Jamaican Jerk Jackfruit is a traditional Jamaican recipe for a classic vegetarian dish of jackfruit pieces that are fried with jerk spices and then stewed in the same spices until tender. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Jamaican version of: Jamaican Jerk Jackfruit.
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The jackfruit, also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family. Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Sri Lanka and the rainforests of Malaysia.
Most jackfruit recipes start with tinned jackfruit that’s shredded and then cooked. However, it’s almost as easy to cook with raw jackfruit. Here in KZN, the jackfruit season is short and the tinned variety is not really available so I have to start with the raw fruit. As I’m cooking a savoury dish, the best jackfruit are the small, unripe kind. Unripe jackfruit has white flesh, whilst ripe jackfruit has yellow flesh.
How to prepare jackfruit for cooking.
Here I will tell you how to prepare an unripe jackfruit for cooking. The main difference between ripe and unripe jackfruit is that you need to remove the seeds from ripe jackfruit, but they can be left in unripe jackfruit. Jackfruit exudes a latex-like sap when you cut it. To prevent this from ruining your work surfaces spread out newspapers over your work surface (you will be glad you did so later). To protect your hands and knife cover both liberally with oil. Cut the ends off the jackfruit then slice the remainder into four or five thick slices. Cut each piece in half and remove the hard central part. Now cut off the spiky green skin.
For most recipes you will need to shred the jackfruit (think pulled pork or shredded chicken). However, depending on the intended application you can also cut into slices or cubes. As you finish each piece place in a bowl of water. This both prevents the pieces from discolouring and dispels away any excess gum.
Now you only need to drain the jackfruit pieces and cook them. Typically, I buy quite a lot of jackfruit when in season. That means I have a big pile of prepared jackfruit. The best way I know of storing it is to briefly pressure cook, drain and then freeze.
I use my instant pot for this and performing the cooking is simplicity itself. Place the drained jackfruit in the inner sleeve of your instant pot. Add ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp turmeric and 6 green chillies, split lengthways. Pour in water (how much will depend on how much jackfruit you have to cook.
Secure the lid and close the vent. Cook at full pressure using the manual timer for 4 minutes. Open the valve to quick release the pressure and open the lid as soon as the pin drops. Drain the jackfruit in a colander then allow to cool. Divide between freezer bags and store in your freezer.
With the preliminaries out of the way, on with the recipe itself. Note that, if you’re using tinned jackfruit for this recipe they need to be drained, transferred to a clean tea towel and squeezed to remove excess liquid. It may be a brand issue, but I’ve found that some tinned jackfruit can taste rather metallic (hence my preference for fresh). If this is the case, after draining, place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside in the refrigerator over night. Drain again the following day.
Ingredients:
450g (1 lb) green jackfruit (raw, tinned or home cooked)
2 tsp cooking oil, divided
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp parsley flakes
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
500ml (2 cups) water
¼ tsp brown sugar
Method:
Slice the jackfruit pieces very thinly with a sharp knife. Add half the oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the jackfruit along with all the spices and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until the spices are toasted and aromatic. Stir in the lime juice, water and sugar, bring to a simmer, partially cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dry. Adjust the seasonings to taste then stir in the remaining oil and cook, stirring frequently until the edges of the jackfruit are golden in colour.
You can serve this on a bed of rice and accompanied by black beans. Alternatively serve in a sandwich, in wraps, in tacos or smothered in cheese and accompanied by nachos.
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