Caramelised Banana Tarte Tatin with Cardamom Ice Cream

Place green cardamom pods into a mortar and pestle and crush lightly until the outer green hulls split open to expose dark seeds.

Combine whole milk, heavy cream, crushed cardamom pods, and 50g of granulated sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, bringing the mixture just to a gentle simmer at 85°C (185°F).

Whisk egg yolks, the remaining 50g of granulated sugar, and fine sea salt in a heatproof mixing bowl vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until pale yellow and slightly thickened.

Temper the egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring 125 ml of the hot milk and cream mixture in a thin, steady stream while whisking continuously with a wire whisk.

Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula until the custard thickens, coats the back of a spoon, and registers 75°C (167°F) on an instant-read digital thermometer to meet safe cooking standards for egg dishes.

Strain the hot custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean mixing bowl, pressing gently on cardamom hulls with a spatula, then stir in vanilla extract.

Place the clean mixing bowl over an ice bath bowl, stir for 5 minutes to cool rapidly below 20°C (68°F), then transfer to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly for at least 3 hours until reaching 4°C (40°F) or colder.

Pour the chilled custard base into an ice cream maker and churn for 20 minutes until it achieves a smooth, dense soft-serve consistency.

Transfer the churned ice cream to a pre-chilled freezer-safe container, press parchment directly to the surface, seal, and freeze for 2 hours until firm and scoopable.

Toast whole hazelnuts in a small skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, swirling often until fragrant and skins loosen.

Transfer toasted hazelnuts to a cutting board, let cool for 2 minutes, then chop roughly into coarse pieces using a chef's knife.

Roll out the chilled all-butter puff pastry on a clean cutting board using a rolling pin into a round circle approximately 26 cm in diameter and 3 mm thick.

Dock the rolled pastry disc thoroughly with a fork across its entire surface, then slide onto a plate and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

Peel unpeeled bananas to yield approximately 550g of edible fruit, then slice each peeled banana in half lengthwise using a chef's knife.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

Place 130g granulated sugar and 10 ml lemon juice in a 24 cm oven-safe cast iron skillet over medium heat, cooking undisturbed for 5 minutes until sugar melts into an amber liquid, then swirl in cubed unsalted butter for 2 to 3 minutes until an emulsified, bubbling caramel forms at approximately 175°C (347°F).

Remove skillet from heat and immediately arrange the halved bananas cut-side up tightly in concentric rings across the bottom of the pan, filling all gaps.

Drape the cold rolled puff pastry circle centrally over the arranged bananas, tucking the overlapping 1 cm perimeter pastry edge neatly down inside the inner rim of the skillet.

Bake the tarte tatin in the preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for 30 minutes until the puff pastry is deeply bronzed, puffed, and crisp throughout.

Remove skillet from oven and rest on stovetop for 10 minutes to allow the boiling caramel to calm and settle slightly.

Invert the tarte tatin by placing an inverted flat serving platter securely over the skillet and flipping both together in one swift, confident movement.

Garnish the glossy caramelised bananas across the top with 50g toasted chopped hazelnuts and 2g flaky sea salt.

Plate individual warm wedges of tarte tatin immediately alongside a chilled scoop of cardamom ice cream and serve.