The Caribbean Kitchen

Seek out the wonderful foods and flavours of the Caribbean and explore the islands from your kitchen! Here’s a guide to help you find your way. The recipes in my book mainly use ingredients available on every high street. For a very few, you may have to venture out to a corner shop, market or specialist store, but it will always be well worth it.

Ackee is used in savoury dishes though it is actually a fruit, not a vegetable. It’s the national fruit of Jamaica, and saltfish and ackee is the national dish. You won’t find fresh ackee in the UK as, when raw, parts of it can be poisonous. But you can buy it ready prepared in cans and it’s worth seeking out. People often say the texture is a little like scrambled eggs – they also call it ‘vegetable brains’ – and when you mix ackee with its natural partners, such as saltfish or okra, the taste and unusual texture really come alive. It is delicate, so treat it with respect and be careful to keep the creamy curds whole when you mix them in with other ingredients.