Ackee and Saltfish- Jamaica's National Dish

This is my absolute favorite meal! When this is cooking, you can't find me cuz I'm too busy hanging over the pot.

So here's a little history for my non-West Indians that have no clue what I'm talking about.
Ackee is a fruit.  Here's how it looks before it is picked.

If it's not cooked properly, it can be poisonous! They must NOT be picked until they are open like in the picure.

We (my family) only get this if someone goes to Jamaica and brings it back or we use the canned ackee (no worries about poison if it's in the can). 

Ackee is pretty much always eaten with saltfish also known as codfish.



Here's how mom prepares it:

If you're using canned ackee, drain it before you cook
Soak the saltfish (boneless) preferrably overnight
Boil the saltfish.  If the fish is not soaked overnight, you may have to boil it twice to get rid of some of the salt
Break up fish into small pieces

Seasoning you will need:
Chopped onion
Chopped tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Chopped garlic
Hot pepper

Sautee the seasoning in the pot first with a little oil. 
Add fish that has already been boiled and let cook for a little while. 
Add the drained ackee with some black pepper, you may add some more seasoning for taste. 
Let simmer for about 10 min.
Serve with yam, dumpling, boiled banana, breadfruit ect
Do you!

Ackee & Saltfish w/ Yam & Dumpling