breadfruit gnocchi

4 people — 90 minutes

We are about to leave Tonga, the tropics and the land of bountiful breadfruit. This versatile fruit can be cooked into fries, eaten with coconut milk, made into chips, or like this recipe suggests, it makes good gnocchi.

Breadfruit has a taste and texture that resembles that of potato, and so it makes sense that it too can be made into gnocchi. The flesh of the fruit can be kneaded with ease, especially if the fruit is very ripe. I have tried to knead it when half-ripe, it works too, but requires added moisture and more kneading, not to mention that it doesn't have as much flavor. Ripe breadfruit develops a sweet taste. It can be difficult to catch it at the right moment, like avocados they have a tendency to overripen overnight. Because we like it so much, we've bought many and have had time to better tell when it can be eaten. The outside becomes soft to the touch, but only just.

We serve these with a light sauce, to better taste the gnocchi. A sauce that we enjoy, is minced garlic and chili peppers cooked in olive oil. The sauce is poured overtop and sprinkled with bits of shredded nori.

gnocchi

breadfruit1 small
olive oil5 ml
all purpose flour150 g