Chef Hunter Lee/Contributing Writer
Let’s get shakin’
I spent last week in New Orleans, Louisiana for a book promo tour and closed the week out with an amazing reception for the newest cookbook put out by the George Rodrigue Foundation for the Arts. I was featured in the newest book, The Pot and the Pallette ll. It was an honor to be involved in such an amazing project. The foundation supports and helps fund art, music, performing, and culinary arts programs for youth across the state. I even got to meet and spend time with the director of the foundation Jacques Rodrigue (George Rodrigues son. If you didn’t know George Rodrigue was the artist behind the world famous Blue Dog paintings.
As always I had to eat at my favorite restaurant, the world famous Brennan’s. Of course it was as amazing as always. It still gives that classic 1950’s upscale New Orleans vibe and the food is some of the best to be found anywhere. So with that said I thought I would share with all of you a not so well known story of my favorite dessert and how it came to be. I hope you enjoy the history and if you haven’t already you must try this heavenly dish.
In the early 1950s New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Brennan, owner of Brennan’s Restaurant, challenged his chef, Paul Blange, to include bananas in a new dessert. It was Owen’s way of promoting the imported fruit. And so was born the spectacle of Bananas Foster, a decadent dessert named for Owen’s friend, Richard Foster, a local civic and business leader. Bananas are sautéedin butter and sugar and cinnamon and then bathed in rum, which is set aflame in a fiery burst. The fire burns off the alcohol in the rum, leaving just a smoky taste and rum flavor. This delicious concoction is usually created tableside to impress and then served over vanilla ice cream.
Today, Bananas Foster is served at Brennan’s and other fine New Orleans restaurants. Each year, Brennan’s flames 35,000 pounds of bananas for the famous dessert.
It’s delightfully simple to make at home.
Bananas Foster
- Ingredients
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup banana liqueur
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 4 bananas, cut in half, lengthwise, then halved
- Directions
- Combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat on top of the stove, and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Then tip the pan slightly and ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.
Until next week, I’m Chef Hunter Lee reminding you, “treat your kitchen, treat yourself”