Grilled Fruit For Summer

We’ve spotted some nice grilled fruit recipes lately. One included the nice tip of using long natual cinnamon sticks a skewers… another including cubes of pound cake along with the fruit on kebabs. But here’s a simple and elegant pinapple trick that’s sure to please from a new book called “Sizzle.”

Grilled Pineapple

The sight of grilled pineapple with a caramelized glaze makes me think of summer, no matter what time of year it is. But sugary fruits make a right mess of the barbecue hot plate (griddle). Fortunately, the mess is easily removed with water. Squirt plenty of water on the plate while it is still hot, scrape it clean, wipe with an old towel and it’ll be just like new.

Serves 4-8

1 firm but ripe pineapple, peeled, cut into thick rounds, then into quarters
1/2 – 1 cup brown sugar
Vanilla ice cream for serving
Bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

Thread pineapple pieces onto bamboo skewers. (Threading pineapple onto bamboo skewers is easier if you pierce the pieces with a metal skewer first.)

Put brown sugar on a large plate and turn skewers in it to coat. Cook over medium heat on a barbecue hot plate (cast-iron griddle) until lightly browned (the hot plate should be clean but not oiled – the juice will soon run out of the pineapple as it heats). Transfer to a plate and serve with ice cream.

Alternatively, cut the pineapple into eighths, coat in sugar, then cook on a barbecue hot plate.

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Recipes from SIZZLE: Sensational Barbecue Food by Julie Biuso
(Julie Biuso Publications, April 2008, $19.95/softcover)