Vegan Ackee and Saltfish (Jamaican Breakfast Feast)
A vegan take on Jamaica’s National Dish and my favourite breakfast in the world: Ackee and Saltfish. This is one of the most flavourful breakfasts ever and perfect comfort food!
Where do I even start with this blog post? I’ve always heard from you guys that you want to see way more Jamaican recipes from me. Or anything really with a more Caribbean vibe. Not going to lie – it hasn’t been an easy task. You see, growing up with these recipes, there wasn’t really any “recipe”. You cook with love and feeling, and that doesn’t leave that much room for exact precision. Regardless of that, I saw the reaction from you all after I shared the recipe for Jamaican Jerk Sauce. It really touched my heart since it’s always been a slightly scary thing to share this part of me. So, Gav and I worked together in order to bring you a recipe from my favourite breakfast in the entire world – Vegan Ackee and Saltfish.
Vegan Ackee and Saltfish (Jamaican Breakfast Feast)
Ingredients
Vegan Saltfish
- 1 can, 14 oz/396g of Hearts of Palm
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons kelp or nori flakes, optional
Ackee
- 1 lb cooked ackee or canned/tin ackee*, (454g)
- Up to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 2 plummy or Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 medium sized bell pepper, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, roughly chopped
- 3-4 stalks fresh thyme, stems removed
- ÂĽ of Scotch bonnet or more for your preferred heat, finely diced
- 3 stalks scallion, sliced
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste**
Instructions
Vegan Saltfish
- You’ll need a container of hearts of palm for this recipe. Take out each piece out of the brine, and cut them in half, then diagonally, and then kinda just shred them slightly. This will give you that saltfish look (demonstrated in video). After you’re finished shredding the entire can or jar’s contents, add it in a mason jar.
- Add in a cup of water and a tablespoon of salt which is your salt brine. Stir gently to mix. I also add in some kelp flakes to add to that fishy taste. Long story short you want to ensure that the entire container of vegan saltfish is covered with the brine. Set aside and allow it to brine for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours.
Ackee
- Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan. Add in the garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and cook down until it’s soft and the onions are translucent, for about 5-8 minutes. Add in the thyme and stir.Â
- Now we are going to add in your vegan saltfish! Drain off the salt brine, rinse well and pat dry. Ensure the heat is hot and add the Saltfish to the seasonings. If it looks dry add a couple more teaspoons of oil. Stir to combine and let the Saltfish crisp up a bit with the seasonings for about 5 minutes.Â
- At this point you can add in your fully cooked and drained fresh Ackee or your canned Ackee. Stir gently with everything, especially if using canned Ackee since it’s delicate and you don’t want it to break apart. You’ll definitely want to re-season the dish with some more salt and top it all with a lot of black pepper.Â
- Remove from heat and serve alongside callaloo, breadfruit and fried plantain and/or of your favourite side dishes. Eat and enjoy!
- Ackee and saltfish can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to a few days. Simply reheat in your microwave or back on the stovetop until hot again. Callaloo can be reheated the same way. I recommend only cooking enough plantain and breadfruit for when you need it since it tastes best fresh!Â
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
So freaking good! Thank you so much for this!!!
Thanks so much Dawn!
excellent alternative. Thank-you!
Cant wait to make this soon for me what is ackee and I just checked on google ackee is pretty expensive as am living in Singapore can i use other lychee or other fruits or leave out ackee I never had vegan ackee and saltfish before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hi Ramya,
So happy you’re interested in this recipe!! Lychee isn’t neutral enough as a substitute. The best I can think of would be tofu, which with taste the same but would still be delicious.
I’m also so happy to hear that my recipes brighten up your days wow!! Thanks so much for sharing that with me!! I’m trying to think of a proper substitute for the ackee, since it’s such a unique ingredient. If I think of anything else I’ll tell you!
It doesn’t say when to add the scotch bonnet. I assume along with the bell peppers?
Hi Anne,
Yes add it in there! Enjoy!