Sound a little strange? This is possibly the strangest and most interesting dessert I've ever made. Alex and I found in next to a recipe for Wasabi Salmon (which we also made) in the March edition of Bon Appetit magazine. My mom collects these magazines by the dozens. While they're beautiful, I rarely resurrect their glossy pages in my own kitchen. This recipe stood out- for one it involved a barbeque (thank god it is finally barbeque season) and it had unusual flavors like honey, mint and pistachio. I'm pretty creative but I would never think to combine these flavors.
Thanks to Bon Appetit we did and this dessert came out absolutely amazing! We even added our own flare by tossing in some dried cranberries. The deliciousness of each flavor enticed us back for "Oh just a little more mint" and "Just one more dollup of yogurt." Needless to say there weren't many left overs for the dessert that was meant to feed 4.
Barbequed Pineapple with Mint, Pistachios and Cranberry
1 medium ripe pineapple
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup creme fraiche, yogurt or ice cream
1/2 cup unsalted pistachios coarsely chopped
1 package dices mint leaves
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Peel, core and cut the pineapple into wedges (as shown in top picture). Stir the brown sugar, orange juice and honey together in a bowl until they dissolve together. Coat the pineapple in mixture and let marinate for 10 minutes. Place the pineapple on barbeque and brown on each side, flipping often until tender and the sugar caramelized. Let the pineapple cool slightly then plate 2 to 4 wedges with a dollop (or two) of the creme fraiche/yogurt/ice cream. Garnish with a scatter of pistachios, cranberries and mint leaves. Enjoy!
Variation: If you don't have a barbeque or are not in a barbeque mood, you can BAKE the pineapple. Simply heat the oven to 450 degrees, line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and proceed with all the directions on top. Roast the pineapple in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn, brush with marinade and rest again until tender and caramelized (another 8 minutes or so). Garnish and enjoy!
