PINEAPPLE CARPACCIO WITH POMEGRANATE AND VANILLA SALT
This is a light, healthy pudding to intrigue your guests with. It may sound strange but the combination of salt, vanilla and very thinly sliced pineapple really works well.
First make the vanilla salt. Put the salt and vanilla seeds into a bowl and mix well. Place in an airtight container with the empty pod and use as required in baking or savoury dishes. The mixture will keep indefinitely.
Cut off the ends of the pineapple, then slice off the skin from top to bottom, keeping the fruit whole. Cut the pineapple widthways into slices about 1mm thick so you end up with lots of circles. Set aside.
Cut the pomegranate in half horizontally. Hold each half in turn over a bowl and smack the skin with the back of a wooden spoon so that the seeds drop into the bowl. Reserve any juice that comes out of the seeds as you remove them.
To serve, sprinkle a serving platter with a little vanilla salt. Arrange the pineapple slices over it, then sprinkle with a little extra vanilla salt, the pomegranate seeds and juice. Finish with a light sprinkling of the vanilla salt and the shredded mint leaves.
USING SALT IN SWEET DISHES
Adding a little salt to sweet dishes actually enhances the sweetness. I often add a pinch to cakes, biscuits and especially caramel sauces. Vanilla salt would work well in all of these, too. Try it also sprinkled over a buttery fillet of white fish.