Books for Cooks
Barbara Burke
Ulu finally gets its due
in book by Kauai cookOffer a neighbor some bananas or mangoes from your back yard, and you'll probably be greeted with open arms. Try giving away some sappy, bumpy-skinned, brown-bottomed breadfruit and you're likely to get a polite, "No, thank you." At least that was the experience of Kauai resident Fae Hirayama.
By the second year her tree produced, Hirayama had more breadfruit than she needed or could give away. One of the biggest problems in getting people to accept her gift of breadfruit ("ulu" in Hawaiian), was that they did not know how to prepare it.
STAR-BULLETIN
"The Breadfruit Cookbook"
By Fae Hirayama
(Handworks, 2002, paperback,
spiral-bound, $17.95)
So Hirayama got creative. She planned the first of what would become an annual "ulu dinner," where every dish on the menu contained breadfruit as an ingredient.
Her guests were impressed and even asked for recipes. Since she's a "touch and feel" kind of cook, Hirayama had no printed recipes. But at the urging of her dinner guests, she began writing them down and about five years later "The Breadfruit Cookbook," containing more than 100 dishes, was born.
Ulu is one of the most versatile plant foods you will find in Hawaii, according to Hirayama. It can be uses in dishes from appetizers to desserts. The taste of breadfruit and how you use it is determined by the maturity of the fruit.
"When it's really green, it has the taste and texture of artichoke heart. Immature ulu has the best flavor when it is about the size of a tennis ball," says Hirayama. But be careful when picking immature breadfruit, as its white, milky sap is sticky and can stain clothing.
Green ulu must be boiled for about an hour to become fork tender. To reduce cooking time, prepare it in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes. Hirayama uses cooked, immature breadfruit as a substitute for artichoke heart in recipes such as chicken pasta salad, bruschetta and frittata.
"As it matures, ulu is like a really good potato. Its texture is a little chewier though, more like taro. When you cook ulu, it holds its shape and will soak up whatever flavor you put on it," she explains.
Cut mature ulu into 2- to 3-inch chunks and steam or boil it for about 20 minutes. Then use it in recipes such as garlic mashed ulu, hot German-style ulu salad, ulu clam chowder, Chinese-style ulu cakes, ulu crusted fish and vegetarian ulu lasagna.
"A very ripe ulu is mushy. It cooks quickly and is very soft and sticky. The cooked pulp works well in place of pumpkin and the raw pulp can replace mashed banana in breads," Hirayama adds.
Her dessert recipes include baked ulu mochi with coconut, ulu ice cream, ulu macadamia nut bread, ulu won ton with honey and "sweet potato" pie. Ripe, roasted ulu filled with butter and brown sugar will always be her sentimental favorite recipe, however, because that is the way her grandmother introduced ulu to her.
Breadfruit trees produce twice a year, in the spring and fall. If you don't have a neighbor like Fae to share ulu with you, look for breadfruit at farmer's markets and Asian grocery stores.
"The Breadfruit Cookbook" is available at local bookstores and may also be purchased online at www.ulucookbook.com.
STAR-BULLETIN / 1999
Steam ulu until firm. Scoop out pulp and mash with sugar and cinnamon. Spoon mixture into lumpia wrappers, sealing with a light spray of water. Fry until golden brown.Sweet Ulu Lumpia
1 whole ripe, soft ulu, steamed or boiled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
Lumpia wrappers
Oil for deep-frying
Wash and core ulu. Cut in half and scoop out center, leaving a 1 1/2 inch shell.Ulu Stuffed with Pork Hash
1 firm green or half-ripe ulu (about 6-8 inches), cut in half and cored>> Pork hash filling:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/2 pound Chinese fish cake
1 can water chestnut, drained and chopped
1 ball Chinese salted turnip (chung choi) rinsed and chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Mix filling ingredients well. Fill each ulu half, mounding pork hash.
Place in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 cup water at bottom of pan. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Remove foil after 60 minutes and bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until top is brown.
The ulu is done when fork or chopstick "tender" and pork hash is thoroughly cooked. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Nutritional information unavailable.
Rating Scale: Best in its class /
Barbara Burke is a Hawaii-Pacific University instructor who teaches and writes about food and nutrition. Contact her at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail her at: features@starbulletin.com
