Ackee & Saltfish Recipe

Hi! Foodhedonist's  10 Popular Jamaican Recipes is available for purchase on Amazon.com! It will feature this amazing recipe, along with other popular & delectable delights! 

Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica's national dish. That's not surprising, since the ackee is Jamaica's national fruit. It was imported to Jamaica from Ghana prior to 1778. Ackee is traditionally cooked with salted codfish in a rich tomato-based sauce.

Ackees on the tree

Jamaican Festival Dumplings

Hi! Foodhedonist's  10 Popular Jamaican Recipes is available for purchase on Amazon.com! It will feature this amazing recipe, along with other popular & delectable delights! 

Festivals are also referred to as "festival dumplings" and are essentially the same thing as a fried dumpling or a johnny cake, just with a different shape. There is a dumpling in the frying pan in the picture below  - the round "festival." Festivals are great with  ackee and saltfish, escovietched fish, jerked chicken or jerked pork! Speaking of which, I had some escovieched fish with festival went I went to Gloria's in Port Royal last Christmas. My mother would make festivals every Saturday morning for breakfast, with some ackee and saltfish.

Ackee, saltfish and festival

Curry Delight!!

This recipe was inspired by a fusion of Indian style and Thai style spice blends and curries.  I must say, it turned out great!

Finished pot of Curry!

The stuff in the zip locked bag on the right are chili peppers

Here is the formula:

1-1.5 lbs of chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 teaspoon of Madras curry and 2-3 tablespoons of Madras curry
1/2 teaspoon of garam marsala
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
4-5 whole cloves, broken into bits
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 pegs garlic, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons  of mango chutney
4 tablespoons of Satay peanut sauce
2 hot chili peppers, crushed, if you want it spicy!
1 inch of ginger, thinly sliced and quartered
3 potatoes, diced
1/2 -1 cup of water.

Method:

Thinly slice the chicken breasts and rinse them in a solution of vinegar and water. Then, add the 1/2 teaspoon of Madras curry, 1/2 teaspoon of garam marsala, 1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder, the broken cloves, black pepper and salt. Mix  together.  Then, add the chopped onions and garlic. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Add the cooking oil to a large skillet.  When the oil is hot, add the curry and stir in until fragrant.  Be mindful not to burn the curry, or the food will taste like burned curry.  Then, lowering the flame to medium, chop the tomatoes and add them to the skillet.  Leave for 2 minutes. Then add the chicken, combined with the onion and garlic.  Add the potatoes. Cover with 1/2 -1 cup of water. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium flame.  Then, add the mango chutney along with the Satay peanut sauce. Cook for another 3 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Enjoy!