How to make an easy stew saltfish, Caribbean style.
Stew saltfish is one of my favorite easy ways to prepare saltfish. This Trini-style saltfish recipe cooks salted cod with tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and plenty of seasoning for a simple dish packed with Caribbean flavor.
Serve it with hops bread, fry bake, dumplings, rice, or ground provision for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
We love saltfish in the Caribbean
Saltfish is one of those ingredients you’ll find used all across the Caribbean. We cook it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you’ll find it in everything from saltfish buljol and accra to bakes and rice dishes.
This stew saltfish recipe is one of the simpler ways I like to prepare it. The saltfish is cooked with plenty of tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and aromatics until everything comes together into a flavorful stew.
What is saltfish?
Saltfish is fish, commonly cod, that has been salted and dried for preservation. Before cooking it, you need to remove enough of the salt and rehydrate the fish by soaking, boiling, or rinsing.
If you’re new to cooking with it, my guide to saltfish goes into more detail about what saltfish is, how to choose it, and the different ways you can prepare and desalt it.
What is stew saltfish?
Stew saltfish is a Caribbean dish made by cooking saltfish with tomatoes, peppers, onions, fresh herbs, and seasonings. In Trinidad and Tobago, it’s an easy way to prepare saltfish and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Unlike some Trini stews, stew saltfish doesn’t start with browning or caramelized sugar. Instead, the tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, and peppers cook down with the saltfish to create a flavorful mixture that’s perfect with bake, dumplings, rice, or ground provision.
How to make stew saltfish
Ingredients
Fresh vegetables, herbs, and peppers build most of the flavor in this stew saltfish recipe. The ingredient list may look a little long, but don’t worry if you’re missing one of the herbs or peppers. This dish is pretty flexible, and you can adjust it based on what you have available.
- Saltfish (salted cod)
- Oil – vegetable oil or coconut oil
- Onion, garlic, and scallions
- Tomatoes
- Celery and bell peppers
- Pimento peppers and hot peppers
- Fresh thyme
- Chadon beni
- Black pepper
- Salt – only if needed
Instructions
- Prepare the saltfish. Soak the saltfish in room-temperature water for 15 minutes, then drain and repeat. Taste a small piece to check the salt level and soak again if needed. Once ready, drain well and shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Prep the vegetables. Chop all your vegetables, peppers, and herbs before you start cooking. Once everything hits the pan, this recipe moves pretty quickly.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, pimento pepper, hot pepper, garlic, and scallions. Cook until the onions have softened.
- Add the saltfish. Squeeze any excess water from the saltfish and add it to the skillet. Sauté with the vegetables for about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and herbs. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, chadon beni, and black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to soften and everything to come together.
- Taste and serve. Taste before adding any salt, since the saltfish may still provide enough. Adjust the black pepper or other seasonings as needed, then serve hot.
Tips for the best stew saltfish
- Taste the saltfish before cooking. After soaking, taste a small piece. If it’s still too salty for you, soak it again before adding it to the stew.
- Prep everything before you start. Chop your vegetables, peppers, and herbs ahead of time since the cooking process moves quickly.
- Don’t add salt too early. Wait until the dish is finished before deciding if it needs any additional salt.
- Don’t overcook the saltfish. Saltfish is already cured, so it doesn’t need a long cooking time. Cooking it too long can make it dry or tough.
- Adjust the pepper to your taste. Use as much or as little hot pepper as you like, especially if you’re serving this to people with different spice tolerances.
What to serve with stew saltfish
Stew saltfish works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, so there are plenty of ways to serve it. Some of my favorites are:
- Hops bread, fry bake, or roast bake
- Boiled flour dumplings or cassava dumplings
- Ground provisions such as cassava, sweet potato, or plantain
- Roasted breadfruit
- Rice or other simple rice dishes
You can also serve it with pepper sauce on the side if you like a little extra heat.
Looking for more ways to cook saltfish? Check out my collection of Caribbean saltfish recipes for more ideas.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or eat it cold, straight from the fridge!
Frequently Asked Questions
Saltfish can vary in how salty it is, so always taste a small piece after soaking and before cooking. If it’s still too salty, soak it again in fresh water before adding it to the stew. Also, wait until the dish is finished before adding any additional salt.
Yes. Stew saltfish can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it gently in a skillet when you’re ready to serve.
You can use fresh cod, but the finished dish won’t have the same flavor as one made with salted cod. You’ll also need to add salt and adjust the seasonings since fresh cod hasn’t been cured.
The amount of time can vary depending on how salty the fish is and the method you’re using. For this stew saltfish recipe, I use a soaking method instead. If you prefer to boil your saltfish, see my saltfish guide for the different ways I prepare and desalt it.
Recipe
Easy stew saltfish
Ingredients
Method
- Place the saltfish in a bowl and add enough room-temperature water to cover it.
- Soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
- Taste a small piece to check the salt level.
- If it's still too salty, cover with fresh water and soak again. Repeat as needed until the salt level is to your liking.
- Drain well, then shred or chop the saltfish into bite-sized pieces.
- While the saltfish is soaking, chop the vegetables, peppers, and herbs.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add the pimento peppers, garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, scallions, thyme, and hot pepper.
- Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened.
- Drain the saltfish well and add it to the pot. Stir to combine with the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chadon beni, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cook for another 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and the flavors have come together.
- Taste and adjust the black pepper and salt, if needed.
- Remove from the heat and serve with your choice of bake, dumplings, rice, or ground provision.
Nutrition
Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com
