While shooting the photos for our first cookbook, Caribbean Potluck, our food stylists, Christine Albano and Nora Singley, came up with the novel idea that ackee would make a terrific taco filling. We love ackee and have prepared it in a variety of unconventional ways (as a dip, in a pasta sauce, in lasagna, on a pizza), but it had never occurred to us to use it as a filling for tacos. Boy, was that a fantastic idea! Though it is Jamaica’s national fruit, ackee is cooked and used as a vegetable. It is an unusual ingredient that we feel should be explored and consumed way more often than it is. With a subtle, almost nutty taste, it is an exciting addition to vegetarian menus. We love the fresh ackee available in markets in Jamaica, but canned or frozen ackee is a fine substitute if you can’t get it fresh.

　　

Ingredients

4–6 servings

　　

Island Guacamole:

3 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced

　　1 to 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

　　3 tablespoons diced red onion

　　1/2 cup diced pineapple or mango

　　1 tablespoon lime juice

　　1 tablespoon orange juice

　　1 teaspoon orange zest

　　1 teaspoon minced Scotch bonnet pepper

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

　　Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

　　

Ackee Filling:

2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil or other vegetable oil

　　1 small yellow onion, diced

　　1 plum tomato, diced

　　2 cloves garlic, diced

　　4 tablespoons diced bell pepper

　　1/4 teaspoon seeded and minced Scotch bonnet pepper

　　1 stalk scallion

　　2 dozen frozen ackee or 2 cans ackee, drained (or 2 cups ackee, cooked from fresh)

　　1 teaspoon thyme leaves

　　1/2 teaspoon chili powder

　　Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

　　

For assembly:

12 taco shells (either soft or crunchy)

　　2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

　　1 cup shredded lettuce or purple cabbage

　　1 large handful chopped fresh cilantro

　　Salsa (optional)

　　Sour cream (optional)

　　

Make the guacamole:

Step 1

Dice or mash the avocado depending on your preference; it can have a more salsa-like texture if preferred. Add the remaining guacamole ingredients, gently stirring to combine. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the tacos.

　　

Make the ackee filling:

Step 2

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomato, garlic, bell pepper, Scotch bonnet pepper, and scallion, and cook until the ingredients are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ackee, thyme, chili powder, salt, and pepper, gently folding the ingredients together. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the mixture is heated through; remove from heat.

　　

Step 3

Serve assembly-line style, with the ackee mixture, guacamole, grated cheese, shredded lettuce or cabbage, cilantro, salsa, and sourcream (if using) in colorful bowls next to a basket of soft or hard taco shells. Alternately, serve a large platter of already assembledtacos: fill each shell with a few tablespoons of ackee, layer with lettuce, guacamole, and cheese, and top with a mound of freshcilantro for a mouthful of exotic flavor. Serve with salsa and/or sour cream if you wish.

　　From Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking. Copyright © 2019 by Michelle Rousseau and Suzanne Rousseau. Reprinted with permission by Da Capo Press, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.