Zoe Walker Journal #1: Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish with Fried Dumplings

A dish that is important to me and represents my family and cultural background is a Jamaican dish called ackee and saltfish with fried dumplings. Ackee and saltfish is a traditional breakfast eaten in Jamaica and is considered the Jamaican national dish. Ackee is a fruit that is commonly grown in Jamaica and is also the national fruit of Jamaica. As a result, it has a large significance in Jamaica and is a great representation of the culture of Jamaica. It is also very common for families to grow Ackee in their yards and when my father lived in Jamaica, he and his family grew up growing it and eating it for breakfast which has great significance for me.

There are so many reasons why I love this meal. It is a reminder of my heritage and my history and allows me to identify closely with my Jamaican background. It also gives me the feeling of closeness and connectedness to my dad who enjoyed this meal growing up in Jamaica. Whenever we visit my family in New York and Jamaica this dish is a focal point of our meals and is always enjoyed by everyone. When visiting my aunt’s house in New York, my sister and I always travel to the Jamaican grocery store with her to pick out the saltfish and buy the ackee. Once we get home my aunt begins cooking the ackee and saltfish and my dad begins rolling out the dough to cook the dumplings. The tradition is that my aunt will cook the ackee and saltfish first while my dad rolls out the dumplings. My dad will wait until the ackee and saltfish are done before frying the dumplings so they are hot and crispy when they go onto the plate. My favorite smell is when the dumplings begin frying because that means the food is almost done and ready to eat. This meal is also important to me because it’s a rare dish that we have whenever we’re with family on my dad’s side. Since most of the family on my dad’s side lives in New York or Jamaica we don’t get to visit them very often. As a result, it’s not often that we get to enjoy this meal so when we have it, it means that a special occasion is occurring where we can all be together. The memories attached to this meal of the family all together coupled with its amazing taste is what makes this dish so important to me.

Ackee and Saltfish with Fried Dumplings

My Dad’s side of the family from Jamaica

Along with my personal history and culture with this dish, there is an entire global history surrounding it. Since Ackee and Saltfish is Jamaica’s national dish, and Ackee is the national fruit, this meal is held in high regard in Jamaica and has been a part of the country’s history for hundreds of years. Ackee is originally native to tropical West Africa and was imported to Jamaica during the slave trade. Ackee also has a long-held reputation as a poisonous fruit which can cause fatalities if eaten before ripe. However, when ripe the fruit can be delicious and is prepared for many famous Caribbean cuisines. Saltfish is traditionally made from cod in a

process of drying the fish and then being salted to preserve it. This practice of drying fish to make saltfish was first established in Europe and made its way to the Caribbean during the slave trade in the 1700s which was the same time that ackee was imported to Jamaica. Since Jamaica has such a hot and humid climate, the ability to preserve fresh fish by drying and salting it resulted in it becoming a staple in Jamaica. The ackee and saltfish were then combined with other vegetables that were imported into Jamaica such as onions, tomatoes, and peppers and coupled with seasoning to create the dish that is historically significant to Jamaica.

Ingredients:

For the ackee and saltfish

• 450g/1lb salt cod
• 1 x 400g/14oz can ackee
• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 2 tsp jerk seasoning
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, seeds removed and sliced
• 200g/7oz tomatoes, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings

• 250g/9oz self-rising flour
• 30g/1oz vegetable suet
• pinch of salt
• vegetable oil, for frying

Method:

1. For the saltfish, soak the salt cod overnight, changing the water a couple of times.

2. Drain, then put the cod in a large pan of freshwater and bring to the boil. Drain again, add fresh water and bring to the boil again.

3. Simmer for about five minutes, or until cooked through, then drain and flake the fish into large pieces. Discard any skin or bones.

4. For the dumplings, mix the flour and suet with a pinch of salt and 250ml/9fl oz water to make a dough.

5. Wrap the mixture in clingfilm and leave in the fridge to rest.

6. Open the can of ackee, drain and rinse, then set aside.

7. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the onion until softened but not brown.

8. Add the spices, seasoning, pepper sauce and sliced peppers and continue to fry until the peppers are tender.

9. Add the chopped tomatoes, then the salt cod and mix together. Lastly, stir in the ackee very gently and leave to simmer until ready to serve.

10. When you’re almost ready to eat, heat about 1cm/½in vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat until just smoking.

11. Shape the dumpling mix into plum-size balls and shallow-fry until golden brown. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave the pan unattended.)

12. Drain the dumplings on kitchen paper and serve with the saltfish and ackee.

References:

• “Ackee and Saltfish.” My Recipes, myrecipejm.com/recipes_list/ackee-and-saltfish-2/.
• “Ackee and Saltfish.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 July 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackee_and_saltfish.
• Kilifin, Lyndsey. “A Brief History of Ackee and Saltfish, Jamaica’s Staple Breakfast.” Culture Trip, 19 Feb. 2017, theculturetrip.com/caribbean/jamaica/articles/a-brief-history-of-ackee-and-saltfish-jamaicas-staple-breakfast/.