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The Original Bananas Foster

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"For years, there's been lots of banter about the origin and correct preparation of Bananas Foster, without question one of the South's (indeed, America's) most famous desserts. Well, I happen to own a letter from Ella Brennan (today one of the owners of Commander's Palace, in New Orleans) describing all the colorful details, and suffice it to say that around 1950, when she and her family were involved in Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans, her brother, Owen, asked her to create a special dessert for a dinner in honor of the chairman of the city's vice commission, Richard Foster. Bananas were a major import in New Orleans, and Ella's mother always served sautéed bananas with scrambled eggs, so after a little experimentation and embellishment, Bananas Foster was introduced to the world with plenty of flair. The rest is history. This is the original recipe; any other is bogus."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
â—¦ 2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced fairly thin lengthwise
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 2 tablespoons banana liqueur
â—¦ 3 ounces light or dark rum
â—¦ 1 ½ cups French vanilla ice cream


Recipe

In a flat chafing dish or skillet, melt the butter over moderately low heat, add the brown sugar, and stir till the sugar has melted.

Add the bananas and sauté gently till tender, about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the bananas. Pour the banana liqueur and rum over the bananas, shake the pan to distribute the liquid, ignite the liquid, and baste the bananas with the flaming sauce till the flames die out.

Immediately serve the bananas and sauce over the ice cream.

Makes 2 servings