Stamp and Go is Jamaica's original saltfish fritter — a thick batter of soaked salt cod, flour, onions, and scotch bonnet, deep-fried into golden, crispy, fish-filled patties. The name comes from the old Jamaican saying — you could make these fast, 'stamp' them together and 'go.' They are the ancestor of the more refined Saltfish Fritters (already in the database), the rustic, working-class version.
Stamp and Go is one of Jamaica's oldest street foods and one of the island's original fast foods. The colorful name is much debated: it is often traced to an 18th-century British naval order 'Stamp and Go!' meaning to act in a hurry, while others say it comes from stamping (crushing) the saltfish before mixing, or simply from a snack you could grab and go. It is a fritter of salt cod (saltfish) beaten into a flour batter with onions and scotch bonnet, then deep-fried — a rustic, chunkier cousin of the finer saltfish fritters. The dish reflects the Jamaican habit of turning salt cod (introduced by the British as cheap protein) into something local with African frying and homegrown scotch bonnet, and it is sold at roadside stalls and markets across the island.
A golden, thick, crispy fritter, the outside crunchy, the inside soft with shreds of saltfish, flecks of onion, and a scotch bonnet kick. It is saltier and fishier than the refined saltfish fritters — more rustic, more authentic, more street. Dip it in pepper sauce; eat it hot.
The saltfish must be soaked overnight (to remove excess salt) and flaked (not minced — you want chunks). The batter is thick (more like a dough than a batter), so the fritters hold their shape in the oil. The oil must be hot (175°C) so they crisp immediately. The scotch bonnet should be finely minced (distributed throughout).
Variations
Some add different vegetables; some use less flour; some add baking powder for puff; the saltfish amount varies.
On the Palate
Where Stamp and Go sits in the Jamaican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · 20 min active + 10 min waiting
- 1480 min
Soak 200 g salt cod overnight; drain; flake into chunks.
- 25 min
In a bowl, mix 200 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 diced onion, 2 minced scotch bonnet peppers, 2 chopped scallions, and 1 egg.
- 33 min
Add the flaked saltfish; mix to a thick batter.
- 42 min
Add enough water (about 100 ml) to make a thick dropping consistency.
- 53 min
Heat oil to 175°C.
Watch outBring the oil to a real hundred-and-seventy-five before dropping the batter — too cool and the fritters drink oil and go greasy instead of crisping.
- 68 min
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil.
- 72 min
Fry 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden.
Watch outFry to deep golden all over — a pale fritter is raw and gummy in the middle behind a soft crust.
- 81 min
Drain on paper; serve hot with pepper sauce.
