Dragon-skin pears

Adapted from Amy Magill's contribution in Chotsie Blank & Ann Seymour’s 1982 “California Artists Cook Book”

Serves 4 to 8

Approx 3 cups assorted fresh, canned or candied fruit ie pineapple, papaya, mandarin, lychees, kumquats, candied ginger cut in 1.5cm chunks or cubes; 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice; 1 cup sugar; 2 tblspn Grand Marnier or other fruit liqueur (optional); ¼ tsp five-spice powder (optional); 4 barely ripe pears, with attractive skin markings; ½ cup brandy, heated

Spear the fruit chunks or cubes onto 24 toothpicks, alternating colours and flavours and making them look as attractive as possible. Set aside.

Stir the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, boil 2 minutes, and reduce the heat to very low. Stir in the optional liqueur and five-spice powder and any syrups from canned fruits you have used.

Cut the pears in half and core them. Slide them into the simmering syrup, raise the heat slightly, and poach 3 to 10 minutes. The time will depend on the ripeness of the pears. They should be poached til tender but not mushy. Transfer the pears, skin up, to a warm platter, stick 3 of the toothpicks in each half.

Ignite the heated brandy and pour over the pears. The effect should be a cluster of flaming jewels.

Illuminated Pineapple

Super Natural Cookery: Recipes for Vegetarian Gourmets, Written by Jim Corlett, Illustrations by Dave Colin New Zealand 1978

Les Doigts d’Ananas aux Doigts

“These are, if you want it in English, fingers of pineapple eaten with the fingers. Simply cut the pineapple from top to bottom 8-12 times to make long sections – as shown below.

Serve with a candle in the top, and congratulate yourself on having avoided the messy cutting off of the rind. Besides, it’s perfectly correct as it is perfectly Hawaiian” Jim Corlett.

Flaming Pineapple  

If you have the patience, you can peel the pineapple, and then cut it into cubes. Sprinkle on a bit of raw dark brown sugar, or spread on one of the more exotic honeys, such as cactus or citrus blossom. Grill for a moment until the pineapple is thoroughly warmed and the sweetener melted in. Remove from heat and garnish with ‘roses’ made from whipped double cream piped on with a pastry tube. If your views on alcohol will allow you to use a bit in cooking, pour a brandy over the cubes, and set on fire at serving time.

We tossed some freshly picked blueberries on top of the cream and the flavours were wonderful!

For all the fun, and pure pineapple, merely soak the leaves in brandy, and fire them. Spectacular in a dark room for a party.

 

Just to be safe we put our pineapple outside on a rock. Les sliced the top leaves off and dried then in a slow oven before soaking in alcohol. We pegged the leaves back on with a toothpick. It really was spectacular and the pineapple remained totally unharmed and edible! Anne

Flambe that pineapple!

Look'n Cook: A complete cook’s encyclopaedia with step-by-step guides to creative cooking in 60 weekly parts, London 1978
Look‘n Cook No 43  

Flamed Pineapple Meringue

2 whole eggs; 6 egg yolks; ¾ cup icing sugar; 1 cup + 2 tblspns flour, sieved; 1 cup pineapple juice; 3 cupos milk; 1 tspn vanilla essence; 10 slices pineapple; 50g butter, softened; 150ml white rum

For the meringue: 4 egg whites; ¾ cup icing sugar

1 In a mixing bowl, blend together the whole eggs, egg yolks and icing sugar. Whisk well, then mix in the flour. Stir in the pineapple juice.

2 Heat the milk in a heavy saucepan and, when boiling, pour it over the egg and pineapple mixture, stirring all the time. Add the vanilla essence and pour back into the saucepan.

3 Return the pan to the heat and boil for several minutes, stirring continuously, until it thickens. Then remove from the heat.

4 Cut 2 of the pineapple slices into cubes and mix into the crème patissiere. Then stir in the butter and 50ml of the rum.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C.

6 Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, beating all the time until stiff and shiny.

7 Spread the crème patissiere over the base of an ovenproof dish. Arrange the remaining pineapple slices on top and then cover with the meringue. Place in the oven and bake until the meringue is cooked and golden.

8 Just before serving, heat the rest of the rum in a small saucepan. Pour it over the meringue, set it alight, and serve the flaming dish to your guests.

Serves 8

"Tip: There are a number of variations on this dish. You can substitute brandy or another spirit for rum and can even use alternative fruits for the filling."

Note: The fire extinguisher was close at hand!