Ingredients
The fruit
- 1Antigua black pineapple, about 1 kg, ripe
- 1lime, cut into wedges
- 1 pinchof flaky sea salt, optional
- 1 pinchof freshly ground black pepper, optional
To serve
- 4chilled plates or bowls
- 1sharp thin-bladed knife
- 2 tbspgrated fresh coconut, optional
Directions
- Choose the fruit by smell rather than colour: a ripe black pineapple is small, squat and still greenish outside, and it smells sweet and floral at the base.
- Test the crown. On a ripe one an inner leaf pulls out with a light tug; if the leaves hold fast, leave it another two or three days at room temperature.
- Chill the whole fruit at least 30 minutes, which firms the flesh and makes it far easier to cut cleanly.
- Wash the outside, then slice off the crown and the base so the pineapple sits flat and stable on the board.
- Cut the skin away in downward strips, following the curve of the fruit and going just deep enough to leave a line of eyes behind.
- Remove the eyes in spiral grooves, cutting a shallow V along each diagonal row with the tip of the knife; this wastes far less flesh than cutting deep enough to take them out with the skin.
- Cut the fruit into rounds about 1.5 cm thick. Unlike most pineapples, the core of the black pineapple is tender and sweet and is eaten with the rest, so do not punch it out.
- Serve cold with lime wedges, and if you like, a pinch of salt and pepper, which is how it is eaten from roadside stalls and sharpens the sweetness.
- Scatter grated coconut over for a fuller dessert, and eat the same day; cut pineapple loses its perfume in the fridge overnight.
Technique
- The black pineapple is grown on the south-west coast of Antigua, mostly around Cades Bay, where the dry soil and sun concentrate the sugars. It is often described as the sweetest pineapple in the world and is a national emblem, appearing on the country’s coat of arms.
- Do not judge it by the standards of a Hawaiian or Costa Rican pineapple. It is smaller, paler-fleshed, much less acidic and has an edible core, so it needs no cooking, no sugar and no trimming of the middle.
- The main season runs through the dry months from about December to May. Out of season the fruit is smaller and sharper.
- Pineapple contains bromelain, which is why it prickles the tongue if you eat a great deal and why it will refuse to set milk desserts unless the fruit is cooked first.
Substitutions
- Outside Antigua the fruit is rarely exported. The nearest substitute is a small, fully ripe sugarloaf pineapple; buy the heaviest for its size and let it stand two days at room temperature.
- Any ripe pineapple can be improved for this treatment by slicing it, salting it lightly and leaving it 10 minutes before serving with lime.
Variations
- Grilled over charcoal for 2 minutes a side and dusted with cinnamon.
- Blended with lime and ice into a pineapple punch, with or without a measure of Antiguan rum.
- Diced with cucumber, chilli and lime as a sharp salad beside grilled food.
History
Grown at Cades Bay in the island’s southwest, brought by Arawak peoples, and reputed to be among the sweetest pineapples in the world.
Frequently asked questions
What is Antigua black pineapple?
Antigua black pineapple is a snack from Antigua and Barbuda: the island’s famously sweet small pineapple, eaten fresh. Grown at Cades Bay in the island’s southwest, brought by Arawak peoples, and reputed to be among the sweetest pineapples in the world.
How long does Antigua black pineapple take to make?
Antigua black pineapple takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min chilling of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Antigua black pineapple?
Yes, within limits. Outside Antigua the fruit is rarely exported. The nearest substitute is a small, fully ripe sugarloaf pineapple; buy the heaviest for its size and let it stand two days at room temperature. Any ripe pineapple can be improved for this treatment by slicing it, salting it lightly and leaving it 10 minutes before serving with lime.
What is the most important thing to get right in Antigua black pineapple?
Choose the fruit by smell rather than colour: a ripe black pineapple is small, squat and still greenish outside, and it smells sweet and floral at the base.
