Recipes / Dessert
Braaied pineapple with cinnamon sugar
Fresh pineapple wedges brushed with butter and cinnamon sugar, grilled over medium coals until caramelised. Serve with vanilla ice cream or Amarula cream.
- Coals
- Medium coals
- Prep
- 15 min
- On the fire
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe pineapple, about 1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
- 45 g (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 50 g (3 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch fine salt
To serve
- 750 ml (3 cups) vanilla ice cream, about 6 scoops
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) Amarula cream liqueur, optional (substitute: Irish cream liqueur, coconut cream liqueur, or vanilla custard for a non-alcoholic option); about 30 ml (2 tablespoons) per person
Method
- Cut the crown and base off the pineapple. Stand it upright and cut away the skin and eyes. Quarter it lengthways and cut out the tough central core from each quarter.
- Cut each quarter in half lengthways to give 8 wedges. Six people get one large wedge each; keep two as extras.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Build a two-zone fire: pile most of the coals on one side and leave a thin layer on the other. Wait until the coals are covered in grey-white ash before you start cooking.
- Brush all sides of each wedge with melted butter. Coat the wedges in the cinnamon sugar immediately before placing them on the grid; do not coat them in advance or the sugar will draw out juice and turn wet.
- Place the wedges over the medium coals. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning two or three times, for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.
- If the sugar darkens too fast before the flesh is tender, move the wedges to the cooler zone and let them finish over indirect heat.
- Lift the wedges off the grid and serve straight away with a scoop of ice cream, a pour of Amarula, or both. Add Amarula after cooking and away from the fire.
Done when: the surface shows dark golden grill marks and patches of glossy, bubbling caramel, the flesh yields slightly when pressed with tongs, and the centre of the thickest part reads 60 to 70°C (140 to 158°F) on a thermometer.
Tips
- Use a ripe pineapple. An underripe one has less natural sugar and will not caramelise as well.
- Keep wedges at least 3 cm (1 inch) thick. Thinner pieces dry out before the surface caramelises.
- Apply the cinnamon sugar just before the wedges go on the grid. Coating them early makes the sugar wet and it slides off.
- Butter dripping onto coals causes flare-ups. Move wedges to the cooler zone if flames appear and wait for them to die before moving back.
- Amarula is a South African cream liqueur made from marula fruit. Do not serve portions containing alcohol to children or guests avoiding alcohol.
- Canned pineapple rings or spears work if fresh is unavailable. Drain and pat them very dry, and reduce the cooking time to 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Braaied fruit has a place at the South African braai table alongside the meat, and pineapple suits the fire particularly well. Its natural acidity softens as the surface browns, and the sugars caramelise into a sticky, fragrant crust. The method varies by household; some cooks add a pinch of chilli or a squeeze of lime, but butter and cinnamon sugar is the most common version.
Amarula cream, made from the marula fruit that grows across southern Africa, is a natural partner for warm caramelised fruit. For a simpler finish, a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting against the hot wedge works just as well. If you enjoy other braai desserts, see banana boats on the coals or malva pudding for more ideas.