Blowtorch Pineapple
From Bruce Denney
I love fresh pineapple but it is a bit plain and simple for that special meal, especially if you have guests.
Blowtorch Pineapple is bloke cooking, like having a barbecue.
This is not a difficult recipe, however, it is not really about the finished product, it is about getting to the finished product.
There are two really cool things about this recipe first, is the unconventionality, the roar of the blowtorch, the second is the participatory aspect, everyone should be encouraged to do a bit.
The concept is dead simple, take some fresh pineapple, slice it up, put sugar on it and then melt the sugar with a blowtorch.
Now you can use one of those fancy little chef blowtorches, but, it doesn't have the same roar as a genuine plumbers torch.
I guess you need to be warned that heating sugar to high temperature and caramelising it is dangerous, it creates carcinogens (as does all burning of food).
This is not so much a recipe as a list of hints.
First of all don't burn the work tops work on the hob, or a chopping board or outdoors and use an old baking tray, the heat is pretty intense non stick ones will have their non stick peel off.
If you are using a real plumbers style blowtorch you may get huge yellow flames as you tilt it, to avoid this leave the blowtorch burning for a few minutes first, once it warms up it will not do it.
You need to move quickly, the sugar will suck the juice out of the pineapple and turn to liquid and never melt if you leave it too long or if the pineapple is really juicy. A quick dab with absorbent cloth, immediate application of sugar and blowtorch.
When blow torching you can either go in close get a really bitter extra caramel taste or back off and slowly melt to a light beige only just caramel.
Have plenty of spare in case you burn it too much.
The pineapple should be raw, fresh, the sugar should be a hard shiny shell like layer.
Doesn't need anything at all added to it, but if you must, coconut is an excellent addition, coconut liqueur, coconut milk/cream.
I have also done the same thing using apples and bananas, the bananas are rather good if you throw on some rum and then give it some heat and have a flambé.
Hope you like the food and have fun making it with your friends & partners.
Enjoy and adapt