One of the fruits that you see a lot of in Spain is Pineapple and there is nothing better than cutting it up and eating without anything on it! There are various ways to cut a Pineapple, depending on who you talk to, but I have always found the simplest way is to do it as a whole.
Cut the top and the bottom off straight, then cut the outer skin (usually green in colour) from the top to the bottom in a curved action with a sharp knife. Cut the Pineapple in half and half again, then cut the core out just like you would with an apple. The Pineapple can then be cut in half again and then into chunks, the size of your choosing. It will be very juicy, so make sure you do the operation in the middle of the chopping board. Below are a few recipes with Pineapple including my favourite Pizza Hawaiian and the famous Upside Down Cake.
Buen Apetito
Sweet and Sour Chicken
½ small pineapple
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp cornflour
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely diagonally sliced
For the sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
300ml/10fl oz fresh pineapple juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25g/1oz piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 pinch dried chilli flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the sauce, put the cornflour in a small bowl and stir in two tablespoons of the pineapple juice until smooth. Put the remaining pineapple juice in a separate bowl and stir in the garlic, ginger, soy, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and chilli flakes until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Put the pineapple on a board and cut off the skin. Quarter lengthways and remove the tough central core. Cut the pineapple into thick slices and set aside. Cut each chicken breast into 7-9 even pieces. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and stir-fry the onion and peppers for three minutes over a high heat. Coat the chicken in the cornflour and add to the pan. Stir-fry for four minutes until very lightly coloured on all sides. Add the pineapple and sweet and sour sauce to the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until the chicken is cooked through and the pineapple is hot. Stir in the cornflour and pineapple solution mixture and cook for 30-60 seconds until the sauce is thickened and glossy, turning the chicken and vegetables until nicely coated. Sprinkle with sliced spring onions and serve hot.
Pineapple Upside Down cake
175g/6oz golden syrup
325g/12oz butter, softened
1 x 1.5kg/3lb 4oz medium pineapple, peeled, cut into 7x8cm/2.5-3in diameter, 1cm thick cored rings, remainder reserved (about 175g/6oz)
275g/10oz caster sugar
5 free-range eggs
275g/10oz self-raising flour
For the cake, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line the sides and bottom of a 26cm/10in cake tin with greaseproof paper, making sure there is no gap for the syrup to leak through. Place onto a shallow baking sheet. Heat the golden syrup and 50g/2oz of the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat until melted. Pour into the bottom of the cake tin. Place the pineapple rings on top, pressing 6 around the outside and 1 in the centre. Finely chop the remaining pineapple and set aside. Beat the sugar and the remaining butter together in a bowl and until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each egg. Fold in the flour. Stir in the chopped pineapple until well combined. Spoon the cake mixture over the pineapple rings in the tin and tap to settle the mixture. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a large plate and peel off the greaseproof paper.
Pineapple Rice Pudding
142ml/5fl oz double cream
200ml/8fl oz whole milk
200 g/7oz long grain rice
½ pineapple, peeled and chopped
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
To serve
5g/½oz butter
4 slices pineapple
Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat and once boiling add the rice. Simmer for five minutes over a low heat. Add the pineapple and cardamom to the saucepan and simmer gently for ten minutes, adding extra milk to keep the rice covered in liquid if necessary. Add the brown sugar and continue cooking, stirring continuously for a further five minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the pineapple and gently fry the slices for three minutes on each side, or until golden brown. To serve, spoon the rice pudding into two bowls and place two fried pineapple slices on the top of each.
Ham and Pineapple Pizza
Refrigerated baked pizza dough (“12-inch”) or 1 pizza base
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup pizza sauce or make your own
2 cups chopped smoked ham
1 x (20 oz) can pineapple, well drained, or fresh pineapple
1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brush pizza crust with olive oil and spread pizza sauce evenly over crust. You can buy this in a jar or make your own with garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, a dash of Worcester sauce, salt and pepper. Top sauce evenly with ham and pineapple; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is lightly browned
Pork and Pineapple Skewers
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1¼lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1″ chunks
½ medium pineapple, cut into 1″ chunks
1 red onion, cut into 1″ chunks
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
¼ cup honey
Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Just before serving, fold in the coriander. Meanwhile, heat oven or BBQ. Thread the pork, pineapple, onion, and tomatoes onto the skewers. Season with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Place the skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet or over the BBQ, turning once and brushing occasionally with the honey, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the rice.