Ahhm excuse me...
Well I certainly hope not because I come in the name of food fighting- hands up!
Do you remember my salted fish last week?
Well it went so well that we couldn’t eat it all - well most of it. Hence the title of this week’s meal is “Tun Yuh Han Mek Fashan .” This is a Jamaican expression which is similar in meaning to “If life gives you lemons , make lemonade.”
I decided to use my over salted fish to Ackee and Saltfish which so happens to be the National Dish of Jamaica 🇯🇲
For those who don’t know the ackee fruit was taken to Jamaica from West Africa many moons ago by slave traders as part of their cargo.
^ when the ackee is in the above state - do not attempt to open it as it can be poisonous ☠️. The fruit must be allowed to open naturally.
Like above - then you can remove fruit from the pod , remove the seeds and the pink strips inside the fruit. You can then boil it and cook with your favorite spices. The fruit in itself is quite bland so almost all Jamaicans spice it. I saw a young lady from the USA the other in a video eating it raw and like most Jamaicans watching the video I was horrified and worried for her safety.
Unfortunately, ackee doesn’t grow in Japan where I reside not any of the nearby islands. Fortunately I can order a can from irie876.com or if I’m lucky get a can from a kind friend or family member.
So with my can of ackee and friends I got down to business.
I had to debone that over salted fish
Then I cut up an onion , a few pegs of garlic ( if you like tomatoes 🍅 go ahead)
I like colorful meals so I added green peppers and paprika.Cut open the can of ackee and strain excess liquid.
Now put on a frying pan - add a bit of oil, let it get get nice and hot then add Veges first or fish first depending on how crispy you want the fish to be.
I went veges first this time around
Added the fish later (for my vegetarian version I skip the fish and use potatoes and carrots cut lengthwise)
Next - add your ackee and gently stir.
After that add what you need to bring to your required taste. I used dried scotch bonnet pepper , thyme, black pepper, magic salt and some other Italian herbs because I like to dash it in like that.
Finally, I packed my lunch for the day.
In view of my barrel like figure I opted for string beans and broccoli.
My retractable lunch box was ready to go.
Later that day when the damage was done! I turned a not so desireable thing into a wonderful meal. In life we “Haffi tun we Han and mek fashion.” If you are going through something unpleasant as long as you have breath flowing through you , you can turn that bad thing into something good. Until next time - peace and love.
Another #indeliblevibration
Works cited
ackeeonthetree
