This splendidly zingy January pudding is ridiculously easy, delicious, and healthy - to a degree
Pineapple carpaccio
A ridiculously easy pudding and palette cleanser that also happens to make great breakfast leftovers. What-is-more, the lime syrup can be used to flavour cakes and as a fruit salad dressing, so it is worth making up a large batch and keeping it in the fridge.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1.5 cup cold water
1 cup caster sugar
1 lime
2 large pineapples
250g mascarpone
170ml double cream
30g icing sugar
Method:
Place the water and sugar in a wide, flat-bottomed pan and bring to the boil. Try to avoid stiring the mixture because this can cause the sugar to crystallize. If you need to, swirl the pan every so often to help evenly disperse the sugar.
When all the sugar has fully dissolved turn the heat down and leave until the syrup has reduced by nearly half and is amber in colour.
Pour the syrup into a jug and allow to cool. When it has reached room temperature grate in the zest and pour in the juice of your whole lime. Stir and leave to one side.
Top and tail the first pineapple, stand on it’s now flat base and carefully slice off the skin. At this point I would recommend halving the pineapple, horizontally, making it easier to handle. Using a sharp knife remove the core from each half and then slice to create wafer-thin slices. Arrange the slices on a flat-bottomed serving plate-to stop the syrup pooling in the centre-and repeat with the second pineapple. Pour the lime syrup over your pineapple slices, cover the plate and leave in the fridge until you are ready to eat.
Just before serving, beat the mascarpone with a fork until smooth. Add in the double cream, seive in the icing sugar and continue beating-there is no need for an electric whisk-until everything is combined. Transfer the now sweetened cream into a pretty serving bowl and place alongside the carpaccio.
