The flaming New Orleans dessert created at Brennan's in 1951: bananas caramelized in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, flamed with rum and spooned over vanilla ice cream. Serves 4.
Bananas Foster was born in New Orleans in 1951, when Owen Brennan asked his chef, Paul Blange, to create a dessert with bananas, which were pouring into the port from Central and South America. With Owen's sister Ella Brennan, he came up with this one, and they named it for Richard Foster, a friend of Owen's and chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission. It is still the most-ordered dessert at Brennan's, flamed tableside.
It takes ten minutes. Have the ice cream scooped and waiting before you start.
Ingredients
Sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
Bananas
4 ripe but firm bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise and crosswise
1/4 cup dark rum
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
Make the caramel. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until it melts into a smooth, bubbling caramel, about 2 minutes. Stir in the liqueur.
Cook the bananas. Add the banana pieces and cook about 1 minute per side, spooning the sauce over them, until just tender.
Flame the rum. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the rum. Return it to the heat and carefully light it with a long lighter, tilting the pan gently and basting until the flames die out.
Serve. Spoon the bananas and sauce over bowls of vanilla ice cream and serve right away.
Tips
Always add the rum with the pan off the heat, keep your face back, and have a lid nearby to smother the flame if needed.
No flame? Simmer the rum for a minute instead; the flavor is the same.
No banana liqueur? Leave it out and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Questions about this recipe
Who was Bananas Foster named for?
Richard Foster, chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission and a friend of restaurateur Owen Brennan. Chef Paul Blange created the dessert with Ella Brennan in 1951.
Can I make Bananas Foster without alcohol?
Yes. Skip the liqueur and rum and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a splash of orange juice to the caramel.
