Learn how to make this delicious Caribbean recipe known as green fig (green banana) and saltfish. An extremely popular island cuisine that is also the national dish of St Lucia.
Whether you are from the Caribbean or even been to the islands then you will definitely have come across saltfish aka as bacalao by Spanish speaking islanders.
Saltfish is a staple for many Caribbean islands, it plays a crucial role in so many recipes and features in the national dish of Jamaica and St Lucia.
Green fig are what some islands like Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, St Lucia and many more refer to a green banana.
Jamaicans, Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat etc.. refer to fig as green banana.
While my Haitian neighbours refer to it as Bannann fig ak lanmori/moru.
Whatever the case, most of the islands especially the English speaking ones will be familiar with green banana and saltfish.
The dish itself has a very similar format to other islands, using onion, garlic, thyme, tomato, herbs and seasoning.
Some people cook their saltfish up with carrots, peppers and cabbage but this is dependant upon the individual.
Ingredients you will need
Boiling the fig/green banana - with or without the skin
I grew up peeling the skin of the green banana whenever I needed to boil them on their own.
Nowadays, I leave the skin on while boiling the banana and simply remove it as it cools down.
Some people frown upon this technique, while others call it lazy/idle. I don't really care about what other people think about my decision to leave the skin on.
Ultimately, it is a matter of preference plus by leaving the skin on the banana this helps to retain the colour.
Whether you leave the peel on or remove it is up to you. If you are a beginner then boiling the fig/green banana in its skin will be much easier.
The steps
- Bring a large saucepan of water to boiling point.
- Meanwhile, partially cut the top and bottom (don't chop it off completely) then lightly score the fig lengthways and repeat this step with the remaining banana.
- Place the fig in the boiling water then cook until tender (this will take about 15-20 minutes). When the fig is cooked it will be tender (use a fork to determine its readiness)
- Once cooked, drain off the water then allow the fig to cool.
- Once cooled, use the top and bottom tip to peel off the skin with ease.
- Add the olive oil to a non stick frying pan on medium heat.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Add the bell peppers/pimento peppers then proceed to cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the chopped tomato and the tomato paste then continue to stir for about 1-2 minutes
- Fold in the saltfish and then add some of the warm water continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Proceed to season the saltfish with the thyme and parsley,
- Add the scotch bonnet/hot sauce and black pepper and pink salt to taste (do a taste test, as the sodium levels will vary).
Notes and tips
- As always I am using my D.I.Y Homemade Saltfish which is unrefined and a healthier version of the store brought kind.
- 1 lb of saltfish will serve more than 4 people (roughly) 6 instead).
- The amount of hot sauce or scotch bonnet is subjective, but if you don't care for any heat simply leave it out.
- If you are using 1 lb of saltfish then you will need to cook 6-8 fig (green banana).
- Don't use a fancy saucepan to boil the fig (green banana) the excess film can stain your pot.
- It is a matter of preference if you want to boil the fig with the skin on or off.
- To save time, you can prep the vegetables ahead of time.
More saltfish recipes to try
- Caribbean Saltfish Salad
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Okra and Salfish
- Saltfish Buljol
- Saltfish Turn Cornmeal
- Cabbage and Saltfish
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Green Fig and Saltfish (Green Banana)
Ingredients
To boil the green fig/green banana
- 4-8 fingers of green fig (banana)
To cook the saltfish
- ½ - 1 lb saltfish (225g-680g) see notes for my D.I.Y version
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup mixed bell peppers (150g) chopped, (I use orange and yellow)
- pimento pepper optional
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (15g)
- ¼ cup warm water (60ml)
- 2-3 teaspoon of thyme (9g) dried
- 2-3 teaspoon parsley (9g) dried
- hot sauce or scotch bonnet optional and to taste
- pink salt and black pepper if needed to taste
Instructions
To boil the fig/green banana
- Bring a large saucepan of water to boiling point.
- Meanwhile, partially cut the top and bottom (don't chop it off completely) then lightly score the fig lengthways and repeat this step with the remaining banana.
- Place the fig in the boiling water then cook until tender (this will take about 15-20 minutes). When the fig is cooked it will be tender (use a fork to determine its readiness)
- Once cooked, drain off the water then allow the fig to cool.
- Once cooled, use the top and bottom tip to peel off the skin with ease.
To cook the saltfish
- Add the olive oil to a non stick frying pan on medium heat.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Add the bell peppers/pimento peppers then proceed to cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the chopped tomato and the tomato paste then continue to stir for about 1-2 minutes
- Fold in the saltfish and then add some of the warm water continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Proceed to season the saltfish with the thyme and parsley,
- Add the scotch bonnet/hot sauce and black pepper and pink salt to taste (do a taste test, as the sodium levels will vary).
Notes
- As always I am using my D.I.Y Homemade Saltfish which is unrefined and a healthier version of the store brought kind.
- 1 lb of saltfish will serve more than 4 people (roughly) 6 instead).
- The amount of hot sauce or scotch bonnet is subjective, but if you don't care for any heat simply leave it out.
- If you are using 1 lb of saltfish then you will need to cook 6-8 fig (green banana).
- Don't use a fancy saucepan to boil the fig (green banana) the excess film can stain your pot.
- It is a matter of preference if you want to boil the fig with the skin on or off.
- To save time, you can prep the vegetables ahead of time.
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