Bananas Flambé
I like bananas as a dessert, sometimes flambéed, sometimes baked, or even just sliced and served with lemon juice and sugar. Slicing them in half lengthwise, baking them in a gratin dish and finishing at the table with some rum makes for a dessert served with a dramatic flourish.
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 bananas, peeled and split in half lengthwise
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons rum
- Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter a shallow gratin dish.
- Place the bananas cut-side down in a single layer in the dish and sprinkle with the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice (you can also sprinkle a little of the sugar in the dish before adding the bananas). Bake until the bananas are soft and the sugar has melted, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, drizzle the rum over them and, using a long-handled lighter, carefully light the alcohol to flambé the dish. This can be done at the table. Spoon the bananas into dishes and serve alone, with ice cream or whipped cream.
