Ingredients
Breadfruit
- 1firm mature breadfruit, about 2 kg
To fry
- oil, for deep frying
- salt
Sometimes
- a squeeze of lime
- chilli powder
- garlic powder
To serve
- salted, from a bag, as a snack
Directions
- Use mature but firm breadfruit, uniformly green and hard to the squeeze. It must be starchy rather than sweet, since a ripening breadfruit is soft and will not slice or crisp.
- Press it: it should give almost nothing. A breadfruit with brown patches and a sweet smell has gone too far for this. Cut breadfruit exudes a sticky white latex that adheres to hands, knives and boards and is very hard to remove.
- Oil your hands and the knife blade before you start. Some people cut the stem out and stand the fruit upright for a few minutes to let the sap drain first. Quarter the fruit, cut out the fibrous central core, and peel away the thick green skin with a knife.
- Slice it as thinly as you possibly can, ideally on a mandoline. Thin and even slices are the whole recipe: thick ones stay soft in the middle and never crisp.
- Take care with the mandoline guard, since breadfruit is hard and the blade is sharp. Drop the slices into cold water as you cut them, both to stop them browning and to rinse off surface starch. Let them sit in the water for ten minutes, then drain. Rinsing off surface starch gives a crisper chip and stops them sticking together in the oil.
- Spread them out and dry them thoroughly, one layer at a time. Heat the oil to about 170 to 175°C. Too cool and they absorb oil and go greasy, too hot and they colour before they dry out and crisp.
- Fry a handful at a time, keeping them moving so they do not stick together. Do not crowd the pan, which drops the temperature sharply and gives pale limp chips. Fry them for two to three minutes until golden and the bubbling has largely subsided. Take them out just as the bubbling calms rather than waiting for deep colour.
- Lift them out with a spider and drain them on a rack rather than paper. Salt them immediately while they are still hot and glistening. Salt adheres to hot fat and slides straight off a cooled chip. Toss them while hot so the seasoning sticks.
- Let them cool completely before storing, since any warmth trapped in a container turns to condensation. They keep a week in an airtight container and they soften in humid weather.
Technique
- It is a modern use for surplus breadfruit rather than a traditional dish.
- Slice as thinly as possible, ideally on a mandoline.
- Dry the slices thoroughly, since wet ones steam rather than crisp.
Substitutions
- Green plantain or taro, sliced the same way.
- An oven for a baked version.
Variations
- Seasoned with chilli and lime.
- Baked rather than fried.
- Made with green plantain instead.
History
A modern Marshallese use for surplus breadfruit, promoted locally to make a glut of fruit keep and sell.
Frequently asked questions
What is Breadfruit Chips?
Breadfruit Chips is a snack from Marshall Islands: thin slices of firm breadfruit fried until crisp and salted. A modern Marshallese use for surplus breadfruit, promoted locally to make a glut of fruit keep and sell.
How long does Breadfruit Chips take to make?
Breadfruit Chips takes 20 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Breadfruit Chips?
Yes, within limits. Green plantain or taro, sliced the same way. An oven for a baked version.
What is the most important thing to get right in Breadfruit Chips?
Use mature but firm breadfruit, uniformly green and hard to the squeeze. It must be starchy rather than sweet, since a ripening breadfruit is soft and will not slice or crisp.
