Ulu Mes Manière (breadfruit My Way) |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes |
Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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I love Breadfruit. Just by chance, the village where I live in Samoa is called “Ululoloa” which means “plenty breadfruit”. Breadfruit trees do not grow from seeds but from root cuttings: and trying to keep the cuttings alive is how old Billy Bligh got into so much trouble after he left Tahiti; but that’s another story. Read more . I post this in the hope that at least a few of you will be able to find Breadfruit and try it this way. We were visiting some Samoan friends, who live a bit out in the bush, last week and Samoan BBQ chicken with Breadfruit and a tomato salad were on the menu. All of this, except for some small bits and pieces comes right off their land; which is always neat. The chickens have been caught and dealt with; they now rest in the marinade. The bits and pieces for the salad are collected and chilling in the fridge and its breadfruit time. The kids are sent off to get the breadfruit off the tree, grab a bunch or two of spinach from the garden and collect the coconuts for the peepee (coconut cream), which Valuoga and I will make. For those of you who have never had fresh, rich peepee I am sorry. The canned stuff is a sad imitation of the real thing. Our hostess, Suefale, has been cooking breadfruit all her life so it’s only up to me to make up the extras but I’ll cover the whole process here. Breadfruit will be hard for many of you to find but if there’s a Polynesian community near you try one of their stores. I’ve seen it growing all over the more temperate parts of the US; usually as an ornamental tree. I’ve tossed in some pictures to help you along the way. Enjoy. Ingredients:
• 2 medium size ripe breadfruit. |
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped, wilted spinach. |
• 1 small onion, chopped fine. |
• 3 to 4 strips of smoked bacon, chopped. |
• 1.5 to 2 cups peepee (coconut cream) to taste. 2 cups is better. |
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. |
Directions:
1. 1. Get ye some nice ripe breadfruit. See Photo
2. 2. Put a LARGE pot of water on to boil.
3. 3. While the water is coming to the boil, peel (skin) the breadfruit. Polynesians make this look easy but the first time can be tricky. In the breadfruit skin there is a sticky, milky juice that you need to avoid, if possible, as it’s a bummer to get off your hands. Stick a large fork in the stem end of the breadfruit and rest the round end on a cutting board. Then use a sharp paring or filleting knife to carve off the skin and discard. The flesh of the breadfruit doesn’t have the sticky stuff, just the skin.
4. 4. Quarter the breadfruit, and remove any false seeds. See Photo
5. 5. Core the quarters and cut each one into 2 or 3 pieces. Place in a bowl of cold water until the pot boils; just like peeled potatoes. See Photo
6. 6. Place the breadfruit in the pot of water that is at a rolling boil and cook for 22 to 30 minutes See Photo. Test it with a fork for doneness: It should be like a just done boiled potato. We are going to cook the breadfruit a bit more in the peepee so don’t overcook it here. It’s important that the water be boiling like crazy all the time or the breadfruit will come out soggy.
7. 7. While the breadfruit is boiling, get out your trusty small cast iron skillet and start cooking the bacon over medium heat. See Photo
8. 8. When the bacon is about half cooked, add the onions and cook until they are soft.
9. 9. Add the spinach and cook for another minute or so. You just want to wilt the spinach.
10. 10. When the breadfruit is done, drain and set aside.
11. 11. Add the peepee and the onion, bacon and spinach mixture & salt and pepper to the pot and heat over a medium flame, stirring often, until it just starts to simmer. If you’re using canned peepee try not to shake the can when opening it and just scoop the rich cream off the top and leave all the added water in the can.
12. 12. Add the breadfruit to the pot and cook, stirring very gently, until the peepee starts to thicken See Photo. This is why you need a BIG pot. You get to decide how thick you want the peepee to get but I like it about like a good gravy.
13. 13. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for at least ten minutes before serving.
14. 14. Serve in a large bowl and spoon the thickened peepee over the top. Okay, a sprig or two of parsley looks nice but don’t get carried away.
15. You can use this just like you would potatoes, only it tastes a lot better. If you can’t find breadfruit where you live you can try it on your next trip to Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, the Philippines, Samoa or the Cook Islands. They do some interesting recipes in the Caribbean, on the Malay Peninsula and in the Congo as well.
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