Ah (or maybe ugh), to be the sole female sibling running a family-owned business some 70 years ago. In 1951, the late Ella Brennan, manager of the still-famous Brennan’s restaurant on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, found herself saddled with one older fruit-broker brother unloading his banana surplus, and another one demanding she devise a dessert to honor of his crime-commissioner crony, Richard Foster. Ella’s epiphany—bananas sautéed in brown sugar, butter, and combustible liquor, then torched—remains a top reason to eat in the Crescent City. Our Bananas Foster recipe uses banana liqueur in addition to classic rum, heightening the banana flavor in this caramelized dessert.
Ingreadients:
- 4 ripe medium bananas, peeled
- 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup light-brown sugar, packed
- 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 cup banana liqueur
- 1⁄4 cup dark rum
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Direction
- Quarter the bananas by cutting them in half once lengthwise, then once again crosswise. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, whisking frequently, until the butter is melted and the sugar is fully incorporated, 4–6 minutes. Add the banana liqueur and bananas, and cook, stirring gently, until the bananas are softened and slightly caramelized, 4–6 minutes more. Add the rum, then carefully light with a long match or lighter to flambé, shaking gently until the flame dies down. Divide the bananas and their sauce among individual bowls and serve hot, with vanilla ice cream.
