Warm Confit Of Pineapple With Tellicherry Black Pepper

* Note: Tellicherry black pepper can be found at gourmet markets and at online spice purveyors.

For Vanilla Sugar: Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and mix with the granulated sugar. Using your fingers, rub the beans with the sugar to dislodge the small particles. Set aside.

For Confit: Place about 2 tablespoons of the Vanilla Sugar in the bottom of a container large enough to hold the pineapple in a single layer. Lay the pineapple wedges in the container and sprinkle them with the sea salt. Cover them with the remaining Vanilla Sugar and let marinate for 4 hours.

Remove the pineapple from the marinade and brush off excess. Put the pineapple in a pot (large enough to hold the wedges in a single layer) and cover with the water. Add the granulated sugar. To ensure that the pineapple wedges are submerged, weigh them down with a clean kitchen towel.

Bring the mixture to barely a simmer and cook over very low heat until the pineapple is deep golden, about 4 hours. Cool the pineapple in the liquid overnight.

Remove the pineapple and place on a rack. Let dry for 1 hour.

Sprinkle the wedges with the superfine sugar and place the pineapple beneath the broiler, 6 inches from the heat, until the sugar caramelizes and the top of the pineapple is dark golden brown, about 8 minutes. Watch the wedges so they don't burn.

Cut each pineapple wedge into 6 triangles and fan the slices on the bottom of a serving bowl. Sprinkle with finely ground Tellicherry pepper, and top each slice with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ice cream.