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Bananas Foster II

Source of Recipe

From "DamGoodSweet" by David Gaus and Raquel Pelzel


Recipe Introduction

"People in New Orleans love to feel special. That's why they go to old-school restaurants where the same waiter who has served them for generations is on first-name terms with the family patriarch, children, and even grandchildren. The waiter knows how to make his diners happy, and when dining at Brennan's in the French Quarter, it's often with a grand finale of bananas foster. Made tableside, by saut�ing bananas in hot sugar, adding rum, and then lighting the whole deal on fire, it delivers big time on that 'wow!' factor that comes with having something created right in front of your eyes. As a kid, I was completely mesmerized�you could have pushed a pin through me and I wouldn't have moved."

List of Ingredients

◦� � cup pecan pieces
◦� � cup packed dark brown sugar
◦� � teaspoon ground cinnamon
◦� 2 tablespoons dark rum
◦� 1 tablespoon banana liqueur (or � teaspoon banana flavoring)
◦� 4 ripe bananas
◦� 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦� Vanilla ice cream, for serving


Recipe

Heat the oven to 325� F. Place the pecan pieces on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. Place the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set next to your stovetop. Pour the rum and banana liqueur into a small cup.

Peel the bananas and slice them in half crosswise and then slice in half lengthwise so you end up with 16 segments. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the sugar and cinnamon to the pan, stirring constantly until the sugar starts to bubble and melt, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Place the bananas in the skillet and then add the pecans. Gently stir with a wooden spoon to coat the bananas and pecans with the sugar mixture, being careful not to smash or break the bananas. Continue to cook until the sauce becomes syrupy, about 2 minutes, and then add the rum and banana liqueur. Using a utility lighter or a long wooden match, ignite the alcohol and allow the flavors to die down (if you have a gas cooktop, after adding the alcohol you can tilt the pan away from you and toward the flame to encourage the alcohol to ignite). Divide the Bananas Foster between four bowls, top with ice cream, and serve.

Serves 4



❧ Variation: Dad's Famous Baked Bananas
My dad was famous in our family for his take on bananas Foster: baked bananas. When I was a kid, I liked to think that because of his Cuban heritage Dad once ate a dish like this in Havana as a boy, perhaps made with ripe plantains in place of bananas. Without fail, once my sister and I got wind that Dad was making his bananas, we'd race into the kitchen and watch him throw together this simple yet completely awesome dish: Heat the oven to 375� F. Place three bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise, into a baking dish. Sprinkle the bananas with a generous handful of light brown sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with a few knobs of unsalted butter. Bake until the bananas are caramelized and coated with a golden layer of sugar syrup, 20 to 25 minutes, basting occasionally. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or cr�pes.