Plant-Based Meats are Hot!

We’ve been watching the world of non-meat “meats” expand and evolve over the last few years, with great anticipation. Whether you are excited about the possibility of stunningly realistic fakes, or could care less if they seem just like the “real thing” as long as they taste good, this has been a booming moment of expansion.

I even wrote a book about how to make your own Plant Based Meats.

The world seems to have plenty of beefy burgers and tacos, so industry has turned its attention to seafoods, like this “Tuna” that I made into tasty summer rolls here.

In that post, I looked into the coming wave of mock fish and seafood on your grocery store’s shelves. But it got me to thinking about the plant-based, home-style ways of making mock fish.

Jackfruit to the Rescue

The typical restaurant crab cake is an exercise in stretching a little crab with a lot of breadcrumbs, so it’s an ideal candidate for a homemade fake. The popularity of jackfruit in mock-meat dishes has to do with the fibrous texture and mild flavor of the unripe fruit, which also lends itself to a fish-like mouthfeel. Because it’s a cake, you can season the mixture to amp up the fish-y flavors, so I added minced nori seaweed. Old Bay is the classic fake-out, loading on the celery seed and spices we associate with seafood. A little white miso and nutritional yeast for umami, and you can see where we are heading.

I know that people want short ingredient lists, but when you are building a fish from plants, you need a few tools from the toolbox. Once the jackfruit is coarsely chopped and blended with crushed tofu and seasonings, you can always store it in the refrigerator overnight and form the cakes the next day, to spread the labor out over two days.

Jackfruit Plus Aquafaba Aioli for a Plant Based Winner

Of course, a fish cake is not complete without a tasty dipping sauce. I love this version of aquafaba mayo, which has a little more body from the addition of raw cashews.

(Click here for aquafaba info)

Make sure to follow the instructions and blend it for 4 minutes to aerate the aquafaba before slooooowly drizzling in the oil. You are creating an emulsion that will actually hold for a day or two in the refrigerator, from bean juice, nuts, and oil, and it takes a little finesse.

I baked the cakes for a crunchy coating without all the oil of frying. These days I’m just not that into splattering oil on my stovetop, and who needs the extra fat, anyway? I’d rather enjoy the lush fats in the creamy sauce, thank you very much.

For a plant-based, tasty appetizer that reminds you of crab, try these cakes. The crabs were left to their own devices, while we feasted on jackfruit in our nostalgic finger-food.

All is well with the World!