One of my guilty pleasures when I’m in Jamaica is the coco bread fish sandwich from Tastee; warm coco bread with a fried fish patty, shredded lettuce and a slather of mayo. My version is made on homemade coco bread with a zippy pak choy and savoy cabbage slaw; oven “fried” fish; pickled peppers and a hearty smear of ackee tartar sauce. It’s big on flavour and perfect for filling the gap till my next trip home.
Take me straight to this amazing recipe
I’ll admit that this one is a bit involved and is more of a weekend project should you choose to accept the challenge.
The night before, I made the coco bread, tartar sauce, vinaigrette and shredded the greens so that on the day I made the sandwiches all I had to worry about was preparing the fish and tossing the greens with the dressing. (If you have a Jamaican bakery near you or a well stocked Caribbean grocer you may be able to purchase the coco bread but the recipe is pretty easy to put together.)
I ended up using tilapia as it was the best of the options at the time but I would have preferred snapper or even haddock, lion fish would be AMAZING! You can use whatever fish fish you like, my recommendation would be something firm and flavorful.
The fish was baked as opposed to fried simply because I live in an apartment and it’s winter. Whenever we fry anything the place smells like fried foods for days on end and given that it’s freezing outside, airing out the apartment or keeping the doors open while frying is not an option. Whereas the method I used for baking the fish does give it a nice crisp exterior, it’s still not fried fish if you know what I mean, so if you’re watching calories, give it a try but otherwise feel free to fry your fish if that’s more to your liking.
For the tartar sauce, it’s back to ackee mayo! It’s so incredibly versatile and since we already know ackee and fish are a great pair, it makes complete sense. Notes are included in the recipe below for a super tangy version and a more mild one.
I wanted to make this huge over the top sandwich and I think I accomplished that by first stuffing a piece of fish way bigger than the coco bread into it 😆, I’m also the person choosing the smallest hotdog buns for sausages so there is at least an inch of sausage overhang on either side so don’t mind me 😁
The tangy slaw and tartar sauce compliment the fish so well with the little bursts of heat from the pickled peppers; tucked into the soft coco bread it’s indulgent yet refreshing.
Do you have any food guilty pleasures? Feel free to share them along with your thoughts in the comments section below. If you try this or any of the recipes from the blog, be sure to #amazingackee and @amazingackee so that I can see your posts across social media.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by 😊
Coco Bread
A Jamaican favourite for the famous combo: patty & coco bread.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tsps Instant Yeast
- 237 mL Water warm - you should be able to comfortably stick your finger in it
- 454 g Bread Flour* all purpose is fine
- 2 tbsps Sugar
- 1 tbsp Salt**
- 4 tbsps Fat*** 57g
- Softened Salted butter or margarine as needed about 3/4 cup
- Milk egg white or water mixed with agave to brush top, optional
Instructions
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water and the yeast.
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Then on top of the water add the flour first then the remaining ingredients
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Mix on the manufacturers recommended setting for 10 to 12 minutes till it cleans the bowl and is smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft to the touch but not sticky.
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Set aside covered in a greased bowl till puffy for about 30 minutes, it will not necessarily double in size
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After the time has passed, turn the dough out onto a clean work surface, do not use any additional flour unless its absolutely necessary.
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Cut the dough into 6 and round into balls, cover and leave to stand for about 10 minutes to give the gluten a chance to relax.
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Working one ball at a time, use a rolling pin to roll out into an oblong shape. Spread the dough with butter or margarine, leaving a little border around the edge.
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Flap one side over the other to fold into “half”. I say half in quotes since you want to flap the top a little more than half way over the bottom so that as the coco bread bakes and pulls back it stays folded and doesn’t open out.
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Repeat with the remaining balls then cover the tray and let stand for 20 minutes.
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In the meantime, preheat oven to 350F.
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If using, brush the coco breads with your desired glaze, I like to use agave mixed with water.
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Bake for 12 to 15 minutes till nicely browned.
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Let cool on a rack.
Recipe Notes
* If you like, you can replace a up to half of the flour with wholewheat, in which case, increase the yeast to 1 tbsp
**I use kosher salt, if you’re using fine sea salt reduce amount to 2 tsps
***You can use shortening, butter, margarine, coconut oil, pretty much any type of fat you like
Pak Choy & Savoy Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Grainy mustard
- 1 tbsp White wine vinegar lemon juice or apple cider vinegar is fine
- 3 tbsps Olive oil
For the slaw:
- Shredded savoy cabbage
- Shredded pak choy mainly the greens, reserve the stalk for another use, although I’ve used the stalks in the past when making this slaw as a side rather than for on a sandwich, it will be fine it you use it, texturally I prefer less of the stalk for this application
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette:
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Whisk or blend together all the ingredients to emulsify.
To make the slaw:
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Combine the shredded greens with less of the vinaigrette than you think you need, work in with your hand till well covered.
Recipe Notes
Combine the greens with the slaw just before you plan to serve them as the vinegar will soften the greens and they’ll wilt and spring water, which is fine, just not great for your sandwich
Quick Pickled Peppers
Ingredients
- Thinly sliced long hot peppers or chilis or jalapeños
- Hearty pinch of salt
- Hearty pinch of sugar
- Vinegar as needed
Instructions
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Place sliced chillies in bowl with salt and sugar.
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You’ll need enough vinegar to cover the chillies
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Warm the vinegar and pour it over the chillies.
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Cover and leave till ready to use.
Oven “fried” fish
Ingredients
- 3 Tilapia filets cut in half to yield 6 pieces
- Buttermilk as needed about 1 1/2 cups (You’ll use the buttermilk both to soak the fish as well as part of the dredging)
- Crispy panko* about 2 cups
- Flour as needed
- Paprika Salt and Pepper as needed
Instructions
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Preheat oven 425F
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Spray a large wire rack with non stick spray and place over a rimmed sheet tray.
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Season the buttermilk with the paprika salt and pepper and let the fish soak in it for about 10 to 15 minutes then pat dry but do not discard the buttermilk.
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Dredge the fish: working with a piece at a time dip fish into flour, then buttermilk then coat with crumbs and place on prepared wire rack.
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Repeat till all the fish is coated
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Bake 10 to 12 minutes till the fish is done.
Recipe Notes
*To make crispy panko, mix together about 2 cups of panko with 3 tbsps of oil, dried parsley and salt. Spread evenly on a tray and bake for 5 to 8 minutes till golden brown at 350F. (Measurements given here are just a guide, I always eyeball this)
Ackee Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
Mayo ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps Parboiled ackee slightly warm
- 1 tsp White Vinegar*
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil something neutral in flavour
- 1/2 tsp Dry mustard
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Tartar ingredients:
- 2 tbsps Cornichons or pickles finely chopped about 4 cornichons
- 1 tbsp White vine vinegar*
- 2 tsps Capers
- 1 tsp Grainy mustard
- 1 tbsp Onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
Instructions
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Blend together all the mayo ingredients till smooth and well emulsified.
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Add the tartar ingredients except for the parsley and pulse a few times to combine, you want it to be a little chunky.
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Pour out and stir in parsley. Alternately you could add the parsley and pulse but bear in mind overprocessing it may turn the entire mix green
Recipe Notes
*Plain white vinegar makes a tangier mayo and tartar sauce. If you like a little more zip do the recipe as stated and add up to an extra 1 tsp of white wine vinegar when making the tartar. If your taste is for something more mild, use lemon juice when making both the mayo and the tartar and add a pinch of sugar
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