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SALTFISH ONE-POT

SERVES 6 (5 mg THC per serving)

ONE-POT IS LIKE THE JAMAICAN ANSWER TO A CASSEROLE, with everything cooked together, as the name suggests, in one pot. The most traditional version is made with saltfish, a salt-preserved whitefish, usually cod, hake, or pollack. It’s often sold in the seafood section of the grocery store, sometimes in an open box where you can pick your own, sometimes prepackaged in a sealed bag. Saltfish can have a very intense flavor, and if you’re not a fan, just leave it out for a perfectly tasty vegetarian version. If you can’t find calabaza squash, you can use unpeeled acorn squash instead.

½ pound saltfish (salt cod)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon annatto seeds

2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tablespoons curry powder

6 whole scallions, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped

½ pound calabaza squash, seeded and chopped (no need to peel) into bite-size pieces (about 1½ cups)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon CannaButter

1½ cups white basmati rice

1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk

1 fresh thyme sprig

Hot sauce (optional), preferably one made with Scotch bonnet

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the saltfish, reduce the heat to medium, set a cover halfway on the pot, and “scald” the fish at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the fish, dry it between paper towels, pressing firmly to extract as much water as possible. Remove the skin and bones (if there are any) and finely chop the cod into small bits.
  2. Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the annatto seeds and cook, stirring often, until they tint the oil yellow and start to sizzle, 1½ to 2 minutes. Drain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the seeds, and return the annatto oil to the pot.
  3. Add the ginger and curry powder to the oil and cook, stirring often, until the ginger becomes dry, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in half of the scallions, the onion, Scotch bonnet, squash, and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion becomes golden, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup water, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick and the squash softens around the edges, about 10 minutes.
  4. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir in the butter and CannaButter. Once the butter is melted, stir in the rice, coconut milk, and 1 cup water. Bring the liquid a boil, reduce the heat to medium, stir in the saltfish, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally (the rice has a tendency to stick to the bottom), until the mixture is very creamy and the rice is about halfway cooked through, about 10 minutes. Place the thyme sprigs on top of the rice, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the thyme and serve sprinkled with the remaining scallions, with hot sauce on the side.