Jackfruit looks strange from the outside– its giant and green, oblong and covered in a million tiny green spikes– but inside it is a mildly sweet fruit somewhere between a mango and an artichoke. The young green jackfruit can be found in cans, or it can be found whole or pre-cut closer to ripe in most asian grocery stores. I always like to finish my jackfruit in a cast iron pan (I use this one from Lodge)
A little bit of bravery and a very sharp knife will cut through the thick outer skin of the whole fruit, giving you a great base that can take on many flavors from pulled v-pork to jerk v-chicken, giving you a healthy plant-based alternative to classic foods! Even better, jackfruit grows in abundance, making this a sustainable crop for local farmers year-round.
INGREDIENTS
For the Jerk:
- Jackfruit– 2 cups (one can, pressed and drained, or 2 cups string parts, not yellow meat)
- Blackstrap Molasses– 2 TBS
- Sesame Chili Oil- 1 tsp
- Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp
- Sea Salt- 1/2 tsp
- Onion Powder- 1/2 tsp
- Garlic Powder- 1/2 tsp
- Smoked Paprika- 1/2 tsp
- Cumin Powder- 1/4 tsp
- Nutmeg- 1/4 tsp (scant)
- Allspice- 1/4 tsp (scant)
- Cinnamon- 1/4 tsp
- Sage- 1/4 tsp
- Thyme- 1/4 tsp
- 1 wedge of lime
- Cilantro to garnish
- Organic Sunflower Oil to
PREPARE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pull the jackfruit between two forks until shredded, and toss with salt, pepper, and sesame oil.
- If using canned jackfruit, place the jackfruit on one even layer between baking pans and press firmly, with your hands or by loading up with unopened cans, for 5 minutes, to press and drain the brine.
- Place on a baking sheet to roast for 15 minutes, to dry out the jackfruit and bring out its flavor.
- Place all remaining ingredients in a bowl, and add the jackfruit when it is not too hot to touch.
- Mix thoroughly to combine, breaking apart larger pieces.
- Heat oil in cast iron pan, and saute jackfruit until it darkens and the herbs become aromatic with an even temperature.
- Serve warm over rice, or with fixins’ for tacos!
That’s me, with my incredibly large jackfruit haul from HMART, they cut this for me fresh so I didn’t have to carry home a whopping 22 pounds! I am hoping that your new-found love of jackfruit will help you eat fruit not friends!
Big Picture Vegan 