Happy New Year!

New Year’s Day Ackee Stir Fry Brunch

This is something to have when you need a little pick me up to get those taste buds zinging  again as its packed with chilli, garlic and lime juice. Ackee is a Caribbean vegetable/fruit now sold in cans in the UK-I get mine from Tesco’s (other supermarkets are available...) My grateful thanks to my friend J for introducing me to Ackee.  This dish is a great store cupboard stand by and can be prepared with minimal effort but gives great reward in terms of taste and flavour. It is a delicious vegetarian dish in its own right or you can serve it with fish as it would normally be done in the Caribbean. Ackee and Salt Fish is, of course, the national dish of Jamaica. This is my version-Welsh style...
 

Ingredients

 540 g can drained Ackee-try to get a large can where the delicate Ackee is less likely to be broken up

2 rather plump garlic cloves-finely chopped

1 large red chilli-finely chopped together with the seeds if you like that extra heat!

100g Basmati and Wild Rice-the texture and aromatics of the basmati and wild rice add so much to this dish-I would recommend Tilda for preference

1 can of chick peas-drained

1 large onion-chopped

2 tsp of vegetarian stock powder-My favourite by far is Marigold Vegan Organic

1 large red pepper

2 tbsp British Extra Virgin Rapeseed oil-Cotswold Gold, Hill farm etc

200g can plum tomatoes

3-4 outer cabbage leaves very finely sliced-chiffon style!

If serving with fish

A small thin fillet of fish per person-Dab are perfect as they are just the right size, delicious and so cheap!  I had some Dabs caught off the Pembrokeshire coast in the freezer. If frozen individually, they defrost very quickly indeed.

To garnish

1 lime-zest grated plus its juice (lime works so much better than lemon in this dish)-alternatively use some bottled lime juice

A handful of fresh coriander finely chopped or parsley if coriander doesn’t appeal!

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c and when at temperature pop the red pepper on a small roasting tray in there to roast. Once nicely blackened, remove and place in a poly bag for 15 minutes then gently remove the stalk, skin and seeds. If you are going to have fish with this dish then turn off the oven as it is hot enough, retain the roasting pan and pour a little of the red pepper juice back in and place the fish fillets in the pan. Coat the fish with the juices (you might need to add a drop or two of oil) and return to the oven and cook in the residue heat for a few minutes-probably not more than 10 until just cooked. As the Dab fillets are so thin they cook very quickly. The red pepper juices impart a light smoky flavour to the fillets and keep them succulent.

At the same time, boil some water in a pan with the stock powder and add the rice. However don’t add all the water as the rice packet suggests as you want to add the can of plum tomatoes just before the rice has cooked to add to the taste of the rice. Cook the rice and add the can of plum tomatoes about 10 minutes before the rice is due to be cooked. Very lightly break up the plum tomatoes if they are large. When the rice is finally cooked add the drained chick peas, the chopped chilli and the now cooked red pepper minus seeds etc and simmer gently.

Whilst you are waiting for all of this, heat the oil in a large wok and add the chopped onion. Fry for a couple of minutes then add the chopped garlic. Then add the finely sliced cabbage-I use the outer leaves as they have a lovely bright green colour when stir  fried and as long as they are clean and not damaged I hate to waste them! Stir fry for a couple of minutes then turn down the heat and very gently add the drained Ackee taking care not to break up the delicate curds by stirring too much. I tend to gently shake the wok rather than stir. Warm through for a couple of minutes then turn off the heat.

Hopefully everything is now ready at the same time!

Plate up for each person in a warm wide bowl with first a good scoop of the tomato/rice/chickpea then add a good ladle or two of the stir fry with the Ackee. Then if keeping this vegetarian, garnish with the chopped coriander or parsley and a good squeeze of lime juice and grated zest. If having the fish, then place a cooked fillet on top before garnishing. Be generous with the lime juice as it really lifts the dish and adds to that zing!