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Green Fig and Saltfish
Green Fig and Saltfish is a traditional Saint Lucian recipe for the national dish of ssltfish fried with green bananas, onion and bell peppers. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Saint Lucian version of: Green Fig and Saltfish.
prep time
10 minutes
cook time
20 minutes
Total Time:
30 minutes
Serves:
4s
Rating: 
Tags : Chilli RecipesSaint-lucia Recipes
This is generally considered the national dish of St Lucia, where green bananas are called 'green figs'. This dish has its roots in 19th-century slavery when bananas were plentiful and dried, salted codfish was cheaply imported from Canada to serve as rations for slaves. Over time, the slaves added their own spices to the dish and it became so popular on the island, that it was eventually recognized as the national dish of St. Lucia. The dish is typically prepared on weekends and especially for the Creole Day Festival held in October.
Ingredients:
500g saltfish
10 green bananas
4 tbsp vegetable/coconut oil
1 medium bell pepper (de-seeded and chopped)
large onion (peeled and diced)
4 pimento peppers (de-seeded and thinly sliced)
5g chives, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp fresh thyme
Salt and freshly-ground Black pepper, to taste
fat-leaf Parsley, chopped, to garnish
Method:
To prepare the saltfish, place in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water and set aside to soak over night. Change the water three times during this period. The following day, drain the fish, place in a large saucepan, cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Repeat this process once more to ensure the saltfish is not too salty.
After the salt fish has been simmering, drain the fish and rinse under cold water. Shred the fish with your fingers, discarding any bones and skin you may find.
Rinse the green bananas and slice off both ends. Make one slice lengthwise in each banana and place it in a heat-proof bowl. Cover the bananas with hot water and let it steep for about ten minutes, then drain and set aside to cool.
Carefully peel the bananas and place them in a pot of boiling water with ½ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of oil. Bring to a boil and cook for fifteen minutes until tender, then drain and set aside t0 cool.
Slice each each banana at a bias (diagonally) into three pieces, then set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Use to fry the peppers, onions, and half of the grated garlic for five minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the flaked saltfish, half of the thyme, and half of the chives.
Stir well to combine, then cover the pan, allowing the herbs to cook for ten (0:10) minutes. Uncover the pot and add the remaining thyme, chives, and garlic. Season with salt and freshly-ground black pepper, stir well to combine, then turn off the heat.
To serve, plate portions of green bananas and top with generous servings of saltfish. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
