Jamaican Ackee and Salt Fish

Ackee and Salt Fish is a dish that I never truly appreciated in Jamaica that I know crave as an adult. Even more so since I have become vegan and this classic pairing is something I did not think was possible to recreate with such consistency.

Ackee and Salt Fish is Jamaica’s national dish and is my all time favorite food. This dish is served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Ackee is traditionally served with salted cod, however, you know I had to turn it vegan using hearts of palm!

Ingredients:

1 can of ackee

1 can of hearts of palm

2 tablespoons of Furikake Japanese seasoning

1 plum tomato chopped

1/2 yellow onion

1 habanero pepper (remove stems only)

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Open the can of hearts of palm and drain the water. Remove the soft center of the palm and discard. Use a potato masher to break into smaller pieces. In a bowl, place hearts of palm, furikake, and salt, combine and set aside for 15 minutes,

In a heated skillet, add grapeseed oil, habanero pepper, onion, garlic, liquid smoke, and tomatoes. Allow to cook until the onions turn translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the seasoned hearts of palm and stir until combined. Allow to heat through, about 5-7 minutes.

Drain and rinse the ackee. Place in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain off completely. Then add to skillet with other ingredients. Gently stir to combine. Remove the habanero pepper and discard. Do not overcook the ackee. Once heated through it is ready. This can be eaten with rice or traditional sides such as fried dumplings, boiled green bananas or fried plantains and so much more.