Ingredients
Breadfruit
- 1mature breadfruit, still firm
To cook
- a wood fire burnt down to coals
To serve
- kamaimai, coconut palm syrup
- fresh coconut cream
- grated coconut
- salt
Equipment
- tongs or a long stick
- a knife
Note
- the sap is very sticky and does not wash off easily
Directions
- Roast breadfruit is cooked whole on the coals until the skin blackens. The low coral islands of Kiribati have thin soil and very little grows.
- Oil your hands and your knife before handling it. Oil dissolves the sap where water does not. Keep it off your clothes, since it does not come out. Wash the breadfruit and pat it dry.
- Leave it whole, with the stem attached. Do not peel it or cut into it. Set the whole breadfruit directly on the coals.
- Turn it every ten to fifteen minutes with tongs. That blackening is exactly what should happen. Keep turning through it rather than pulling it off. Judging when it is done takes a couple of checks.
- Steam will escape from the cracks. It should go in with no resistance at all. Set it on a tray in an oven at 200C.
- Roast it for about an hour and a half, turning it once. Opening it is done once it has cooled a little. Let it stand for about ten minutes. Cut it in half lengthways with an oiled knife.
- Cut out the fibrous core and discard it. Peel or scrape the blackened skin away. The flesh should be pale cream and soft. Cut the flesh into thick wedges. Serve it out while it is still hot. Pour kamaimai over it, which is the coconut palm syrup. Cold leftovers are sliced and fried the next day.
Technique
- The white sap is extremely sticky and only oil removes it, not water.
- Roast over glowing coals rather than flames, which blacken it without cooking it through.
- Cut out the fibrous central core, which is not eaten.
Substitutions
- An oven at 200C in place of a fire, accepting the loss of smoke.
- Any palm or golden syrup in place of kamaimai.
Variations
- Served with fresh coconut cream instead of syrup.
- Boiled rather than roasted, which is softer and plainer.
- Sliced and fried the next day.
History
Breadfruit and pandanus were the only substantial tree crops on the low coral islands, making both central to survival before imports.
Frequently asked questions
What is Roast Breadfruit?
Roast Breadfruit is a salad & side from Kiribati: breadfruit roasted whole on coals, eaten with kamaimai syrup. Breadfruit and pandanus were the only substantial tree crops on the low coral islands, making both central to survival before imports.
How long does Roast Breadfruit take to make?
Roast Breadfruit takes 10 min of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Roast Breadfruit?
Yes, within limits. An oven at 200C in place of a fire, accepting the loss of smoke. Any palm or golden syrup in place of kamaimai.
What is the most important thing to get right in Roast Breadfruit?
Leave it whole, with the stem attached. Do not peel it or cut into it. Set the whole breadfruit directly on the coals.
