Bananas Foster
If your event theme was “New Orleans Cuisine”, what would you make for dessert? This was my dilemma a couple of weeks ago as the chef’s at my college program asked me for suggestions for the upcoming luncheon. When I did my research, I discovered that Bananas Foster is a New Orleans classic, invented in the 1950s at the restaurant Brennan's in honor of Richard Foster, the city's crime commissioner at the time. I like a fun dessert with a little history on the side.
Some other wonderful things about Bananas Foster is that it’s easy to make, looks impressive, smells and tastes great, and has the wow factor if you choose to go for the flaming dessert option. Combining the mixture ingredients in a cup before you start keeps things simple - dump all the contents into the pan, heat, and begin.
Pre-slice your bananas so your are ready to go when the mixture starts to bubble and fill your kitchen with the wondrous aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
One key tip - once the bananas go in the pot, cut side down, don’t walk away from it. Anytime you are heating sugar you have to manage the caramelization process. You want this mixture to be gently bubbling, not hardening into a firm block of caramel
If you are doing the flaming option, be organized and don’t rush. I used a cup with a spout to gently pour in the rum and a lighter with an extended handle to ignite it. Always stand back and away from the pan. Shake the pan gently until the flames die out. The caramel sauce will thicken to a honey consistency, perfect for drizzling over the bananas once they are plated.
The serving options are plentiful. Vanilla ice cream was Brennan's classic touch. I was very pleased with my chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate shavings twist!
Whatever you choose, have fun with your own spin on this New Orleans classic.
Bananas Foster
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 8-10 minutes; Makes 3-4 servings.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar (4 ounces; 113 g)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Generous pinch kosher salt
3 medium ripe but firm bananas (about 1 pound; 450 g), split in half crosswise and then lengthwise
1/4 cup (60 ml) white or aged rum
Ice cream of your choice, or whipped cream for serving
The Recipe
In a large 12-inch stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt while stirring and swirling, until mixture blends into a grainy liquid and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. Add bananas, cut side down, and continue to cook, swirling gently, until liquid begins to resemble a more smooth caramel, about 2 minutes longer.
Add rum (do not pour directly from the bottle if working over an open flame), then tilt pan to ignite the alcohol from a gas burner, or carefully light with a match or lighter. Cook, shaking the pan, until the flames have died out and the caramel has thickened to a honey consistency, about 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, you can add the rum and not light it on fire, instead simmering until the rum has mostly cooked off and the caramel has reached a honey consistency.)
Flip bananas cut side up, then transfer to serving plates with ice cream (2 pieces of banana each for 6 servings; 3 pieces of banana each for 4 servings; 4 pieces of banana each for 3 servings.
Enjoy!
Note: Adapted from the original Brennan’s recipe as edited by Daniel Gritzer from seriouseats.com. I used Bacardi Rum and agreed with Daniel and passed on using banana liqueur - as he says, “the bananas in the pan are banana-y enough.”
