LIVINGLIVING
Recipe from Robata by Silla Bjerrum, photographs by Keiko Oikawa. DRUNKEN PINEAPPLE by Silla Bjerrum, serves 4 Ingredients
- 1 ripe pineapple
- 125ml (½ cup) Sochu plum wine*
- 250ml (1 cup) Caribbean rum
- 4 tbsp honey (optional)
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 star anise
- 4 shiso leaves
Sake-Mirin Spray (see below)
*if unavailable, use vodka
MAKING CARBS COUNT
Method
1. Trim the pineapple, removing all outer
skin, then cut into quarters, remove the
core and place in a shallow container. Mix
all the other ingredients in a bowl, ensuring
the honey is dissolved in the liquid. Pour
over the pineapple and leave to marinate
in a cool place for up to 2 hours; if not fully
submerged, rotate it a few times during
the marinating.
2. About 20 minutes before the pineapple
is ready, start the robata grill (home
barbecue or your oven grill). If using the
robata for other dishes beforehand, make
sure you scrub the wire rack with a wire
brush so as not to get any meat or fish
flavours on to the pineapple.
3. Remove the pineapple from its
marinade and place it on the wire rack.
Grill for a few minutes on each of the three
sides, then rotate. When all pieces are
sealed, start basting the pineapple in the
leftover marinade. This dish will take up
to 20 minutes to cook to soft, repeatedly
re-basting with the marinade to build up
a golden caramelization. You will need
to work fast to ensure the fruit does not
burn - use sake-mirin spray to control any
flare-ups. Serve immediately on a shiso
leaf with a little of the leftover marinade.
Sake-Mirin spray
Says chef Silla Bjerrum, This is an oldschool classic, served to the Courts
across Europe through the centuries.
In this recipe it is given an Asian twist.
Bincho charcoal creates less dust than
conventional barbecue coals, and I like
to use a sake-mirin spray to control the
flames and add moisture and flavour to
the food, particularly to protein-based
dishes which have not been marinated.
It also builds up the sweetness and
crispiness of the food. I use a simple
recipe of 100ml each of cooking sake and
mirin, and 300ml water in a food spray
bottle.