Bananas Foster
ACTIVE TIME: 12 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Caramelized bananas flambeed in rum, bananas foster is a classic dessert that never gets old. Although the banana is most often associated with homey fare, it's got its elegant, sophisticated side, too. This is best embodied by a dish that is as simple as it is delicious and as much about theater as cuisine. I speak, of course, of bananas foster. Many classic American dishes have histories that are murky at best. Not so bananas foster, which was devised in 1951 by Paul Blange, the executive chef at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans and subsequently named after a local businessman and Brennan's regular named Stephen Foster. This recipe first appeared in Season 7 of Good Eats.
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- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon banana liqueur
- 2 under-ripe bananas, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
ACTIVE TIME: 12 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 12 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Procedure
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat. Add the brown sugar, allspice, and nutmeg, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the banana liqueur and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Add the bananas and cook for 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they cook. Remove bananas from pan to a serving dish.
- Return the sauce to a simmer and carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame on its own. If not, use a stick lighter to carefully ignite the sauce and continue cooking until flame dies out, 1 to 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until it reaches a syrupy consistency. Add the orange zest and stir to combine. Immediately spoon the sauce over bananas and serve. Serve with waffles, crepes, or ice cream.
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