Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis Fosb. is believed to be native to a vast area extending from New Guinea through the Indo-Malayan Archipelago to Western Micronesia. It belongs to the mulberry family, Moraceae. It is translated into French as "Fruit de Pain," in Spanish as "fruta de pan," but in Haiti the most common name is “arbre veritable” (lam-veritab).
Like sweet potato, potato, and plantain, breadfruit is eaten as a vegetable. The latter is either boiled, baked, roasted, mashed or fried. Haitian vendors peel the firm breadfruit, slice it and fry it in deep fat until it crisp and golden brown.
One of the home-specialties is called “croquettes de véritable à la morue” (breadfruit croquettes with codfish), an excellent dish prepared with the fruit boiled, mashed, seasoned, rolled in flour, then fried in small patties shape or balls. Can you find them?
Ingredients:
• 1 medium ripe breadfruit (2 lbs)
• 3 medium boneless cod fillets (10 oz)
• 1/4 lb yellow onion chopped
• 1/4 lb green and red bell pepper chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 tspn garlic powder or 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons ground spices
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small piece of hot pepper (crushed)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
1. Soak codfish in water overnight in a way to eliminate the amount of salt. The next day,
remove it from water, add new fresh water, and bring to a boil (15 minutes). Drain the
codfish, let cool, then finely chop it.
2. In another utensil, cut breadfruit in 4 to 8 portions, and boil until cooked through
(40-45 mns). Remove breadfruit from water, set aside to cool slightly. Peel and place it
into a large bowl. You can either grind the cooked breadfruit or mash it to obtain a nice
3. Combine mashed breadfruit with shredded codfish, add chopped onion, green and red
bell pepper, parsley and continue to mix well. Add ground pepper, garlic, and
hot pepper. Before adding salt, taste to ensure if it's fine.
4. In a frying pan, place vegetable oil and let heat up. Using a soupspoon, scoop out
breadfruit mixture and shape into small patties or balls. Gently roll into flour and slip
into hot oil. Fry as much as you can for 5 to 6 minutes, but make sure the pan is not
too full. When golden brown, turn over the other side.
5. Drain on paper towels in a large plate. Serve hot with tomato sauce, watercress, or
green beans!
