Tarte Tatin of pineapple with lime ice cream and coconut powder

Serves 8 Desserts and puddings

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Method

Roll out the puff pastry into a sheet 2mm thick. Leave to rest, covered, in a cool place for at least 1 hour. Cut out 8 discs measuring 16cm in diameter. Prick them all over with a fork. Stack up, interleaved with 18cm squares of baking parchment. Cover and keep in the fridge.

To make the lime ice cream, begin by grating the zest from the limes as finely as possible. Cut the limes in half and squeeze the juice. Strain the juice through a fine sieve. Measure 200ml of the juice and pour into a bowl.

Add the lime zest, cream and sugar and stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight to infuse. Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker no more than 2 hours before use, then keep in the freezer.

To make the caramelised pineapple, begin by top and tailing the pineapples. Using a serrated carving knife, remove the skin, cutting out all the ‘eyes’. Cut the pineapples across into 8 slices, 3cm thick, then use a pastry cutter (or trim around a saucer) to yield neat discs approximately 11cm in diameter. Using a smaller cutter or an apple corer, remove the hard core from the centre of each disc. Place the pineapple slices on a tray lined with a kitchen cloth and set aside for 1 hour. This will remove any excess surface moisture that could hinder the caramelisation process.

You will need to caramelise the pineapple slices in batches, dividing the butter and sugar as required. Set a large, heavybased pan over a high heat.

Add the butter and sugar and cook, swirling the pan from time to time, until you have a rich golden caramel. Carefully add the pineapple slices and continue to cook until they are a rich, dark hazelnut brown; from time to time during cooking, lift the pineapple to allow the caramel to flow back underneath. Turn the pineapple slices and repeat on the second side. Do not compromise on this process: the pineapple must be really quite dark.

Once fully caramelised, add the chilli and rum and swirl the pan to mix them into the caramel. Remove from the heat and allow the pineapple to cool to room temperature.

To assemble the tartes, lift the pineapple slices out of the pan and arrange them, spaced slightly apart, in a roasting tray with their most attractive side facing down.Set a disc of puff pastry on top of each slice of pineapple and gently fold the pastry down the sides of each slice, pleating it in a couple of places so it hugs the pineapple nicely. Warm up the caramel in the pan, then pour it into the tray – but not over the pastry. Keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Put the coconut oil into a large bowl and gradually stir in the maltrodextrin to make a powder. Set aside, covered.

Place the roasting tray containing the tartes in an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and bake for 16 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Remove and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. If the ice cream is firm, transfer it to the fridge 15 minutes before serving.

Put the tarts back into the oven to heat for 5 minutes. Then use a palette knife to lift out each tart and turn it over on to a chopping board so it is now pastry-side down. Glaze the pineapple with some of the caramel and juices left in the tray. Lay out 8 warmed plates. Place a teaspoonful of caramel in the centre of each plate and top with a large spoonful of coconut powder. Sit a tart in the powder and add a scoop of lime ice cream.

Finish the plates with large oval swirls of caramel sauce.