Equipment
Ingredients
produce
- 4 banana, firm-ripe, peeled
sauce
- 60 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 60 ml banana liqueur
- 60 ml dark rum
serving
- 400 g vanilla ice cream, chilled
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
Only basic nutrition values are available for this recipe. More detailed nutrient data is incomplete.
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 55 g
- Sodium
- 115 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place peeled bananas on the cutting board and use the chef knife to slice each banana in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise to produce four equal quarters per banana.
Place unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon into the large skillet over medium heat at 110°C (230°F), stirring continuously with the wooden spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves into a bubbling syrup.
Add banana quarters cut side down into the large skillet and sauté for 2 minutes at 115°C (240°F), gently basting the fruit with hot sauce using the wooden spoon until bananas soften slightly.
Pour banana liqueur into the large skillet and swirl the pan to integrate the spirit with the caramel sauce at 115°C (240°F).
Turn off the range exhaust hood, pull the large skillet back from the direct burner heat, pour in the dark rum, and immediately ignite the alcohol vapors using a long match, letting the flame burn at 120°C (250°F) for 30 to 45 seconds until it extinguishes itself.
Use the ice cream scoop to place one 100g portion of chilled vanilla ice cream into each of the four dessert bowls.
Using the wooden spoon, spoon warm caramelized banana quarters evenly over the ice cream, ladle the warm rum sauce over each portion in the dessert bowls, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Select bananas with greenish-yellow skins; overly ripe bananas contain too much moisture and break down quickly under intense caramel heat.
- For theatrical presentation, warm the rum slightly in a small heatproof ladle before pouring to ensure instantaneous, dramatic vapor ignition.
- Always disable overhead ventilation hoods prior to igniting alcohol to avoid drafting flames into grease filters.
- A dark molasses-forward rum balances the sweetness of the banana liqueur, yielding a layered, complex finish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store banana caramel sauce separately in an airtight container.
Reheating: Warm sauce gently in a skillet over low heat until fluid and bubbling before serving over fresh ice cream.
Troubleshooting
Rum does not ignite when introduced to flame
Cause: Rum was poured into a cool skillet or the alcohol was cold, resulting in too few vapors
Fix: Allow rum to heat in the skillet for 5 to 10 seconds to generate vapor, then approach again with the flame
Prevention: Ensure sauce is bubbling hot and rum is at room temperature before pouring
Bananas turn mushy and disintegrate into sauce
Cause: Bananas were overripe or cooked too long in the hot caramel
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Select bananas with green tips and limit active sautéing time to 2 minutes
Caramel sauce breaks and leaves an oily layer of butterfat
Cause: Skillet temperature was too high during the initial butter and sugar melt
Fix: Remove pan from heat and whisk in 15ml of warm water or heavy cream to restore the emulsion
Prevention: Keep flame at medium and stir steadily to maintain an emulsion
Cultural Context
Bananas Foster was invented in 1951 by Chef Paul Blangé at Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Owen Brennan challenged his kitchen to highlight bananas during a period when New Orleans served as the primary United States port of entry for Central American fruit. Named in honor of civic leader and friend Richard Foster, this dramatic table-side flambéed dessert remains an enduring pillar of New Orleans Creole gastronomy.
