Aloha, summer
Celebrate summer with the tropical flavour of pineapple. This versatile fruit is delicious fresh, and also lends a sweet-and-sour flavour to meat and salads.
Roast chicken with pineapple salsa
Serves 6 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 1½ hours
The fresh pineapple salsa complements the smoky garlic chicken perfectly. Buy a sage plant at the nursery and take it along on holiday so you can harvest fresh leaves while you cook.
You need
• 3 sprigs pineapple sage or thyme • ¼ cup garlic butter, softened
• 1 whole chicken
• ½ teaspoon each braai salt and paprika
• 1 can (330 ml) Fanta, pineapple flavour
• ½ pineapple, peeled, core removed and chopped
• ½ red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion • 1 ripe avocado, cut in blocks • 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved • juice of ½ lemon
• fresh coriander leaves
Here’s how
1 Strip the sage leaves off the sprigs. Rub the sage and garlic butter under the skin of the chicken. Work carefully so you don’t tear the skin. Also spread some butter in the abdominal cavity. Season the chicken with braai salt and paprika.
2 Prepare the coals in the kettle braai for the indirect cooking method: Scrape the coals to the sides and clear a space under the grid.
3 Pour a third of the Fanta into a drip tray and put it among the coals in the bottom of the kettle braai. Place the can on a solid surface. Lower the chicken over the open cooldrink can so the can fits inside the cavity. Carefully put the chicken with the upright can on the grid, directly above the drip tray. Cover the top of the chicken loosely with a big sheet of foil. Close the lid of the kettle braai. Braai the chicken for about 1½ hours or until it’s golden brown and cooked through.
4 Combine the rest of the ingredients to make the pineapple salsa. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
5 Remove the chicken from the grid and carefully remove the cooldrink can. Cut the chicken into portions and serve with the pineapple salsa and rice.
TIP You don’t have to cut off the top of the cooldrink can. The sharp edges are dangerous and it makes the can unstable – the Fanta will put out the fire if it falls over!
Pulled pork with pineapple
Serves 6 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 5 hours
Preparing pulled pork over the coals gives it extra flavour.
You need
• 1,5 kg pork shoulder (ask for a Boston butt)
• 1 tin (410 g) pineapple pieces, in syrup
• ½ cup chutney
• 1 tin (410 g) tomato smoor
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 chilli, chopped
• 1 teaspoon each paprika and coriander
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce • salt, to taste
• coleslaw, to serve
• 6 fresh bread rolls
Here’s how
1 Put the pork in a snug-fitting pot. Add the pineapple syrup (set the pieces aside), chutney, tomato smoor, garlic, chilli, spices and water. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove or over the coals. Lower the heat, put the lid on and simmer for 4 hours.
2 Remove the lid and add the pineapple pieces, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about an hour until the sauce has reduced and the meat is easy to flake.
3 Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside to cool down. Use two forks to pull the meat
apart. Taste the sauce and add salt if necessary. If you like a thicker sauce, let it simmer longer.
4 Return the flaked meat to the sauce. Serve with the coleslaw on the bread rolls. You can also add fresh mint – it complements the pineapple.
TIP Instead of tinned pineapple, you can also use fresh chopped pineapple. For the sauce, use brown sugar to taste in place of the pineapple syrup.
Hawaiian pizza over the coals
Makes 1 large pizza Preparation time 1 hour Cooking time 15 minutes
Should pineapple go on pizza? Definitely!
You need
• 3 cups flour
• ½ packet (5 g) instant yeast • ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oil, plus extra • 300 ml lukewarm water • olive oil
• 12 strips of parma ham or black forest ham
• 6 tinned pineapple rings • ¼ cup tomato smoor
• 300 g mozzarella, grated • sriracha sauce
Here’s how
1 Mix the flour, instant yeast, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the oil and water and mix until the dough is easy to handle. Knead the dough on a surface dusted with flour until soft and elastic.
2 Grease the inside of a mixing bowl with olive oil. Put the dough in the bowl and brush it with a little olive oil. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes.
3 Wrap the ham around the pineapple rings. Briefly braai the pineapple over the coals in a hinged grid or a pan to give it a nice colour. 4 Prepare the coals – if you can hold your hand over the grid for about 5 seconds then the coals are hot enough. Grease the grid with oil to prevent the dough from sticking to it.
5 Use a rolling pin and flatten the dough to form a big, thin rectangle. Grease a baking tray with oil and put the dough on it. Set the dough aside for 5 minutes to rise. Use the baking tray to transfer the dough onto the grid. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until the underside of the base is crisp. Carefully turn over the dough (you can use the baking tray again to make it easier) and spread the tomato smoor on the crisp side. Sprinkle over the cheese and add the pineapple rings.
6 Put a big lid (like from a braai pan or a wok) over the pizza on the grid. Put a few coals on the lid to cook the toppings. It will take about 7 – 10 minutes, but check regularly to make sure the pizza doesn’t burn. Remove the lid and use a spatula to remove the pizza from the grid. Drizzle with sriracha and serve.
TIP You can use store-bought dough to save time and effort.
Couscous salad with pineapple
Serves 4–6 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 5 minutes
Serve this salad hot or cold with braai meat, chicken or fish.
You need
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tin (410 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small pineapple, peeled and cut into blocks
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• handful of fresh coriander
• 1 preserved jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• ½ cup salted peanuts, chopped
Here’s how
1 Put the couscous in a container with a tight-fitting lid and pour over the boiling water. Cover with the lid and steam the couscous for 5 minutes.
2 Use a fork to fluff up the couscous. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Set the salad aside for a while to allow the flavours to develop.
TIP Add grilled chicken and feta to the salad if you want to serve it as a main course.
Upside-down carrot muffins
Makes 6 big muffins Preparation time 10 minutes Baking time 35 – 40 minutes
This teatime treat can also be served as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream or Greek yoghurt.
You need
• 6 tinned pineapple rings, in syrup • 2 extra-large eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 cup grated carrot
• ½ cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped, or any kind
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (optional)
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• pinch of salt
Here’s how
1 Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease a six-cup muffin pan with butter or cooking spray.
2 Put a pineapple ring at the bottom of each cup.
3 Beat the eggs, sugar, oil and yoghurt together until smooth. Add the carrot, nuts and ginger and mix. Add the self-raising flour and salt, but don’t overmix the batter. Spoon the batter on top of the pineapple rings in the muffin pan – fill the cups about three-quarters of the way.
4 Bake the muffins for 35 – 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean, the muffins are ready. Let the muffins cool down in the pan before you unmould them. If the pineapple rings slip off the muffins, just put them back in place.
TIP For a dessert, use a fork to prick holes in the muffins before you unmould them. Drizzle spoonfuls of pineapple syrup over the muffins and let it soak in. Add a dash of rum to the syrup for some kick.
Grilled pineapple with cinnamon butter sauce
Serves 6 Preparation time 25 minutes Cooking time 30 minutes
A slice of sweet pineapple is delicious on a hot summer’s day – and it tastes even better grilled!
You need
• 1 medium-sized pineapple, peeled
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • juice of 1 lime
• pinch of salt
• ice cream or Greek yoghurt
Here’s how
1 Cut the pineapple into slices of about 1 cm thick. Grease a clean braai grid with cooking spray and braai the pineapple slices for 2 – 3 minutes a side or until golden brown. Don’t add sugar or oil – the natural sugars will caramelise the pineapple.
2 Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, lime juice and salt in a pot and cook until the sugar has melted and the sauce thickens.
3 Drizzle the cinnamon butter sauce over the warm pineapple. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or Greek yoghurt.