Saltfish, or salted codfish, is a tasty Caribbean meal that can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Spanish speaking people call this dish bacalao. Salted codfish was introduced in the Caribbean as far back as the 1700’s by traders from other countries that traded the fish for rum. There are several variations of the dish, depending on the cook, but most involve some type of peppers and onions.
Johnny Cake is also known as fried dumplings, and is popular throughout the West Indian islands.
Salted Codfish
Saltfish, pronounced without the “t” by most Caribbean people, is a dish created using salted codfish. The codfish is packed and dried in salt and sold in packages. This was done to keep the fish from spoiling on those long-ago trading voyages. In America, salted codfish can most easily be found in Latin American or Caribbean food stores. Neighborhoods that have a high concentration of Hispanic or Caribbean people may sell salted codfish in mainstream grocery stores.
Saltfish is a signature meal in the Caribbean and can be served at any time of day or night. At breakfast, many Caribbean people eat saltfish with hard boiled eggs or eggplant. It can also be served with rice, ackee (a fruit grown on trees in the Caribbean), Johnny Cake, or plantains.
Recipes for saltfish require that the codfish be adequately boiled or soaked in order to remove the excess salt. It’s a good idea to sample a small piece before adding it to the other ingredients to ensure that it is palatable. Also, more or less garlic and onions can be used depending on individual preference.
Saltfish
Prep Time: 30 minutes to overnight
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- One package of salted codfish
- One clove of garlic
- One medium-sized or large onion
- Two bell peppers (for visual appeal, choose different colors, such as red and yellow)
- Two large tomatoes
- Pepper
- Vegetable oil
Procedures
- Boil the codfish in a pot on medium high heat for at least thirty minutes. If desired, green plantains can be boiled in the same pot until tender. Another option is to soak the codfish in a large bowl of water overnight in the refrigerator.
- While the codfish is boiling or soaking, chop and slice the garlic, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan.
- Cook the garlic and onions until the onions become clear in appearance.
- Stir in the bell peppers and cook until slightly tender.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for another five minutes, stirring continuously.
- Break the codfish into small pieces and stir into the mixture. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serves 4-5
Johnny Cake
Like Saltfish, there are many variations of Johnny Cake. Some recipes use cornmeal while others do not. Some recipes bake the mixture, but the most common method is to fry it, thus the name fried dumplings.
The following recipe does not use cornmeal and requires the mixture to be fried.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup cold water
- Vegetable oil
Procedures
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut in butter until the mixture forms dough.
- Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture takes on a firm consistency.
- Form dough into biscuits about 2 inches across. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Fry the Johnny Cakes until golden brown on each side.
- Remove and drain on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Serve as is or with butter, honey or preserves.
With a little practice and recipes like these, you are on your way to becoming a bona fide Caribbean chef!
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