The caramelized bananas in the style of "Bananas Foster" are an absolute delight, a classic dessert from Creole cuisine that sounds like music and tastes like friendship, and with it I invite you on a sweet culinary journey to New Orleans. Will you join me?
With 75 years of history, Bananas Foster has become a true classic. It is without a doubt one of the most iconic dishes in Louisiana cuisine. In addition to having a curious origin, it gained popularity because of the flambéing and final finishing done in front of the customer, turning this sweet into a true experience for whoever orders it.
Bananas Foster: a little history
This delicious dessert was born in 1951 at Brennan's, a fine Creole restaurant. At that time, the city was one of the main entry ports for bananas arriving from Central and South America, so it was a very popular fruit.
The restaurant owner, Owen Brennan, asked his chef to create a dessert in which bananas would be the stars for a special dinner in honor of Richard Foster. The chef, Paul Blangé, came up with a recipe as simple as it was spectacular, with bananas, rum, and caramelized sugar.
The name of the dish was Brennan's idea, in honor of his friend Richard Foster, a well-known local businessman who helped develop the port and the banana trade, and who was chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission in the 1950s.
This dessert is one of Brennan's standout dishes which, to this day and now run by the third generation of the Brennan family, is still considered one of the most representative culinary institutions in New Orleans. And, of course, it is still flambéed and finished in front of the customer.
You'll see that it is a very easy dessert to make at home and perfect for sharing. The caramelized bananas in the style of "Bananas Foster" will definitely impress, whether you choose to flambé them or decide not to.
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas (1 per person)
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 220 g brown sugar
- 1/ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
- 3 tablespoons dark rum (optional, if you are going to flambé)
- Vanilla ice cream to serve.
Preparation
- Peel the bananas, cut them lengthwise from tip to tip (so you have two halves), and then cut each half crosswise (so the pieces fit better in the pan).
- Put the butter in your Lodge cast iron skillet skillet and let it melt over medium-low heat.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, stirring constantly with a spatula so the sugar dissolves and the ingredients combine.
- If you are going to flambé the dessert, add the rum at this point. With the extractor turned off and keeping a lid nearby for safety, carefully light it using a kitchen lighter or a kitchen torch. Let the flame burn out (it takes a few seconds).
- Turn the heat down to low and add the bananas. Let them warm gently and turn them over so they cook on the other side and soften (about two minutes).
- Turn off the heat and serve immediately, placing scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of the bananas.
Tips
- If you want to serve it the way they do in New Orleans, place one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream on each plate and serve the bananas and sauce over the ice cream. The contrast between the cold ice cream and the warm bananas and sauce is delicious!
