Charred Spiral-Cut Pineapple with Maple Syrup

Method

Prepare the pineapple

1. Cut the top and base from the pineapple, then stand it upright on the chopping board.
2. Slice away the skin as thinly as possible. You should now be able to see the dark eyes running diagonally around the fruit.
3. Follow the spiral formed by the eyes, cutting a narrow V-shaped channel along each line with a thin, sharp knife. Work around the pineapple until all the eyes have been removed.
4. Cut the pineapple lengthways into quarters, then remove the hard core from each piece. Freeze the cores to use in juices later.
5. For help with the technique, watch this spiral-cut pineapple video.

Set up your Charlie Oven

1. Light about half a football’s worth of good-quality lumpwood charcoal and bring the Charlie Oven to 200 to 210°C (390 to 410°F).
2. Place a cooking grate on a low shelf, close to the charcoal. The strong heat here will caramelise the pineapple and give it a dark, sticky crust.

Char the pineapple

1. Put the pineapple quarters cut-side down on the lower cooking grate.
2. Leave them in place until deeply caramelised. The pineapple will stick to the grate at first, so resist the urge to move it. Once a good crust has formed, it should release easily.
3. Turn the pineapple and caramelise the other cut side.
4. If you like pineapple juicy and with a little bite, remove it from the oven at this stage.

For softer pineapple

1. Move the caramelised pineapple to a cooking grate in the upper part of the Charlie Oven. Continue roasting until the centre is as soft as you like.
2. For gentler heat, slide the Flat-bed Plancha onto a shelf between the pineapple and the charcoal.

Serve

1. Serve each pineapple quarter whole or cut it into thin slices. Drizzle over the maple syrup and add vanilla ice cream or sorbet.