Make this: Chubby's ackee and saltfish bites

A bite-sized take on the traditional Jamaican breakfast, this recipe for ackee and saltfish bites is easy to serve as an amuse-bouche at your next dinner party. 

Chubby's ackee and saltfish bites recipe

Published: Thursday 21st April 2022

Makes 12

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

“Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica, so when I opened Chubby’s, I knew I had to have a version of ackee and saltfish on the menu.

Typically part of a quintessential Jamaican breakfast spread, this version of ackee and saltfish has been transformed into savoury bites, perfect to serve as an appetizer. It’s a perfect combination of textures – crispy dumplings act as a tasty base for the melt-in-your-mouth combo of ackee and saltfish (cod).”

— Angela Lawrence, Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1 g thyme, chopped
  • 2 g green onions, chopped
  • 2 g red pepper, julienned
  • ½ g Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
  • 4 g Spanish onion, julienned
  • 2 g Roma tomato, seeded and julienned
  • 2 g butter
  • 2 g garlic, chopped
  • 4 ml olive oil
  • 1 g black pepper
  • 200 g canned ackee, drained and rinsed
  • 1 g all-purpose spices
  • 150 g salt cod saltfish base

Dumpling base

  • 2 g unsalted butter
  • 1 g salt
  • 4 g granulated sugar
  • 225 g all-purpose flour
  • 10 g baking powder
  • Water, as needed
  • Olive oil, as needed

Method

Topping method

  1. In a medium pan, heat oil and add the onions. Sauté for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, Scotch bonnet peppers, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  4. Add the butter, allow to melt, then add the salt cod and cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Add in the ackee, seasoning and black pepper, and gently fold into the mixture.
  6. Add thyme and green onions, and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside.

Dumpling base method

  1. In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and butter. Combine properly.
  2. Add water to the dry ingredients and make it into a smooth soft dough. Let the dough rest for approximately 10 minutes.
  3. When the dough has been rested, shape the dough into six golf ball size pieces and flatten slightly with a dimple in the centre of the dough.
  4. Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium flame.
  5. Place each piece of dumpling in the skillet and let cook until golden brown on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside in a tray lined with paper to absorb any excess oil.
  6. Cut each dumpling in half and assemble the bites by placing the ackee on top of each half.
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