The pineapple, as food historians love to tell us, is a symbol of hospitality, frequently replicated on fences and furniture in antique homes.
But in an act of reverse hospitality, friends arrived at a weekend rendezvous not long ago with a pair of fresh pineapples in hand and an expectation that they would be eaten.
Doing a pineapple dessert was a piece of cake–upside-down cake. There’s a delicious version in “Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book,” and I had the book at hand. I used the second pineapple to create the savory dish that precedes it. It may be prepared with processed pineapple: less work but also less flavor.
HALIBUT WITH PINEAPPLE CURRY SAUCE
Four servings
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion (4 ounces), sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup Tomato Vignette* or 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 medium tomato (8 ounces), cut in half, seeded and sliced thin
1 cup coarsely chopped pineapple
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 halibut steaks (3/4 pound each)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
* Produced by Consorzio and sold in specialty markets and some supermarkets.
1. Toast the mustard seeds in a large, high-sided saute pan. Transfer seeds to a mortar or electric coffee grinder and crush. Return crushed seeds to the pan along with the oil, onion and bell pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the curry powder and turmeric. Stir for a minute. Add the Vignette, broth and tomato. Bring to a boil, stir, then add the pineapple. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and season boldly with salt and pepper.
3. Add the halibut steaks. Spoon sauce over them, heat to a simmer, cover pan and poach 6 to 8 minutes, or until fish is firm but not dry.
4. Remove steaks from the broth, divide each in half, removing bones and skin. Season lightly with salt and transfer to deep plates or low bowls. Spoon sauce over each portion, garnish liberally with cilantro and serve. Wine: Chardonnay such as Clos du Bois.
JIM FOBEL’S MOM’S PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
One cake
1 medium-sized ripe pineapple
1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed, dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1. Trim the ends of the pineapple and cut off the tough outer skin. Remove the eyes. Cut seven slices that are about 3/4-inch thick and use a small round cutter to remove the core from each slice.
2. In a large enameled skillet or saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil over moderate heat. Add enough pineapple slices to make one layer; poach, turning several times, for about 5 minutes, until tender. Remove slices to a plate to cool; repeat with remaining slices. Drain pineapple on paper towels when cool.
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a well-seasoned, 10-inch cast-iron skillet (diameter at top of pan), melt the butter. Remove 2 tablespoons and reserve in a small measuring cup. Add the brown sugar to the skillet and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Boil for 1 minute without stirring and remove from the heat. Place one pineapple slice in the center and six around it. Distribute pecans around the pineapple slices.
4. Place the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl and the yolks in another. Beat the whites until soft peaks just begin to form and gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the remaining granulated sugar; continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form.
5. Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar to the egg yolks and beat with an electric mixer until light, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons melted butter, vanilla and milk; beat just until blended. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and beat just until smooth. Stir a large spoonful of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten it. Scrape all of the batter into the whites and quickly but thoroughly fold the two together. Pour batter carefully over the pineapple and nuts, and smooth the top. Bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Immediately invert a serving plate over the cake and unmold. Cool completely before serving.
— Adapted from “Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book”
