Green Figs and Saltfish

Green figs with saltfish is a dish with a long tradition in St. Lucia, also St. Lucia's national dish. The key ingredients for this meal are green bananas and salted codfish. Green bananas are known as figs in St. Lucia. Green bananas are particularly popular on the island and have long been an important element of the native diet. They are also the primary export of St Lucia. The green bananas and garlic cloves are cooked separately in salted water for the Green Figs and Saltfish meal. To eliminate the extra salt, the codfish is boiled numerous times. Depending on the dish, it is flaked and cooked again with a variety of seasonings, chopped tomatoes, and other local ingredients.

Ingredients:

4lbs of green figs or green bananas, 1/4 cup of chopped celery, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of chopped seasoning peppers, 2lbs of salt fish,1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Instruction:

1. Remove the skin of the green bananas, clean them and place them in a pan of warm water.
2. Add salt to the water.

3. Cover the pan and let it boil until the bananas are thoroughly cooked. If they are cooked prick with a fork, if tender and soft, they are cooked.
4. Boil saltfish in water to remove excess salt. Remove salt fish from the water and place it in a container of cool water. Once salt fish is cooled down, remove skin and bones and shred them.
5. Take a medium-sized frying pan and put your 1/4 cup vegetable oil in it and let it get warm. Add celery, parsley, onion, garlic and peppers to the pan of warm oil.
6. Ensure that all the seasoning is covered in the hot oil. Stir continuously for approximately two (2) minutes, then add salt fish and mix them together in the frying pan.
7. Remove the bananas from the water, chop a few onto a plate and place the salt fish on top.