Chosen Bites: Vanilla and rum roasted pineapple

There's nothing more fragrant and enticing than roasted pineapple.

By LAURA FRANKEL
Vanilla and rum roasted pineapple (photo credit: Laura Frankel)
Vanilla and rum roasted pineapple
(photo credit: Laura Frankel)
I am sort of iffy on pineapple, except when it is bathed and basted in dark rum and vanilla. Roasted pineapple gives off its juices which are thick and perfumed with pineapple essence and a pureed banana. This simple and exotic treat makes a delicious dessert for a meat or dairy meal. Save the juices and drizzle on ice cream or pound cake.
Serves 61 ripe* pineapple1 vanilla bean, scraped, reserve seeds and bean6 ¼-inch thick slices of peeled ginger1 ripe banana, peeled and pureed¼ cup dark rum1 ½ cups pineapple juice¼ cup waterPinch of chili flakes (optional)
1. Cut off the ends of the pineapple and peel down the skin with a sharp knife. Cut out as many “eyes” (indentations) as possible.
2. Core the pineapple with a sharp knife or apple corer. Poke several holes in the pineapple and push cut segments of the vanilla bean into the holes.
3. Place the pineapple in a shallow casserole pan. Whisk the remaining ingredients together and baste the pineapple. Bake the pineapple, covered with foil, and baste every 15 minutes for 1 hour.
4. Slice and serve with pan juices and vanilla ice cream or sorbet.
*A ripe pineapple will smell sweet and perfumed. A pineapple that is under ripe will have no fragrance at all. A ripe pineapple will be slightly yielding when gently pressed. To ripen a pineapple-leave at room temperature for a few days. Pulling a leaf out of a pineapple and testing the ease at which the leaf comes out as a sign of ripeness is a myth.