Bananas Foster

Invented at Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans in the 1950s and named after one of the restaurant’s patrons, bananas Foster uses the flambé technique to create intense flavor through fireworks. The sweet caramelized flavor and showstopping look seem much more difficult to achieve than they are; this easy dessert comes together in only 15 minutes once you get the flambé technique down! This banana recipe goes super well with ice cream or whipped cream, which offer a cool, creamy contrast to the caramel intensity of the bananas.

How To Make Bananas Foster

INGREDIENTS

• Butter: As the base of the caramel sauce, unsalted butter sets the caramel on course for rich flavor and silky texture. It’s also the ideal medium for blooming the spices.
• Cinnamon: Banana has a special affinity for baking spice flavors, especially cinnamon.
• Nutmeg: Another warm spice that adds further aromatic depth to the sauce, contributing nutty, woodsy flavors that accentuate the sweetness of the banana.
• Brown Sugar: You can use dark or light brown sugar for the caramel, but my strong preference is with the dark stuff. Its extra molasses content produces a deeper, more robust-flavored sauce.
• Vanilla: Vanilla reinforces flavors already present in the banana and rum and just has a way of tying together the flavors of the spices and bananas.
• Banana Liqueur: Feel free to skip if you don’t feel like running down a bottle, but a mere tablespoon of this stuff really punches up the banana flavor and adds irresistible aroma to the dish.
• Heavy Cream: Gives the sauce a luxurious silkiness and helps it cling to the bananas.
• Banana: This is emphatically not the place to use up overripe bananas. Rather, the banana should be very slightly under ripe and firm enough to hold its shape in the face of bubbling caramel sauce and flaming alcohol!
• Dark Rum: I stuck with tradition and went with dark rum for this recipe. I adore the way the rum, with its hints of caramel, vanilla, and warm spices, seems to carry within it so many of the flavors of the dish. But rum is not your only option here. Bourbon offers many of the same virtues as dark rum and is well worth giving a try.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First task: Cut the banana into quarters. Specifically, you want to halve the banana crosswise, then cut both halves lengthwise to get four long-ish pieces.

Now to the cooking! Grab a large, shallow skillet and melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg and let bloom for 10 to 20 seconds before adding the salt and brown sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar melts. Add the vanilla, banana liqueur (if using), and cream and cook, stirring, until bubbling and incorporated.

Place the bananas, cut side down, in the caramel and cook, swirling the pan and turning the bananas occasionally, just until the bananas are coated all over and fragrant.

Standing back, carefully pour in the rum and tilt pan slightly to ignite the alcohol; or ignite it with a long lighter or match. Cook, swirling the pan to continually coat the bananas, until the flame dies down and the sauce is smooth, about 20 seconds.

Time to plate! Place a scoop ice cream on two plates. Divide the bananas between the plates and drizzle the caramel sauce over the top.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How do I flambé? To flambé, simply add your booze to the pan, tilt the pan slightly toward your stovetop flame, and watch it light on fire. It’s a showstopping technique that’s great for parties, or just to bring a little excitement into your life. Needless to say, be careful—clear away any flammable objects that might be nearby and make sure to lean away from the skillet when igniting the alcohol! If you have an electric range, turn off the heat and ignite the alcohol with a long lighter or match.
• What can I substitute for rum in bananas Foster? Traditionally, rum is the liquor of choice, but no one’s stopping you from experimenting with bourbon or anything over 80 proof that has great flavor. As the sauce ignites, the flames will die out as most of the alcohol is cooked off, leaving you with the flavor of the rum but not quite the wooziness of a straight shot of it.
• How ripe should my bananas be? A note on the bananas: You want ones that are just slightly underripe to ensure they are sturdy enough to withstand some tossing about in the pan. Using an overripe banana will produce something more like a mushy banana-flavored caramel pudding, which will still taste great but will lack in looks.

Storage

The caramel sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. When ready to serve, heat the sauce in the skillet over medium heat, then proceed with step 3.