Jackfruit- finally!!

Holy cannoli I FINALLY got a jackfruit! Now, you're probably wondering why in the world I am this excited about a fruit, and for that matter who in the world gets that excited about a fruit? I get it, but folks, this is not just another kind of apple or berry I'm talking about- this is a JACKFRUIT. Time to let you in on a little secret- I watch Food Network (insert sarcasm, please). A lot. More than a lot. Probably the bulk of my television time is spent on Food Network programming, but that's ok, right? At any rate, I've seen this fruit on numerous cooking shows, usually in competition shows on which the idea is to stump the contestants because who in the world really knows what the heck to do with a jackfruit? Well, we are going to find out.

A couple months ago The Chef and I were browsing the local mid-size supermarket looking for inspiration. We were feeling a bit in a food rut. Whenever that happens we like to meander around the store and looks at food items we have not yet cooked with or haven't for a long time, or something from our childhood- like La Choy chow mein in a can. Don't laugh- a lot of people in our generation have fond memories of our mothers making this for dinner with those brown crunchy noodles and Minute Rice. We usually start in the produce section because it's right by the front doors of this particular store. On this occasion there was a large display of tropical fruits- rambutans, carambola, cherimoya, and things like that. Different kinds of papayas and mangoes. Baby red bananas. Lots of fun things including......... this monstrously gigantic kinda prickly and HUGELY heavy jackfruit. I immediately wanted to take it home with me but with a $40 pricetag that wasn't going to happen today so I sulked around the store the rest of the time and bemoaned my poor luck- having finally found a jackfruit but a limited budget.

Fast forward to now and I pop into Whole Foods, more for snooping around than for shopping, as we don't normally go there unless I'm looking for an unusual grain or type of rice, and lo and behold, right there, in the produce section (again the first department I wandered through) was once again the object of my intense obsession- the jackfruit, but this time it was not a $40 million pound globe of fruit to feed 50, it was cut up and sold by the slice. Jackpot! Now that my wish has been fulfilled my grandson Nathan and I are going to play with this fun fruit and learn a little about it at the same time.

Jackfruit, top, and durian, bottom. Photo from Wiki.

The first thing we noticed about our slice of jackfruit was the smell. I guess I should say fragrance or aroma because this thing smelled beautiful. So fruity and floral like pineapple and tropical flowers. A lot of people confuse this fruit with it's terribly stinky lookalike, the durian, but this jackfruit smells like heaven. I also read about a very sticky sap and was warned to oil my hands and utensils to prevent the sap from getting all over, as it's very hard to remove. That must happen more when you're cutting open a whole jackfruit because while we did oil our hands, we didn't encounter any sticky sap and didn't re-oil after handwashing.

The skin of the jackfruit is pretty thick and tough, but I was able to cut through it with no difficulty at all. The core was very pronounced and easy to remove. The fruit itself looks like little pods and each one contains a seed. Nathan and I learned that the jackfruit is actually just a giant flower with the petals on the inside and the fruit bulbs are flower petals- kind of cool to think about. There is a big seed in each bulb, about as big as an olive. We also learned that the seeds are also edible. The seeds smell like chocolate and if you dry them you can grind them as use them like cocoa. You can also boil the seeds or roast them, and they taste like water chestnuts. 

The funky stuff around the bulbs is also edible. We learned that it can also be cooked and shredded to use like meat- like in a pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwich, and that many vegan and vegetarian people do use the jackfruit as a meat replacement. Just imagine, a tree that can maybe eliminate starvation. We read that each jackfruit tree, which is the largest of all fruit-bearing trees, is capable of producing 100 to 200 fruits per year, and that each fruit can weigh up to 80 pounds. That is a lot of food!

Looks like chicken!

Our bulbs and our seeds.

What else did we learn about jackfruit? Lots! We learned where the trees grow- mostly Asian countries and South America where it doesn't get cold. They originated in rainforests. They cannot survive winter like we have here in Iowa. If you live in Florida and are very lucky- you might be able to grow a jackfruit tree. They are the national fruit of Bangladesh. Like the fruits we are used to eating in our part of the world, the jackfruit relies on bees to pollinate and produce fruits. We did collect 13 seeds, most of them are whole seeds and a couple were "nicked" by the knife. Nathan and I are going to try and sprout them and see if we can grow a jackfruit tree just for fun. We know it won't survive outside but we can grow an avocado pit into a nice house plant, so why not try this? I figure we'd also try the nicked seeds in case it makes it easier to germinate like some of the tough seeds require.

