Green Fig and Saltfish

Soak the salt cod in cold water for twelve to twenty-four hours, changing the water three times to remove excess salt. Drain, place in a pot of fresh water, and simmer for fifteen minutes until tender. Drain, remove skin and bones, and flake into large pieces.

Boil the green bananas whole and unpeeled in salted water for twenty minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, let cool slightly, then peel and slice into rounds about two centimetres thick. Green bananas in the Caribbean are called green figs.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic for five minutes until softened. Add the diced tomatoes, minced scotch bonnet, and thyme, cooking for another five minutes until the tomatoes break down.

Add the flaked saltfish to the vegetable mixture and stir gently to combine without breaking the fish into too-small pieces. Cook for five minutes, allowing the saltfish to absorb the flavours of the aromatic vegetable base.

Add the sliced boiled green bananas to the pan and fold them gently into the saltfish and vegetables. Cook together for three more minutes to warm everything through and allow the flavours to meld. Season with pepper and salt only if needed.

Serve the green fig and saltfish hot as a hearty breakfast or lunch. This combination of starchy green bananas and savoury salt cod is the unofficial national dish of Saint Lucia, eaten every Saturday morning across the island.