By Mary Heckrotte
In the US, I never saw a breadfruit — though in fourth grade Social Studies class we did learn that Captain Bligh of the Bounty transported seedlings from the South Pacific to the West Indies. I remember thinking it must be some sort of fruit that’s good on a sandwich. The first time Carl and I actually saw a live breadfruit tree, we were in Trinidad hiking on the north coast with the Sacketteers Hiking Club. As we climbed and moaned and panted our way toward some waterfall we were convinced didn’t really exist, we saw blobs of brown soggy rot under trees that had lumpy green basketballs dangling beneath their giant leaves. “Breadfruit,” somebody said. We weren’t impressed. At least not until somebody else told us we could make breadfruit french fries. We like to try native fare, especially if we’re going to a potluck and there are a bunch of guinea pigs to share the taste test. The french fries from our first breadfruit got rave reviews at a Happy Hour on the TTYC docks. Since then, we’ve experimented with breadfruit each year when the season rolls ’round. Decidedly, we like breadfruit and find it nearly as versatile as potatoes — and we use them almost interchangeably in both sweet and savory recipes.
Mature breadfruit is round, or maybe a bit ovoid, and can weigh from two to ten pounds. A young fruit has a yellowish-green outside that is tough, hard and warty. Inside, the edible part is creamy-colored and hard. When fully mature, the fruit softens, turns somewhat brownish and may have slightly darker spots. White speckled patches are common and don’t affect the quality of the fruit, but hard spots and black spots are indications the fruit isn’t good. As breadfruit ages, it clearly turns to dark brown mush and you’ll have no difficulty knowing it’s past due. For dishes with spicy seasonings, the best choice is a slightly immature fruit, evenly green. For sweeter dishes, the riper fruit is best.
The problem with breadfruit is that it doesn’t last long once it’s off the tree, probably a big reason why it is not marketed widely even in tropical markets. Also, there isn’t much profit to the vendor as the price is almost always dirt cheap. A young fruit can ripen for a day or two at room temperature but watch it closely. When it softens, use it immediately or refrigerate it for no more than one day. As with most fruits and vegetables, the best specimens have a higher moisture content, so choose the breadfruit that is heaviest for its size.
There’s a central core that is not good to eat but is easily pared and removed once the fruit is opened, either before or after cooking. The simplest way to use breadfruit is to peel it, remove the core, then boil, steam, fry, or bake it just as you would potatoes. French fries are made simply by slicing the fruit very thin, soaking the slices in salt water for about 15 minutes, drying the slices, then dropping them into hot oil. When browned, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Once you get the hang of using breadfruit, you’ll notice the big trees in backyards and fields and roadsides throughout the entire Caribbean. Many times a ripe and ready breadfruit is simply lying on the ground just waiting to go home with you. In the Eastern Caribbean, maybe you’ll be invited to join a family fete when they make a traditional dish called “Oil Down” using salt fish, breadfruit, and coconut milk with savory spices. You’ll find that you can substitute breadfruit for either Irish or sweet potatoes in regular recipes. Below is just a small sample of the versatility of breadfruit.
Breadfruit Sauté
1 large ripe breadfruit, peeled, cored, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
freshly ground back pepper to taste
Place breadfruit in salted water just to cover. Bring to boil, cover pot, and then lower heat to just simmer breadfruit for about 40 minutes or until tender. [Editor’s note: You can also cook it briefly — 10 minutes or less — in a pressure cooker.] Drain. In the meantime, heat oil in skillet and sauté onion, celery, and garlic just until limp. Add cooked, drained breadfruit, tomato, and black pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes until all is tender and blended. Serves 4 to 6 as side vegetable with fish or meat.
Corny Breadfruit
1 large ripe breadfruit, peeled, cored, cubed
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 can cream style corn
3/4 Cup cheddar cheese, grated, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons mustard
salt and pepper taste
Boil breadfruit in just enough water to cover until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and then mash in large bowl. Add butter, corn, 1/2 Cup cheese, eggs, mustard, salt and pepper. Using electric mixer on high speed, beat until fluffy. Pour into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 Cup cheese and bake at 350°F until lightly browned on top, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Stuffed Breadfruit
1 large ripe breadfruit
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 Cup water
Wash breadfruit. Leave peel on but slice off top with stem and scoop out core. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain off fat then add salt, pepper, thyme, tomato paste, and sugar. Stir to mix well then stuff meat mixture into breadfruit cavity. Replace the breadfruit stem with a lid. Sit breadfruit, stem side up, on a rack in a roasting pan with 1/4 cup water in bottom. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes then lower heat to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes until breadfruit is fork tender. Check water in pan periodically, adding more as needed to prevent bottom from scorching. Serves 4 to 6, depending on size of breadfruit.
Breadfruit Fritters
1 egg, unbeaten
1 Cup soft ripe breadfruit, uncooked
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 Cup plain flour, unsifted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Cup sugar
powdered or granulated sugar for coating
Combine egg, breadfruit and shortening. Stir well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add these dry ingredients to the egg and breadfruit mixture and stir until well blended.
Drop batter by spoonfuls into preheated deep fat (370°F) and fry until golden brown. Drain fritters on paper towels. Put powdered or regular sugar in a plastic bag. Drop drained fritters into bag and shake to coat outside. Best eaten while still warm.
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen fritters.
Breadfruit and Coconut Pudding
1 Cup coconut milk
1/2 Cup fresh coconut, grated
3 Cups ripe soft breadfruit pulp
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
In large bowl, mix coconut milk, coconut, breadfruit pulp, sugar, and salt. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake at 350°F until pudding is set, about 1 hour. Can serve hot or cold, plain or with whipped topping. Serves 4.
