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1
Soak the Saltfish
Overnight + 5 Mins
Cold water, about 20°C (68°F)
Put the salted cod in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave it to soak overnight, changing the water two or three times. This is the step that makes the dish edible — the long soak pulls most of the salt out of the fish.
Start the soak the night before you want buljol for breakfast; a short soak leaves the fish harshly salty.
Done when: The fish looks plump and rehydrated, and a soaked flake tastes salty but not harsh.
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2
Boil & Flake the Fish
10 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Drain the soaked cod, cover with fresh water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain again, let it cool just enough to handle, then flake it into bite-size pieces with your fingers or a fork, picking out any bones and skin. Set the flakes aside — this is the only cooking the fish gets.
Flake the fish while it is still warm; cold saltfish is harder to pull apart cleanly.
Done when: Tender flakes that taste pleasantly salty, with no bones or skin left.
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3
Soften the Aromatics
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 150°C (300°F)
Warm half the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sweet pepper, garlic and scotch bonnet and cook for 3–4 minutes, just until the onion turns soft and sweet — do not brown them. Take the pan off the heat and let the vegetables cool for a few minutes. The tomato stays raw and goes in at the toss.
This is a quick softening, not a stew: the vegetables should stay bright and a little crisp.
Done when: Onion soft and translucent, peppers still bright and firm.
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4
Toss the Buljol
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Put the flaked saltfish in a large bowl. Add the cooled onion and pepper mixture, the diced tomato with its juice, the chopped boiled egg, the scallions, the lime juice and the remaining olive oil. Toss everything gently with a fork until the flakes are evenly coated. Nothing goes back on the heat — buljol is a tossed salad, not a stew, and the fish is never simmered in sauce.
Toss with a fork, not a spoon, so the flakes stay loose instead of being mashed.
Done when: Every flake coated in lime and oil, tomato and pepper spread evenly through the bowl.
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5
Rest & Serve at Room Temperature
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Let the buljol rest for 10 minutes at room temperature so the lime, oil and tomato juices settle over the flakes. Taste and add a little more lime or pepper if you like, then serve at room temperature with hot fried bake or hops bread, sliced avocado and boiled provision on the side.
Buljol is meant to be served cool, at room temperature — do not serve it hot from the pan.
Done when: Cool to the touch, juicy and bright, ready to scoop up with bake.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Let the buljol rest for 10 minutes at room temperature so the lime and oil coat every flake, then serve with hot bake or hops bread. Remember: it is a tossed salad, not a stew — nothing simmers in sauce, and it is eaten cool.
Trinidad and Tobago
1h 35m
