caramelized banana crisp

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• blogs features food and wine
• 845 days ago
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Carmelized Banana Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce by SporkorFoon

Yes, as I said yesterday, it tastes as good as it sounds. In the second and final installment of this week’s winning dishes from Top Chef’s Restaurant Wars, I present to you this Caramelized Banana Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce.  

I had carte blanche to make whatever I wanted this week, as the concept of the winning restaurant was an American Workshop.  I had the idea to try this caramelized banana crisp, so I went with it.  I initially wanted to do a banana flambe crisp, by flambeeing (is that a verb?) the bananas and then putting them in the oven in the crisp.  But then I read somewhere that Eric Ripert said to not put flambe in a toaster or else it will explode.  And when Eric Ripert speaks, I listen.  

So I caramelized the bananas in a bit of butter and brown sugar until they got nice and… caramelly.  Then, I popped them in the oven with a delicious topping and hoped for the best. 

This. was. amazing.

The rum soaked, caramelized bananas take on a wonderfully creamy texture underneath the crisp sugary topping with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. 

In the words of Darrel Hammond, AKA Sean Connery in Celebrity Jeopardy from the Saturday Night Live glory days of the late 90s:  ”You’re sitting on a gold mine, Trebek!”

Now, we are not talking about the Penis Mightier here (that’s “The Pen IS Mightier”), but this may be the next best invention. 

Flambeed Banana Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce 

This is best served with a big scoop of ice cream.

Hot Butter Rum Sauce Recipe

Serves 2

For the Bananas

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 medium bananas

Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and lower heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for 2 min. Slice bananas in a diagonal into 1/3″ inch slices. Arrange in a single layer in sauce pan, turning after 2 minutes, until golden brown on each side.
 
For the Crisp

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 

1/4 cup oats

1/4 teaspoon salt 
6 tablespoons butter 

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or spray two individual ramekins.

Combine bananas, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a ramekin.

Mix sugar, flour, oats and salt. Cut in butter until it forms crumbs. Scatter mixture over batter and bake 40 minutes or until browned.