ROASTED PINEAPPLE

750g (1lb 10oz) pineapple flesh cut into 1cm pieces.
110g (3½oz) caster sugar
½ lime, juice only
Ingredients: dried pineapple slices
8 pineapple slices, very thin
¼ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp caster sugar
> Ingredients: caramel sauce
700g (7oz) sugar
50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter
Trimmings from the pineapple
30ml (1fl oz dark rum)
Ingredients: roast pineapple
1 large pineapple, peeled and eyes removed.
Reserve trimmings.
200g (7oz) caster sugar
2 limes, zest only
1 lemon, zest only
1 orange, zest only
150g (5½oz) vanilla puree
10 mint leaves, roughly chopped

For the pineapple sorbet, put all the ingredients in a bowl and leave for 30 minutes. Purée in a blender or food processor and then transfer to an ice cream machine. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Reserve in the freezer until needed.

For the dried pineapple slices, Slice eight rounds of pineapple from the base, no thicker than 1mm and reserve for the dried pineapple slices. Preheat the oven to 100C/220F/Gas ¼.Place the reserved slices of pineapple into a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice. In a small pan, bring 100ml/3½fl oz of water and the sugar to a boil, remove from the heat, leave until slightly cooled and pour the liquid over the pineapple slices. Leave until completely cool. Drain the syrup from the pineapple slices and place then next to one another on two non-stick trays. Place both trays in the preheated oven and dry slowly for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the pineapples have dried completely. Check occasionally to make sure they do not darken. Remove the trays from the oven and, while still hot, use a palette knife to slide the pineapple slices off the trays. Leave to cool, place in an airtight container, cover and reserve.

For the caramel sauce, in a small saucepan on a medium heat, melt the caster sugar and cook to a golden-brown caramel. Add the butter and trimmings from the pineapple, add 200ml/7fl oz of water and the rum and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Reserve.

For the roast pineapple, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Mix together the sugar and citrus zests on a tray. Brush the prepared pineapple with the vanilla purée and roll in the citrus sugar. Reserve the remaining citrus sugar. Place upright in a small ovenproof frying pan and pour over the caramel sauce. Roast in the oven for two hours, basting with the caramel sauce every 15 minutes. To finish, mix the chopped mint and the remaining citrus sugar and roll the roasted pineapple in this. Leave to cool slightly before carving. To serve, cut the pineapple in half and portion into eight equal pieces. Place a piece of roast pineapple to the left of each of eight plates and garnish with the sorbet and dried slices and scatter with any remaining citrus sugar.