Bananas Foster with Rum

Bananas Foster came out of Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans in 1951, named for Richard Foster, a friend of the owner and a customer who loved the original version. The recipe hasn’t needed updating since. Bananas, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and a flaming pour of rum over French vanilla ice cream.

The flame is the showpiece, but the technique is straightforward. The butter and brown sugar melt into a caramel in the pan first, lemon juice goes in to balance and brighten, and the banana halves sauté for two minutes until tender but still holding shape.

Warmed rum is essential. Cold rum drops the pan temperature and the alcohol won’t ignite. Heating it briefly in a small saucepan or measuring cup brings it to the temperature where the vapors light easily.

Light with a long match held at the surface of the rum, then spoon the flaming liquid back over the bananas until the alcohol burns off and the flames die down. The whole show takes about 30 seconds. Spoon immediately over a scoop of ice cream so the hot caramel sauce starts melting the cold cream.

Pro Tips

• Use slightly underripe bananas. Fully ripe ones turn mushy when sautéed.
• Pull the pan off the flame before adding the warm rum if you have a gas stove. Pouring liquor near an open flame is a fire hazard.
• Keep a lid handy to smother flames if they get out of hand.
• French vanilla ice cream is traditional. The egg yolks in French vanilla bring richness that holds up against the rum sauce.

Variations

• Swap rum for bourbon for a smokier, deeper sauce.
• Add a tablespoon of banana liqueur with the rum for an even more pronounced banana flavor.
• Serve over a slice of pound cake instead of ice cream for a different dessert presentation.