GRILLED BANANAS FOSTER
New Orleans, LA
"To come to New Orleans without sampling bananas Foster at Brennan's is a bit like visiting London and missing Big Ben. Hyperbole, perhaps, but bananas sauteed with butter, brown sugar, banana liqueur, and rum is a New Orleans culinary tradition, and its popularity can be judged by the staggering quantity of bananas Foster served at Brennan's each year and the number of imitations it has spawned. Named for a local businessman (Richard Foster, owner of Foster Awning Company in New Orleans), bananas Foster was created in the 1950s by Brennan's chef Paul Blange. Chef Blange would probably be scandalized by the notion of grilled bananas Foster, but the smoky char of the fire makes a great dessert even better. Brennan's serves its bananas over ice cream. Fire and ice a combination I heartily recommend."
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1.4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream (for serving)
4 large bananas
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans*
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak or mesquite), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Method: Direct grilling
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, banana liqueur, rum, and cinnamon, increase the heat to high, and let the sauce boil until syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. The butter sauce can be made up to 2 hours before serving. It does not need to be refrigerated.
Scoop balls of ice cream into 4 bowls and place them in the freezer.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high (you need a really hot grill to caramelize sugar; preheat the grill, then preheat it some more before adding the bananas). If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals.
Meanwhile, peel the bananas and slice each in half sharply on the diagonal. Reheat the butter sauce, if necessary. Lightly brush each piece of banana with a little of the butter sauce.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the banana halves on the hot grate and grill until caramelized (darkly browned) on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side (6 to 12 minutes in all), basting with some of the butter sauce. Be sure to reserve at least three-quarters of the sauce for serving.
Place the grilled banana halves in the bowls on top of the ice cream. Pour the remaining butter sauce over them, sprinkle pecans on top, and serve at once.
*HOW TO TOAST PECANS:
There are at least three ways to toast pecans. You can place them in a dry skillet (don't use a nonstick one) over medium heat and cook until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan to ensure even cooking. Or you can arrange the pecans in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan and bake them in a 400 degree F oven or toaster oven for 8 to 15 minutes, again shaking the pan from time to time to ensure even browning. Finally, a grill maniac would place the pecans in an aluminum foil pan and grill them using the indirect method for 8 to 15 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
Source: BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen
New Orleans, LA
"To come to New Orleans without sampling bananas Foster at Brennan's is a bit like visiting London and missing Big Ben. Hyperbole, perhaps, but bananas sauteed with butter, brown sugar, banana liqueur, and rum is a New Orleans culinary tradition, and its popularity can be judged by the staggering quantity of bananas Foster served at Brennan's each year and the number of imitations it has spawned. Named for a local businessman (Richard Foster, owner of Foster Awning Company in New Orleans), bananas Foster was created in the 1950s by Brennan's chef Paul Blange. Chef Blange would probably be scandalized by the notion of grilled bananas Foster, but the smoky char of the fire makes a great dessert even better. Brennan's serves its bananas over ice cream. Fire and ice a combination I heartily recommend."
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup banana liqueur
1.4 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pints vanilla ice cream (for serving)
4 large bananas
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans*
YOU'LL ALSO NEED:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak or mesquite), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
Method: Direct grilling
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, banana liqueur, rum, and cinnamon, increase the heat to high, and let the sauce boil until syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. The butter sauce can be made up to 2 hours before serving. It does not need to be refrigerated.
Scoop balls of ice cream into 4 bowls and place them in the freezer.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high (you need a really hot grill to caramelize sugar; preheat the grill, then preheat it some more before adding the bananas). If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals.
Meanwhile, peel the bananas and slice each in half sharply on the diagonal. Reheat the butter sauce, if necessary. Lightly brush each piece of banana with a little of the butter sauce.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the banana halves on the hot grate and grill until caramelized (darkly browned) on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side (6 to 12 minutes in all), basting with some of the butter sauce. Be sure to reserve at least three-quarters of the sauce for serving.
Place the grilled banana halves in the bowls on top of the ice cream. Pour the remaining butter sauce over them, sprinkle pecans on top, and serve at once.
*HOW TO TOAST PECANS:
There are at least three ways to toast pecans. You can place them in a dry skillet (don't use a nonstick one) over medium heat and cook until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan to ensure even cooking. Or you can arrange the pecans in a single layer in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan and bake them in a 400 degree F oven or toaster oven for 8 to 15 minutes, again shaking the pan from time to time to ensure even browning. Finally, a grill maniac would place the pecans in an aluminum foil pan and grill them using the indirect method for 8 to 15 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
Source: BBQ USA by Steven Raichlen
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