Taste of the Tropics
Surprise your family with a tasty tropical dinner served in a pineapple boat.
This Teriyaki Shrimp and Scallop Pineapple Boat is the perfect way to spice up your dinner routine. With juicy pieces of pineapple, crunchy vegetables and deliciously plump shrimp and scallops bathed in a sweet and tangy sauce and served up in a pineapple, it is a fun dinner that the everyone will love.
There is a local restaurant in Wilmington that my family frequents. It is a tropical-themed restaurant serving a little bit of everything, from steak and seafood to burgers and tacos. One item on the menu is teriyaki chicken in a pineapple bowl, and it is so good I get it almost every time. My two-and-half-year-old son thinks the pineapple bowl is coolest thing and frankly so do I.
Like many nights before, I asked my son what he wanted for dinner. Expecting him to say, “hot ham and cheese” or “macaroni and hotdogs,” without hesitation he said he wanted me to make something in a pineapple. To the grocery store I went.
I picked up a pineapple and rice and, to make it my own, shrimp and scallops. I love the combination of shrimp and scallops and thought they would go well with pineapple. For a bit of color and crunch, I also scooped up bell peppers. Knowing I already had the components at home to make teriyaki sauce, I proceeded to the checkout.
I am not going to lie: Cutting the pineapple was a bit of trial and error. I obviously wanted to cut it in half lengthwise, but trying to core it presented a few problems. I had to slice a bit off the bottom to make it sit flat and keep it from rolling around. I made some long slits to scoop out the center while trying to leave enough of a parameter. I botched my son’s pineapple and cut right through the skin, but he didn’t care as long as it still held the mixture in the end. Be careful as cutting the pineapple takes a bit of man-handling; a sharp knife helps.
The sauce is simple to whip up. The vegetables add a bit of crunch to the silky texture of pineapple and delicate shrimp and scallops. All of this combined in a unique pineapple boat will make your dinner time fun and tropical. Needless to say, my son was enthusiastically impressed.
| Servings |
Servings
|
- 1 whoe pineapple
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb fresh scallops patted dry
- 1 red bell pepper rough chopped
- 1 purple onion rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablspoons vegetable oil
- chopped green onions
- sesame seeds
- 3 cups basmati rice
Ingredients
|
|
- Cook 3 cups of basmati rice. When done, set aside to cool.
- While the rice is cooking, in a small saucepan, add garlic, soy sauce, sugar, honey and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until it starts to thicken. Set aside.
- Slice the pineapple vertically so you have two halves. Cut a thin slice off the round bottom so it sits flat on the table with the flesh up and stalk pointing out. Use a knife to cut the center pineapple out leaving about ½” edge parameter. Once the outer rim is cut, use a knife to score rows and then use a spoon to remove the pineapple. Try to keep it as intact as possible and then cut it into chunks.
- Heat the oil a wok or deep skillet over high heat. When it begins to smoke, add the shrimp and scallops to the pan in a single layer and cook for 1 minute, turn once and cook another minute. The shrimp will turn pink, and the scallops will have a firm crusted exterior. Transfer to a clean plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring. Don’t overcook; you want them to still have a crunch.
- Add the shrimp, pineapple chunks and sauce (reserve a bit of sauce to drizzle on top) to the pan of vegetables. Toss to coat and combine for a minute or so.
- Divide and fill your empty pineapple halves with the prepared rice and add the teriyaki shrimp and scallop vegetable mixture on top of the rice.
- Drizzle each with the remaining sauce and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
