When you want a pronounced pop of colour—and a little cheek—pineapple is the undisputed champion. Cut into carpaccio-thin slices, the wildly juicy fruit flirts with the crisp crunch of celery. The offbeat duo is then soaked in a ginger, lemongrass and lime syrup, playfully upping the zing. A ray of sunshine served at room temperature, with dollops of ricotta cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced.
• 2 cups (250 ml) water.
• 1 cup (210 g) sugar.
• 1 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece ginger, thickly sliced.
• 1 lemongrass stalk, roughly chopped.
• 1 lime, zest and juice.
• 1/2 cup (130 g) ricotta cheese.
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) 35% whipping cream.

Instructions

• Place the pineapple and celery in a glass dish.
• In a pot, bring the water, sugar, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and lime juice to a boil. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the pineapple and celery and let macerate until the syrup has cooled, about 10 minutes. Drain the pineapple and celery over a bowl. Remove the ginger and lemongrass. Reserve the syrup for another use such as cocktails or fruit salad.
• While the syrup is cooling, whip the ricotta and cream in a small bowl until the mixture thickens.
• Place the pineapple slices on plates, folding them to give volume.Garnish with the ricotta cream and top with the celery.

Recipe from Ricardo cuisine