Recipe: Pineapple Sticks with Sugar-Lime Sauce

Pineapple Sticks
with Sugar-Lime Sauce

Serves 4

Pineapple Sticks I grew up on a pineapple farm and, to us professionals, the dinky little disks you see in cans or in restaurants were for the birds! Pineapples come with their own, albeit rather prickly, handle. You just slice off the skin with a machete, hold the fruit by the top, and munch away. If we were being very civilized, the peeled pineapples would be cut into wedges like in the photograph. Perfect for cooking, juicing, or eating daintily with a knife and fork.

Sugar-Lime Sauce
Juice of 1 fresh lime (2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Whipped Coconut Cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons canned coconut cream (optional)

Pineapple Sticks
1 pineapple, peeled and quartered lengthwise
(remove the prickly eyes with
the point of a knife)

8 metal kabob skewers

To make the sauce, put the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves.

To make the Coconut Cream, beat the cream with the confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form, then fold in the coconut cream, if using.

Cut the pineapple quarters into 2-3 wedges lengthwise. If preferred, slice off the core sections, then cut each wedge into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Thread long metal skewers through each wedge and brush with the lime mixture.

Light an outdoor grill or preheat a broiler. Grill or broil until the fruit is tinged dark brown. Serve drizzled with any leftover sauce, accompanied by the whipped coconut cream.

Buy the Book!

Sticks & Skewers
By Elsa Petersen-Schepelern
Time Life Books
Hardback, $15.95
Color photos throughout
ISBN: 0-7370-2034-2
Recipe reprinted by permission.