- 1 cup 1% milk
- 4- by 1-inch strip fresh orange zest
- 3 (1/4-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger, smashed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2-lb ripe pineapple (preferably extra-sweet), peeled but not cored
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon julienned crystallized ginger
- Heat milk, zest, and ginger until hot and remove from heat. Let stand 25 minutes, then reheat.
- Whisk together egg, sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Pour milk through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture, then transfer to a small saucepan.
- Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and a thermometer registers 170°F, 3 to 5 minutes. (Do not let boil.) Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold.
- Preheat broiler.
- Cut 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices from middle of pineapple, reserving remainder for another use.
- Lightly oil a shallow heavy baking pan and arrange pineapple rounds in 1 layer. Sprinkle with sugar and broil 4 inches from heat, rotating pan if necessary for even browning, until caramelized, 7 to 8 minutes. Cool pineapple.
- Place 1 pineapple round on each dessert plate. Make a cut in each remaining round from edge to center. Working with 1 round at a time and holding round perpendicular to plate, gently twist cut edges away from each other and prop on top of pineapple on plate.
- Spoon crème anglaise around pineapple and sprinkle with crystallized ginger.