The Only Ackee & Saltfish Recipe You'll Ever Need

The secret to a proper ackee and saltfish is starting with the right ackee. Firm pods hold their structure during cooking — they won't dissolve into a mash when sautéed with scotch bonnet, onion, and thyme.

What You Need (serves 2–3)

• One tin of authentic Jamaican ackee, drained
• 200g salted codfish, soaked overnight and flaked
• Half an onion, sliced
• 1 scotch bonnet, whole or chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• Fresh thyme
• 1 tomato
• Black pepper and cooking oil

Method

Boil and flake your saltfish, removing skin and bones. In a heavy pan, sauté onion, garlic, scotch bonnet, and thyme in oil until soft. Add tomato and cook down for 2 minutes. Add saltfish and fold gently. Finally, add ackee and fold — never stir — to keep the pods intact.

The pod should hold its shape. If it's mush before it hits the pan, the tin wasn't right.

Serve With

Boiled green banana, fried dumpling, or hard dough bread. This is the traditional Sunday breakfast spread that diaspora communities across the UK recreate every week — and the quality of your ackee determines whether it tastes like home or like a disappointment.

For the authentic experience, you need genuine Jamaican ackee — not the supermarket version. 876BOX ships Grace, Linstead Market and Vineyard direct from Jamaica to your UK door.