ʻUlu Chips (Hawaiian Oven-Baked Breadfruit Crisps)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Mandoline slicer with hand guard
• •Two large rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the ʻulu

   Pick a firm mature ʻulu, green to yellow-green, heavy for its size, with a little give but no soft spots. If the fruit is too ripe, save it for steaming or dessert. For chips you want starch, not sugar, so the slices bake crisp instead of turning soft.

   Breadfruit gives off sticky latex. Oil your knife lightly, or rinse it as you work, and keep a damp towel close. No drama, just the tree doing what the tree does.
2. 2

   Heat the oven

   Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 350F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. The parchment matters here because thin ʻulu slices like to grab the pan when their starch starts to brown.

3. 3

   Trim and slice

   Cut off the stem end, peel the ʻulu, quarter it, and cut away the spongy core. Slice the quarters as thin as you can, about 1/16 inch, using a mandoline if you have one. The slices should bend like thick paper. Thick ones will still taste good, but they'll eat more like roasted ʻulu than chips.

4. 4

   Rinse and dry

   Rinse the slices in a bowl of cool water, swishing once or twice to wash off extra surface starch, then drain well. Lay them on clean towels and pat them dry until they feel matte, not slippery. This is the small step people skip, then they blame the ʻulu. No blame the taro, no blame the breadfruit either.

5. 5

   Oil and season

   Put the dry slices in a wide bowl and toss gently with the oil, paʻakai ʻalaea, garlic powder if using, and nīoi if you want heat. Use your hands so every slice gets a light shine, not a heavy coat. Oil puddles make leathery chips.

6. 6

   Spread with space

   Arrange the slices in mostly single layers on the prepared sheets. A little touching is fine, but don't pile them. Crowding traps moisture, and moisture makes chew. Give the ʻulu room and it will give you crisp edges.

7. 7

   Bake and turn

   Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pans, and switch the racks. Turn the slices that are browning fastest, then bake 8 to 13 minutes more, pulling chips as they turn golden at the edges and dry through the center. Some pieces finish early. Take those out and let the stubborn ones stay.

   The chips crisp more as they cool. If a slice bends softly after 2 minutes on the rack, return it to the oven for a few more minutes.
8. 8

   Cool and share

   Move the chips to a rack or a clean tray and let them cool uncovered until fully crisp. Finish with a pinch more paʻakai ʻalaea and serve with lime wedges if you like. Put the bowl in the middle of the table. This is snack food, not a museum piece.

Chef Tips

• •Firm mature ʻulu is the one for chips. Green and hard can be starchy and dry, fully ripe can be sweet and soft. You want the middle place, heavy, firm, and just beginning to show maturity.
• •A mandoline gives the most even slices. Use the guard. The old people taught care, not showing off.
• •If you want the fried version, shallow-fry the same thin slices at 325F to 350F until golden, then salt hot. This baked one is lighter, but the fried one has its own place at the table.
• •Season simply the first time: oil and paʻakai. After that, nīoi, black pepper, garlic, or a little dried limu can come along, as long as the ʻulu still tastes like itself.
• •Store cooled chips in an airtight container up to 2 days. If they soften, spread them on a sheet pan and warm at 300F for 5 to 8 minutes until crisp again.

Advance Preparation

• •The ʻulu can be peeled, cored, sliced, rinsed, and held in cool water for up to 2 hours before baking. Dry it very well before oiling.
• •Bake the chips the same day you serve them for the best snap. For a potluck, cool them fully before packing so trapped warmth does not soften them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 95g)