Roast Pineapple

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper or 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly smashed
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water, plus 1/2 cup cold water
• Juice of 1 lime, plus zest of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons Demerara sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• Coconut ice cream or sorbet, for serving

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off and discard exterior of pineapple, as well as any remaining brown spots. Core fruit; discard core. Cut fruit into one-inch cubes. Place pineapple in a large mixing bowl.

Make Sichuan Pepper Syrup:
Bring Sichuan pepper, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, lime juice and half of lime zest to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to help sugar dissolve. Cook mixture until reduced a tiny bit, 1-2 minutes. Let mixture steep, off heat, 5-10 minutes.

Pour Sichuan pepper syrup over pineapple chunks, tossing gently to coat. Spread pineapple out in one layer on a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Pour any syrup remaining in bowl over pineapple. Roast pineapple in oven, shaking pan occasionally, 20 minutes. Transfer pineapple and any accumulated juices back to bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, Make Lime-Rum Syrup:
Bring ½ cup cold water, remaining granulated sugar, Demerara sugar, remaining lime zest and vanilla seeds, to a boil in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in rum.

To Serve:
Place a scoop or two of coconut ice cream or sorbet in a bowl, then top with roasted pineapple and a drizzle of boozy syrup.