Caramel Pineapple with Pink Peppercorns
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
The first time I visited Hawaii we stayed in a friend’s house on the big island. Outside our bedroom window was a tall papaya tree. On a dare my boyfriend tried to climb to the top of that tree and pick a large pink and orange papaya. He never got more than halfway up so we ended up knocking it out of the tree with a big pole. It was sweet and juicy, and we got a couple meals out of that one fruit. I remember seeing someone at the beach climb up into a coconut tree with a machete in his belt and hack down a couple of coconuts. There was plenty of pineapple too, but it was in the form of chunks or slices on or in almost everything I ate—as a garnish, in a sandwich, or on the side of a glass and I happily ate every piece I was served. I don’t remember seeing any pineapple trees growing anywhere though, and after doing a bit of research recently I discovered that pineapple is not native to Hawaii but to South America. But pineapple makes me think of Hawaii. Every time I eat it, I am reminded of those balmy islands in the Pacific. Like many of us I missed going to Hawaii this year and can’t wait to return; until I do, I’ll make the following dessert and dream of Hawaii.
Note: Rather than a spicy hot flavor, the pink peppercorns give this dish a slightly warm and floral taste. But don’t put in too many or the flavor will overpower the pineapple.
Adapted from Claudia Fleming’s book “The Last Course”
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 fresh pineapple, skinned, cored, and sliced into 8 pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons dark rum
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 375°
Directions:
Top, skin, and core the pineapple. Lay it on its side, slice into 8 circles, and core. Gently slice the vanilla pod, peel the skin back and scrape the pulp into a small ramekin.
To a medium oven-proof pan add sugar, corn syrup and ¼ cup of water, increase the heat to medium high. Stir only at the beginning to combine; then leave alone until you get a copper caramel color. The sugar starts to melt and bubble slowly but once the sauce starts to color, it darkens quickly. As it starts to color, swirl, and turn the pan over the heat. When it’s the color of copper pull it from the heat (after about 8 minutes). Add the pineapple, the vanilla bean, pulp, and bay leaf. Put into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning the pineapple after 15 minutes.
You can let the fruit cool in the pan and make the sauce just before serving. When you are ready to make the sauce, take the pineapple out and let it sit on a platter. Warm the sauce over medium heat and add the butter, rum, peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Once the butter has melted pour over the pineapple and serve. The pineapple is delicious with coconut ice cream.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander