Salt fish and rice is a combination that has been cooked in various iterations throughout the Caribbean for many, many years. Considered as soul food, comfort food, peasant food, it is one of the most loved pairings by West Indians of all races and strata of society.
Consider the following:
· Shine rice with bits of salt fish cooked in the rice with coconut milk or fried crisp and served on top of the glistening rice.
· Fried salt fish and rice with a couple wiri-wiri peppers; okay add a lil dhal and you are licking your fingers.
· Privilege – a Barbadian ole time dish of rice cooked with salt fish and okra and a piece of salt meat.
· Black-eye rice and salt fish – this is another ole time Barbadian dish of black-eye peas and rice with salt fish cooked into the dish or frizzled and fried crisp to top the rice.
Wherever you go in the region, there is some kind of cooked-up dish of rice and salt fish, just as there is with rice and peas.
Several years ago, whilst on a trip overseas and visiting a Thai restaurant, I saw on the menu, Salted Fish Fried Rice. There was no question about what I was going to order. The photograph of the dish on the menu was equally appealing and appetizing – fluffy rice with bits of salt fish, eggs, sliced scallions, and finely chopped Chinese broccoli (which is different from the more familiar large flower-head broccoli). The dish arrived and it did not disappoint. It was incredibly delicious and full of umami flavour from the dried fish; the vegetables added freshness and lightness to the dish. It was a memorable meal.
Over the years, I have made it a few times and honestly, mostly only when I have soaked salt fish to make other things and figure that it’s too much for the dish I am making (the salt fish that is). Well, that is exactly what happened the other day. I soaked salt fish to make some Bajan fish cakes. The piece of salt fish was large, so I set aside some and decided to make Salt Fish Fried Rice since there was leftover rice as well.
Salt Fish Fried Rice is a fusion of Chinese and Thai cuisine. In Chinese restaurants (mostly outside of the Caribbean) the salt fish is often combined with chicken. This adds another taste factor to mixed Fried Rice. On Chinese menus it would be Cantonese Chicken & Salted Fish Fried Rice.
The recipe I am sharing with you today – which is my adaptation of the dish – is made up of rice, salt fish, vegetables, and a few aromatics. I simply wanted the full flavour of the salt fish to
come through so I did not add eggs or chicken, but you can definitely do so if you like – cut the chicken up into small chunks.
You know, one of the many reasons I love Fried Rice so much is that you can make it with almost anything and because it is so flavourful and filling on its own, even if you just make it with vegetables. Instead of vegetable fried rice, Spanish rice or one of the many other rice dishes you would serve on Sundays, I invite you to try making this version of fried rice as part of the meal tomorrow and tell me what you think.
Cynthia
Salt Fish Fried Rice
INGREDIENTS
• 3 – 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• Minced hot pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely sliced bora or 1½ cups defrosted green peas
• 1 cup diced carrots
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ pound boneless de-salted salt fish, shredded to small
bits (more if you like)
• ½ cup chopped sweet peppers, variety of colours if
available (optional)
• 6 cups cooked rice
• Soy sauce
• 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ½ cup thinly sliced scallions/green onions
DIRECTIONS
1. Add oil to a large pan and heat until hot but not smoking.
2. Toss in ginger, garlic and hot pepper and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
3. Add bora/peas and carrots; season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add salt fish, toss to mix with vegetables and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
5. Add sweet peppers and rice, toss to mix, season with soy sauce and sesame oil and keep tossing. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes or until the rice is hot and fully heated through.
6. Serve garnished with scallions/green onions.
NOTES
• Eggs, and chicken work well with the salt fish so you can add these to the fried rice if you like.
• You can use Chinese five-spice powder here too but do so lightly.