Cooking instructions

SERVES 2

1. First prepare the pineapple. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top and base, then cut the pineapple into 8 long wedges. Cut along the inside edge of the wedges to remove the core. Slice between the flesh and the skin as you would a piece of melon but leave the last 2cm of skin attached.
2. Heat a griddle pan. Place the pineapple wedges in the hot pan, pushing the fruit against the griddle bars to help it colour. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until marked. Sprinkle over a little caster sugar 1 minute before the end of cooking to glaze the fruit.
3. To make the caramel, tip the 4 tablespoons of caster sugar, the vanilla seeds and five-spice powder into a heavy-based frying pan and cook over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and is turning a dark golden brown. Remove from the heat, add the butter and 2 tablespoons of the cream. Shake the pan to melt the butter, whisk to combine, then add the remaining cream.
4. To serve, drizzle the caramel sauce over the pineapple wedges and serve immediately.

HOW TO GRIDDLE

Whenever you use a griddle pan, always press down hard what you are cooking and hold it there for a few seconds. This will help achieve those characteristic scorch lines, which not only look attractive but mean more flavour.