The Caramelized bananas, "Bananas Foster" style one is an authentic delight, a classic Creole cuisine dessert that sounds like music and tastes like friendship, with which I invite you on a sweet culinary journey to New Orleans. Will you join me?
With 75 years of history, the Bananas Foster dessert has become a true classic. Without a doubt, it is one one of the most iconic dishes in Louisiana cuisineBesides having a curious origin, it gained its popularity thanks to the flambéing and the final touch prepared in front of the customer, which turns this dessert into a truly authentic experience for whoever orders it.
Bananas Foster: a little history
This delicious dessert was born in 1951 at Brennan's, a fine Creole dining restaurant. At that time, the city was one of the main ports of entry 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 were the stars for a special dinner in honor of Richard Foster. Chef Paul Blangé came up with a recipe as simple as it was spectacular, using 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 president of the New Orleans Crime Commission in the 1950s.
This dessert is one of Brennan's most outstanding dishes which, to this day and managed by the third generation of the Brennan family, is still considered one of New Orleans’ most iconic culinary institutions. And of course, it is still flambéed and finished in front of the customer.
You will see that it is a dessert that's very easy to make at home and perfect for sharing. The Caramelized bananas "Bananas Foster" style they will not leave you indifferent, whether you choose to flambé them or decide not to.
Ingredients
- 4 medium bananas (1 per person)
- 60 g of unsalted butter
- 220 g of brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or essence
- 3 tablespoons of dark rum (optional, if you’re going to flambé)
- Vanilla ice cream on the side.
Preparation
- Peel the bananas, cut them lengthwise from end to end (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, the vanilla extract, and the 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 fan off and keeping a lid nearby for safety, carefully ignite it using a kitchen lighter or a kitchen torchLet the flame burn out (it takes a few seconds).
- Reduce the heat 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 the scoops of vanilla ice cream on the bananas.
Suggestions
- 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 hot bananas and sauce is delicious!
