Caribbean Fried Bananas

If you want a dessert that puts on a show, light something on fire.

Whole bananas get baked in their skins until soft and caramelized inside, then peeled and pan-fried in a sticky honey-allspice butter.

Then comes the fun part: a splash of rum and a match, and you’ve got flames dancing across the skillet.

Once the fire dies down, a hit of fresh lime juice cuts through all that sweetness and brings everything into focus.

Simple ingredients, big drama, incredible flavor.

Chef Tips

• Pierce the banana skins before baking so they don’t burst in the oven. A few pokes with a sharp knife does the trick.
• When you add the rum, tilt the pan slightly toward the flame to ignite it, or use a long match. Keep your face and hands well back.
• Serve immediately while the syrup is still warm and pourable. It thickens quickly as it cools.

Variations

• Skip the flambe and simply stir the rum into the sauce if open flames make you nervous.
• Serve over vanilla ice cream for a full-on bananas Foster experience.
• Swap the honey for brown sugar and add a pinch of cinnamon for a warmer spice profile.