Jamaican Cabbage and Saltfish -- The Food That Held Us Together Across the Glass

Sukkot. I built the sukkah with David this year — he drove down on Sunday and we assembled it together, the way he and Marvin used to assemble it, and the echo of that tradition — son replacing father, the sukkah going up with different hands but the same intent — was both natural and heartbreaking, the way all replacements are: necessary and insufficient. The sukkah is up. It is still slightly crooked. The s'chach still has gaps. The stars are still visible through the gaps. The impermanence is still the point.

I ate in the sukkah on Tuesday evening — not alone this year. Rebecca came, and we sat under the branches with bowls of stuffed cabbage and glasses of wine and the October sky above us, and we talked about everything and nothing — about Rebecca's tenure case, about Thomas, about Marvin, about the retirement, about Chekhov (always about Chekhov). Rebecca said, "You know, 'The Cherry Orchard' is about this — about the thing you love being sold, being taken, being lost, and standing in the orchard while they chop down the trees." I said, "Rebecca, are you comparing my retirement to a Chekhov play?" She said, "Everything is a Chekhov play, Mama." She is not wrong.

Marvin ate dinner at the kitchen table — not in the sukkah, the transition is too complicated for him — but I brought him a plate of the stuffed cabbage and he ate it inside while I ate mine outside, and we were ten feet apart, separated by a wall and a sliding glass door, eating the same food, connected by the same recipe — Sylvia's recipe, the same sweet-and-sour sauce, the same cabbage leaves wrapped around the same filling — and the sameness of the food was the connection, was the sukkah, was the temporary dwelling that held us both even though we were not in the same room.

The stuffed cabbage I made that Tuesday night was Sylvia’s recipe — the one that has held our family together across decades and now, it seems, across walls and sliding glass doors. Cabbage, I have come to believe, is the most honest of vegetables: humble, sturdy, and capable of carrying extraordinary weight. This Jamaican Cabbage and Saltfish recipe speaks that same language — bold, briny, alive with the kind of flavor that insists on being noticed — and making it is its own form of dwelling, temporary and sufficient, the way the sukkah is. If you find yourself feeding people across distances, literal or otherwise, start here.

Jamaican Cabbage and Saltfish

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb salted codfish (saltfish), bones removed
• 1/2 medium green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced (adjust to taste)
• 1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2 green onions (scallions), sliced
• Salt to taste (use sparingly — the saltfish provides significant sodium)

Instructions

1. Soak and prepare the saltfish. Place the salted codfish in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, changing the water 2–3 times to draw out the salt. If you’re short on time, bring the fish to a boil in a pot of water, drain, and repeat once more. Drain well, then flake the fish into bite-sized pieces, removing any remaining bones or skin.
2. Boil and drain. Place the flaked saltfish in a small saucepan, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. This second cook further reduces the saltiness and softens the texture.
3. Saute the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the garlic and scotch bonnet pepper and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
4. Add the vegetables. Stir in the tomato and carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes until the tomato begins to break down. Add the thyme, black pepper, and allspice and stir to combine.
5. Add the cabbage. Add the sliced cabbage to the skillet and toss everything together. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 6–8 minutes until the cabbage is wilted but still has some texture — tender with a little bite remaining. Do not overcook; the cabbage should retain its character.
6. Fold in the saltfish. Add the flaked, drained saltfish to the cabbage mixture and stir gently to combine. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning — add salt only if needed, as the fish carries its own.
7. Finish and serve. Scatter the sliced scallions over the top and give everything one final toss. Serve hot alongside rice and peas, boiled green bananas, or fried dumplings.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 10g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 620mg