Roasting Pineapple

Have you ever roasted a pineapple?

I needed to make a "welcome to the neighborhood" pie for new neighbors. The new family suggested pineapple pie. So after a bit of research, I decided to make a roasted pineapple tart. Here is a photo of the finished tart. Please pardon the poor image quality. I was having trouble with my flash.


As banal as this sounds, eating roasted pineapple is stunningly delicious. Roasting fresh pineapple results in succulent fruit that is less sweet than canned pineapple, but with more concentrated flavor and a heady, luscious aroma.

And it is surprisingly easy. First, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Mix a sugar syrup of 1 2/3 cup sugar and ½ cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from 2 vanilla beans. If you don't have vanilla beans you can substitute an equivalent amount of vanilla extract.

Boil your sugar syrup until it is an amber color, swirling the pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup water (syrup will bubble, see photo below), then ¼ cup dark rum. Stir over very low heat for 2-3 minutes. Let syrup cool for 15 minutes.



Cut the skin off the pineapple. Place it in a roasting vessel.


I used a 9x9 square glass baking dish. Pour your syrup over the fruit and turn pineapple to coat.


Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Baste often with sauce. Normally I hate basting (I don't even baste my Thanksgiving turkey.) and I basted this every fifteen minutes.

The fruity scent fills your kitchen and your senses with aromas that are so good they border on debauchery, so you'll be lingering around your oven anyway. Basting won't be a hardship.

Slice your roasted pineapple crosswise as thickly or as thinly as you desire. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself standing over your kitchen counter devouring the pieces of supple pineapple flesh and shivering with delight.