Chef Johns Bananas Foster Food

CHEF JOHN'S BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Melt butter and brown sugar together in a skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts and mixture begins to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Place bananas, cut-side down, in brown sugar mixture. Cook until just golden, about 30 seconds; flip and cook until golden on the other side, about 30 seconds.
• Remove from heat. Pour rum and banana liqueur into skillet; return skillet to high heat. Cook until alcohol ignites and flames, 1 to 3 minutes; add cinnamon. When flames die, remove skillet from heat.
• Scoop vanilla ice cream into 2 bowls. Divide bananas mixture between bowls and garnish with mint sprigs.

BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar. Stir together and cook for a minute or two. Pour in the cream and stir it around to combine.
• Peel the bananas and slice them on the bias inside the peel. Drop the slices into the pan. Next, add the chopped nuts and stir them into the sauce. Then - and this is where you need to be a little careful - stir in the rum. Let it start to bubble, and then carefully use a long lighter to ignite it. (Be sure to have a lid handy in case you need to extinguish the flame.) Let the fire burn and go out (it'll only take about 30 seconds or so), and then stir in the cinnamon at the end. You may also cook the mixture without flambeing it.
• Spoon it over a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and enjoy immediately.
• Spoon bananas Foster over French toast, waffles or crepes. Substitute peaches, pears or cherries for the bananas. Of course, then it probably wouldn't be considered bananas Foster.

BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Cook butter and sugar in a large skillet over medium heat until melted. Meanwhile, slice bananas in half lengthwise. Add to skillet and cook until bananas are tender, about 2 minutes. Carefully add rum and brandy and ignite. Spoon sauce gently over the bananas a few times and then serve immediately over vanilla ice cream.

ALTON BROWN'S BANANAS FOSTER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat.
• Add brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg and stir until sugar dissolves.
• Add banana liqueur and bring sauce to simmer.
• Add bananas and cook for 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they are cooking.
• Remove bananas from pan to a serving dish.
• Bring sauce to a simmer and carefully add the rum.
• If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame on its own.
• If not, using stick flame, carefully ignite and continue cooking until flame dies out, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
• If sauce is too thin, cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it is syrupy in consistency.
• Immediately spoon the sauce over bananas and serve.
• Serve with waffles, crepes, or ice cream.