Pineapple was a favorite of mine as a kid. Identical yellow rings from a cold can. Perfect circles of exotic sweetness. I remember the first time I had a fresh pineapple I was surprised at how amazing they could be. I am still a fan of pineapple, but this recipe for roasted pineapple with pink peppercorns is about as far as you can get from those perfect canned slices.
I love dessert recipes that get you thinking about familiar ingredients in new ways . Claudia Fleming recommends transforming slices of fresh pineapple by roasting them in caramel sauce infused with vanilla bean, bay leaf and pink peppercorns. The finished dessert is incredibly complicated and rich. The sweetness of the caramelized pineapple is countered with the spice of a few pink peppercorns. I followed her suggestion and served the pineapple with some black pepper ice cream to smooth out the finish of the plate.
Truth be told, I think the amount of pepper in this will be too much for some people. I think the pineapple would be equally delicious with vanilla ice cream or some whipped creme fraiche. I also found that I liked the addition of cold fresh pineapple to the already caramelized fruit and imagine that pineapple sorbet could be a really amazing accompaniment. Any way you plate this you’ll enjoy it. And for something so impressive looking, it is very easy to prepare.
Roasted Pineapple with Pink Peppercorns (another Claudia Fleming wonder)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 rings
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 2 teaspoons pink peppercorns
Preheat oven to 375° F. Place 1/3 cup water in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over low heat. Add the sugar and the corn syrup and increase heat to high. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is a amber brown color, about 7 minutes. Add the pineapple, vanilla pod and seeds, and bay leaf. Bake for 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until pineapple is tender and translucent.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the pineapple to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. To prepare the sauce, whisk the butter, rum, pink peppercorns and salt into the hot pan juices until smooth. Return the pineapple to pan to heat and serve with sauce spooned over the top.
Whitney says:
May 5th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
The peppercorns almost look like Pom seeds. What an intriguing dessert idea…
Mara @ What's For Dinner? says:
May 6th, 2009 at 7:59 am
I tend to like anything with pineapple, and this really looks amazing. It’s reminiscent of dishes I ate in Hawaii!
unconfidentialcook.com says:
May 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am
I’m just crazy about pink peppercorns…ever since I made a “buratta sundae.” They’re gorgeous and delicious.
Jen says:
May 6th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
May I dive into that 3rd photo? I like your suggestion for a whipped creme fraiche pairing…With this recipe I may finally break the seal of my pink peppercorn jar.
laura says:
May 6th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
I just can’t get over how gorgeous that ice cream is!
Tim says:
May 6th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Pink peppercorns are so nice here. I think a very good reason to open the jar!
thecatskillkiwi says:
May 7th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Never enough uses of pink peppercorns. GO PINK!
Hayley says:
May 7th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
This look beautiful Tim. I love pineapple, but have only ever enjoyed it freshly sliced. Thanks for the great ideas, I might just have to try a pineapple ice cream of sorts.
thepinkpeppercorn says:
May 9th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Ooooh I can’t help but LOVE this!!!!!!!! ;)
Julie says:
May 11th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Yep, Claudia Fleming’s recipes are awesome. I’ve been buying different types of peppercorns–I’ll put them in just about anything. The pink ones are so pretty with the pineapple.