Saltfish and Bake (Guyana)
Chef Devan Rajkumar brings a taste of Guyana to Gusto TV’s Global Street Eats with Saltfish and Bake—flaky, seasoned cod paired with golden, fluffy bakes. This beloved Caribbean street food recipe blends savory, spicy, and comforting flavors that celebrate island tradition.
Ingredients:
For the Saltfish:
- 1/2 lb saltfish such as cod
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 wiri wiri pepper or 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, diced
- 1 sprig thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) tomato paste
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (29.6ml) olive oil
For the Bakes:
- 3 ½ cups (840ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (9.9ml) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1.2ml) instant yeast
- ½ cup (2.5ml) brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (29.6ml) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
- 1 1/4 (300ml) cup water
- ¼ tsp (1.2ml) salt
- Neutral oil such as vegetable or peanut oil
- Caribbean hot sauce for serving
Method:
Make the Saltfish:
Place the saltfish in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let the saltfish soak for 15 minutes, then drain and cover with boiling water again. Let soak for another 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Remove any bones and flake the saltfish with a fork.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, wiri wiri pepper, thyme, tomato, tomato paste, and saltfish to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the scallions and take the saltfish off the heat.
Make the Bakes:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and cut it into the flour with a fork. Pour in the water and mix to form a dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough comes together.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and form into balls. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined tray and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Flatten the dough circles with a rolling pin or your hand so they are about ½ inch thick.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bakes to the skillet, making sure not to crowd the pan. Spoon hot oil over the bakes to encourage them to puff up. Cook until the bakes have browned on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the bakes and continue to cook until they have browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel lined tray and repeat to cook remaining bakes.
To serve, cut the bakes in half and fill with saltfish to form a sandwich. Serve with Caribbean hot sauce.