Pineapple “Carpaccio” with Mint Tea Syrup

You’ll have a bit of mint tea syrup left over, but it’s easy to use up: A splash mixed into a glass of sparkling water makes a delicious drink.

• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. (or 4 tea bags) good-quality mint-flavored green tea (I like Republic of Tea)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1-1/2 Tbs.)
• 1 ripe pineapple
• Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Put the tea in a Pyrex cup and pour the water over it; set aside to infuse for 15 min. Pour through a strainer, if needed, back into the saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the tea leaves or bags. Add the sugar, honey, ginger, lime zest, and lime juice to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 min. Set aside to cool. You should have about 1 cup of syrup. Strain and refrigerate until cold.

With a serrated knife, remove the top and a thin slice of the base from the pineapple. Stand the pineapple on either flat end and peel off the skin with the knife, being sure to remove the eyes. Slicing vertically from top to bottom, cut the pineapple as thinly as possible just until you reach the core. Be careful, the fruit is slippery. Slices may vary in shape; this is fine. Rotate the pineapple 180 degrees and slice as before until you reach the core. (Cut off the remaining sides and save for snacking.) Cover the slices with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, arrange a few slices of the fruit in one layer on plates so the slices cover as much of the plate as possible. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of the mint tea syrup over the slices and garnish with a sprig of mint.