Benjamina Ebuehi’s roast pineapple with coconut brittle

I always felt a bit cheated as a child when I asked what was for dessert and Mum responded by offering whatever was left in the fruit bowl. Now, I’m quite fond of a fruity pudding – as long as there’s been some sort of transformation, be it poaching, macerating or, as I’ve done here, roasting. Growing up, pineapple was one of the only fruits I was excited to eat, and it remains a favourite. This version gets nicely caramelised and sticky in the oven while the coconut brittle brings a pleasing, buttery crunch.

Roast pineapple with coconut brittle

Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 8

1 large pineapple
40g brown sugar
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
20g salted butter, cut into small pieces
Cream, to serve
1 lime, zested, to serve

For the coconut brittle
200g caster sugar
40g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
70g coconut flakes
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of flaky sea salt

To make the brittle, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup and 40ml water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to a boil and cook on a moderately high heat until the mixture turns pale amber.

Pour in the coconut flakes and stir quickly to combine. Mix in the bicarb then immediately pour the brittle on to the lined tray (it will be very hot, so be careful). Top with a little flaky sea salt and let it cool completely until hardened.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Chop both ends off the pineapple, then stand it upright and slice off the skin, going back in again carefully to cut out the ‘“eyes”. Cut the pineapple into eight spears, slice the woody core off each wedge, then transfer to a baking dish. Top with the sugar and spices, toss to coat, then dot the top with the butter.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, basting halfway, until the fruit is syrupy and lightly browned. Leave to cool a little, then serve topped with chunks of coconut brittle, a pour of cream and grated lime zest.

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