Ann's savoury pineapple dish

“Simply the Best” Annabelle White and Kathy Paterson 1999 New Zealand

Hot Pineapple Dish

Serves 6 as an accompaniment to bbq pork sausages or grilled chicken

125g butter; 5 slices toasted bread; 432g can crushed pineapple; ½ cup sugar; 2 tblsp flour; pinch of salt; 2 eggs

Melt the butter in a large bowl and reserve. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into cubes about 2.5cm square. Add the bread cubes to the melted butter, turn gently and coat with butter.

Place the crushed pineapple, sugar, flour and salt in another bowl. Beat the eggs lightly and add to the pineapple mixture. Place the pineapple mix in a buttered 18-20cm ovenproof gratin dish. Spread the buttered bread cubes on top of the mix and bake at 180°C 30-40 minutes.

Moist Pineapple-Bread Dressing

It is supposed to be an accompaniment for roast meat, like a stuffing I guess, but tonight there were only sausages at Chez Ann.  I used a parmesan and onion batard from Coles bakery, left over from Friday’s pavlova dinner party. It had a bit more substance than ordinary white bread and while moist on the bottom was pleasingly crispy on top.  It would have been a good accompaniment to roast pork, but worked OK with the sausages.  Also a good way to use up stale bread and make the meat go further, Ann.

Moist Pineapple-Bread Dressing

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, drained, 285ml chicken stock (or water with chicken stock cubes), 60g butter, 1 cup chopped celery, ¼ chopped onion, salt and herbs to taste. 4 cups untrimmed soft bread cubes.

Combine chicken stock, butter and celery in saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in drained pineapple pieces, salt and herbs. Bring to boiling point. Remove from stove, lightly stir in bread cubes. Spoon into buttered baking pan in shallow layer. Bake in moderate oven (190°C) until crisp and brown (about 30 minutes). Serve with hot sliced poultry, pork or lamb. Add a cooked green vegetable.