Epochs ago, on my 2nd or 3rd trip to New Orleans, I managed to have dinner at one of those grand ol' restaurants in New Orleans, a subspecies of the hospitality industry extinct nearly anywhere else. Back in the day, every major city would have 3-4 of these, where every single solitary dish was named using this format: [Main Ingredient] [Someone's Name] and so you'd wind up with something like "Veal Johnson."
Anyway, even at the early stages of man's estate, one never gets over the fondness for a colossal fireball, tableside. Thus began my fondness for Bananas Foster.
At this point, because I have befriended a significant number of attorneys, I must point out there really IS fire involved, and a lot of it. And you must be hyper-careful. Tie back any long hair, make sure there is nothing over the pan (chandelier, etc.) turn off any vents that may pull up flames. No, seriously, we're talking a for-real fireball. In your house.
So, after noodling around, here is MY recipe for Bananas Foster. Usually we have it following my spectacular gumbo, when we're (okay, "I'M") feeling New Orleans-ish.
Figure this will prove a fairly dainty dessert for 8 people, pretty decent for 6 people, or pretty impressive for 4. It doesn't multiply well, sadly.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter.
½ cup packed brown (dark or light, your call...I only had light brown on hand) sugar
¼ tsp of almond extract and ½ tsp. vanilla extract or 2 tsp amaretto
1 strip orange zest about 3 sq. inches.
2 large bananas (you want them JUST when there is no green showing, because they need to be firm enough to stand up to all the thermal abuse they'll have to undergo) peeled and halved (if feeding 4 or 8) or thirded (if feeding 6) lengthwise and then crosswise. If you want to divide it even more, you could slice them into ½" slices, I s'pose.
1 oz gold or dark rum (I used Bacardi 8)
2 cups vanilla ice cream - pineapple sorbet is a "healthier" alternative and just as yummy - divided into bowls and stashed in the freezer. You want this ice cream as cold and hard as a bureaucrat's heart.
Add extracts to rum and set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat...do not let it foam yet. Add the brown sugar (break up any lumps...this is key) and zest. Dissolve the sugar by shaking the pan, about 1 minute. (If the pan's too hot, or if the butter has already foamed up, the butter will "clarify" and it and the sugar will NOT turn into a proper sauce).
When the sugar has dissolved and is beginning to bubble up, place the bananas, CUT SIDE DOWN. About a minute into it begin spooning the bubbling caramelly goodness over the curved side. Cook another 30-60 seconds. No more. Unless you like caramelized baby food.
Take pan off the heat. Immediately add the rum and shake pan gently. Put a flame (those loooooong "stick" lighters are ideal) just on the edge of the pan until the rum flames up -- it WILL flame up, and probably flame up even more than you thought it would -- shaking the pan to distribute the flame over the entire pan.
Keep shaking until the flames die down (about half a minute), serve the bananas over the ice cream and serve the sauce on top of that. A sprinkle of almonds wouldn't go amiss, either.
-J.
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