Our fruit bulbs went into a zip top bag and in the freezer so the next day we could make smoothies with them. It was very sweet and definitely had the mango and banana flavors. The next time we try jackfruit we will probably get a couple slices or maybe canned jackfruit and try THIS RECIPE for BBQ Pulled Jackfruit from the More Vegan Blog. A little bit of research online and we found all kinds of different dishes to use it in, both sweet and savory. We had fun and learned a lot about this weird fruit you don't see in Iowa very often. I wonder what weird food we will find next?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Lakehouse Island Fish Fry

We may not live on a tropical island but we DO live on a private lake, and that means lots of fishing. Sure, we can always do the usual fried fish, baked fish, even fish tacos, but they all have been on the dinner table here a few times too many. It's time to shake things up a bit.

When it comes to fish, there are many different tastes and textures. Some fish, like mahi mahi, are very dense and meaty, while others, like sole, are very light and delicate. Catfish, tuna and salmon are the "oily" fish and have much more aggressive flavors. I like them all, but in different kinds of dishes.

Many times when I cook fish I like to pan fry it, or saute. Sometimes that means a light pan sauce, maybe with butter, lemon and capers. Since it's warming up outside I really wanted something a little different, tropical and fresh, like a sweet and spicy fruit salsa. Fish fillets crusted with chopped macadamia nuts and sauteed until golden make a very upscale version of a fish fry, and paired with a tropical fruit salsa with just the right amount of heat, and drizzled with a bright lime butter you've got something really special. 

For the salsa I decided to go with fresh pineapple and mango, with some lime zest and juice, red peppers, scallions, and fresh jalapeno for a little heat. Lots of fresh cilantro adds a nice herbal note. 

This dinner and recipe is unique for Rockin' the Kitchen because we both will be in the kitchen working on different components of the meal. The Chef will be handling the cooking of the fish, and I will be working on the supporting cast- chopping nuts, making breadcrumbs, the salsa, and prep work. The Chef has used nuts as a crusting ingredients many times in the different kitchens he has worked in, so he will be demonstrating his technique for using macadamia nuts to bring the tropical touch to the dish.

Lakehouse Macadamia Crusted Cod

4-6 cod fillets
half of a 6 oz. jar macadamia nuts
1 cup dry breadcrumbs or panko
1 tablespoon minced parsley
salt and pepper

3 eggs

cooking oil

1/4 cup butter

juice and zest of one lime

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the lime juice and zest. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the macadamia nuts to chop them well. 

Combine the nuts with the breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

Beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Dip the fish fillets into the eggs and then coat with the crumb mixture. Set the fish on a plate to rest for a few minutes while the oil heats.

In a large skillet heat several tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the fish fillets and cook, turning only once, until fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve fish with the Mango Pineapple Salsa.

Mango Pineapple Salsa

1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
small palmfull diced sweet red pepper
4-5 scallions, sliced or 1/4 red onion, diced
1 fresh chili pepper- I like jalapeno or habanero, diced
small palmfull chopped cilantro 
1 lime (juice and zest)
salt and pepper

Toss everything together in a bowl; cover and chill.

Let's talk for a minute about the fruit and peppers. In this recipe big hunks of fruit just wouldn't work well. I wanted very small dice, or brunoise, as it's called in the professional kitchen. TEENY dice. With such small pieces you don't end up with a big hunk of jalapeno unexpectedly, and it allows the flavors to meld better. Plus eat bite has more "stuff" and more flavors all at the same time- very important when you're making a dish with such unique flavors like mango, red bell pepper, jalapenos and pineapple. 

Make the salsa the day before if you have time. That way flavors can really develop. Fresh cilantro really makes this salsa, but if you can't get it, parsley will do. Don't waste the money on dried cilantro- it loses ALL flavor when dried. 

I used scallions in the salsa- white and green parts, but you can also use red onion for another unique flavor. The hot pepper is up to you. We like the heat around here so we choose a hotter chili, but you can use whatever is more in line with your heat tolerance. Just be sure and use something with a little heat, even if it's a pinch of chili powder or canned green chilies.

Ohhhhh buddy. The macadamia nuts are so so so delicious in the breading. The nuts add a super crunchy element to the crust. The macadamias had just the right amount of salt to perk up the bright salsa flavors. Even though it was made from fruit, the salsa is more savory than sweet really. The cilantro cuts the sweetness beautifully, and the lime adds the right amount of acid. The Chef paired this outstanding fish with a simple baked potato with no big glop of sour cream- just simply dressed with chives and butter, and some of that purple cauliflower I made pickles with yesterday. 

I have a feeling this dish will be making an appearance on the lake house table a whole lot in the future.