, not dissolve.

Serve with bammy, fried dumplings, hard dough bread, or boiled green bananas. A Sunday plate has all four.