FOODE FRIDAY | Seasoned Ackee Rice Recipe

Today we're serving up the recipe for Seasoned Ackee Rice. It's very quick and easy and will leave everyone in the house smiling and satisfied.

Seasoned Ackee Rice

Ackee is Jamaica's National fruit and it is usually eaten with saltfish. If you buy ackee, be sure to buy it in the pod. Why? Ackee must open naturally to release poisonous gasses (as shown below). If it doesn't open naturally, it is likely highly poisonous and death can ensue. Moral of the story - buy ackee in a tin or in the pod and you're safe and secure. Keep reading to learn how to make this super-yummy meal.

Ackee (Jamaica's National Fruit) in a naturally opened pod. 

Here are the ingredients for this easy one-pot meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups cooked ackee
• 1 large carrot cubed (optional)
• 2 cups pumpkin (optional)
• 3 cups brown rice 
• 1 cup coconut milk or 1 small pack milk powder
• 4 cups water
• 1 de-seaded scotch bonnet pepper 
• thyme to taste
• 4 stalks escallion
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 a medium bell pepper
• french thyme or sage (optional)
• salt to taste

Seasoned Ackee Rice without pumpkin and carrot

METHOD

1. Watch the video at the end of this blog post to learn how to prepare ackee for use to avoid poisoning.
2. Add ackee to a pot of boiling water and cook for 20 minutes or until soft/cooked. 
3. If using a rice cooker, add all of the ingredients and set to cook. 
4. Boil water.
5. Add coconut milk and coconut oil to boiling water.
6. Add carrots after 5 minutes. 
7. Put remaining ingredients and stir occassionally. 
8. Lower flame when rice becomes visible.
9. Simmer for 50 minutes or until rice is cooked to desired texture. 

SERVE

This meal serves 6-8 people and can be serves with a salad if no carrots or pumpkins were used to help balance out the meal.