How to ‘roast’ a breadfruit by boiling it!
Readers, someone sent me a You Tube video some time ago in which the recipe below was featured. Boiling an uncut breadfruit in water, and ending up with a roasted texture was a far stretch for my imagination; but the lady in the video said it worked. She lives in Canada and sounds very authentically Jamaican, especially when her son almost punctured the fruit while turning it in the pot! With some real ole Jamaican patois, she defended her Canadian $20 investment!
I must confess that making a wood fire or roasting a breadfruit on top of the stove are two things I am yet to learn. Into the oven for me, or I would wait for my elderly neighbour to get a fire going (every Sunday at around 11 a.m. during breadfruit season). I would give him two huge bresheh, and he understood that one was his. He’s gone home to be with the LORD now, so I will have to find a ladder tall enough to pass to my neighbour behind me; we’re separated by a very tall fence!
You can imagine my excitement then when I watched this video! I could not wait to try it! Does it really work? Fall dung inna sugar, yes! The only thing missing is the smoky flavour, but maybe that can be captured by boiling it on a wood fire?
I wonder if my neighbour would be willing to try…?
DIRECTIONS
You will need an unroasted breadfruit; a 5-pounder was used for this recipe.
1. Wash the breadfruit carefully and remove most, but not all of the stem. Do not make any incisions (cuts) on the skin.
2. Half-fill a large, deep pot with water and bring it to boil on the stove (a pressure cooker works well).
3. Place the breadfruit in the pot, cover, and allow to cook for at least one hour.
4. The breadfruit will float in the water, so use a large spoon to help turn it occasionally. Be careful and do not puncture the skin, as this will cause water to seep into the fruit, which will alter the texture of the finished product on the side where it’s been pierced.
5. Use your fingers to squeeze the breadfruit – when done, it should feel soft. You may need to cook it for up to an hour and a half.
6. When complete, remove it from the water immediately and allow it to cool before peeling.
7. Incredible, but true – the texture inside will be just like a roasted breadfruit.
8. If you mess up the first attempt; of course, you can slice and fry – it will still be nice.
Source: Jamaican Vibes video on YouTube, premiered Nov 6, 2021, “New!! Easiest way to cook Jamaican roasted breadfruit”
