ackee is the national fruit of jamaica, where my grandad is from. the most traditional dish is ackee and saltfish, and this recipe will be dropped soon, but i wanted to give you something quick without having to marinate jackfruit 'saltfish' and you should be able to pick everything up at your local afro caribbean store.
the price of ackee in london is anti black. £5 for a whole can??? excuse me. i am told it is due to white vegans using it in place of scrambled egg. as vegans we need to be way more conscious of the impact of our food choices. 'colombusing' is a term for what happens when white people 'discover' 'exotic' foods, with the price rising along with the popularity. we need to be making ethical choices and ensuring that indigenous communities (as well as farmers and fruit pickers) are given the support, respect and appropriate payment that they deserve. i recommend sunland caribbean foods in blackhorse lane or ebony status on ig.
(this is lit on toast though)
ingredients:
1 can of ackee
1 can of callaloo or 1 bunch fresh calalloo, roughly chopped
1 carrot
1 cup diced mixed peppers
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 spring onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 scotch bonnet (finely chop and remove seeds)
a few stalks of fresh thyme (about 1tsp dry)
1 tsp smoked paprika
sea salt and black pepper
oil for frying (i use grapeseed)
method:
1. fry the onions until lightly browned and fragrant
2. add the carrots and peppers and sautee on low until the carrots are soft and slightly caramelised.
3. add the garlic and spring onion for about 1 minute
3. add everything else, (except the ackee and callaloo) and fry until the tomatoes soften and lose structure. if it sticks add a bit of water or stock.
4. if using fresh callaloo, add and sautee until cooked
5. drain and rinse the ackee (and canned callaloo) and add to pot. stir through until piping hot. be gentle so it doesn't go mushy!
enjoy on toast, by itself, with hard food (steamed yams and dumplings) or add to a grain for a whole meal.