Experimental Cuisine: Jackfruit (Langka) Seed Pesto Recipe

Langka seeds, extra virgin olive oil, and basil leaves

So we had a jackfruit (langka in Filipino) of ample size, around three feet in length with a good girth, plucked from our farm in Montalban, Rizal and resting on the kitchen counter, its sweet, pungent odor of ripeness permeating half the household. Gutting it was an exercise in stickiness as the sap clung to the knife blade, hands, apron, and the newspapers that we used to line the counter and table. It was a bit like handling and kneading wet bread though, only tackier. In the end the fruit yielded several kilos of sweet flesh that could be eaten raw or cooked into jams, and a colander full of seeds.

I was more interested in the seeds. These ovoid shaped treasures are usually boiled for some 25 minutes in salted water, cooled and then eaten as a snack, like an ordinary nut. In fact, you can cut them in halves and slivers, and eat them as you do almonds, walnuts, pecans or peanuts. The flesh is a bit creamy and easy to bite, ever so slightly more tender than a hazelnut.

Which got me thinking - why not use these seeds as a base for pesto? In my lifetime I have used pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans and they all work fine. Would Jackfruit seeds be a good substitute for the nut component? Will it shine on its own? I made a batch of pesto to find out, here is the recipe I made:

Jackfruit (Langka) Seed Pesto 

Ingredients
   -   1 cup cooked jackfruit seeds (boiled in salted water for 25 minutes, or until it can be pierced by a fork)
   -   around 1/3 kg basil leaves, stemmed
   -   1/2 cup grated parmesan, pecorino-romano or other hard cheese
   -   3/4 cup extra virgin oil. None of those cheap olive oil stuff that are highly adulterated with other oils
   -   4 cloves garlic, minced. more if you like the garlicky taste
   -   salt and pepper to taste

Note - purists use a mortar and pestle to make pesto. I couldn't find my mortar and pestle, so I used a food processor, which actually makes the process easier and tidier. Call me lazy!

Preparation:

   1. Using a sharp knife, quarter the jackfruit seeds lengthwise, and get rid of the tough, chitinous outer cover as this will not go down well in your stomach. Toast the nuts in a hot pan on the stovetop until it is slightly brown and aromatic. Learn to toss the nuts in the pan using the flip method as it will ensure even browning of the nut surfaces. It will also make you look like a badass chef and impress your friends.

       Toasting the nuts introduces the Maillard Reaction, a chemical reaction between the amino acids and sugars in the presence of heat, and this gives the browned food's taste to level up.

   2. Wash the basil leaves with stems in a colander and spin dry in a salad spinner. It is essential that the leaves are dry. You can use kitchen towels to dry these leaves, just lay them on the towel and roll it up tightly. Pick off the leaves, discarding the stems and spoilt or brown leaves. This should yield around 2 cups.

   3. Combine the toasted seeds, basil leaves, and garlic in the food processor's bowl, and pulse until all ingredients are thoroughly minced.

   4.  Run the food processor food processor and slowly dribble in the extra virgin oil until the mixture smoothens out, about the texture of wet fine sand.

   5.  Throw in the grated cheese and pulse just  to combine.

   6. The last you do is season with salt and pepper. Some cheeses may be salty or bland so adjust to your taste.

   7. This will yield around 2+ cups of pesto. Spoon into an airtight jar, and dribble in some olive oil so that the surface is submerged with it. This will prevent the pesto from being oxidized and turning black. Store up to a week in the fridge, or several months if frozen.
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A great meal when combined with pizza!

    I cooked up some linguini and tossed this pesto onto a bowlful, topping it with grated pecorino-romano cheese. I must say the results are rather unique, as there is a hint of the fruity sweetness of jackfruit with each bite. For me, it evokes images of the langka trees in our farm on a windy summer day, the trees swaying and laden with large fruit. A true Filipino-Italian fusion dish that one must try to make. Please try it and send me your feedback!