Conference turris::cooks

It's simple and quick to do, and it will impress everyone so long as you set 
fire to the bananas and not your guests or your house. The recipe that follows 
is for 4 people, with the bananas served over ice cream (vanilla ice cream is 
standard, use other flavors at your--and your guests--own risk). The only 
equipment you need is a large frying pan and a match.

Before you start, put 1 or 2 scoops of ice cream in as many dishes as you have
guests; unless the ice cream is frozen hard, put the dishes (w/i.c.) in the
freezer or refrigerator. 

Cut a stick (1/4 lb) of butter into pieces, then put 3/4 cup (more or less, 
depending on your own preference) brown sugar (light or dark, again according 
to preference or what you have) into a cup.  Take 3 large or 4 medium bananas, 
peel them, and cut them each once lengthwise and once crosswise. Measure out 1
or 2 ounces of cognac or brandy, and keep it nearby without consuming it.

Turn the heat under the fry pan to medium. Add the butter and sugar, and stir
until the butter and sugar have melted. Add the bananas, and cook for 2-4
minutes on each side until the bananas are limp but still hold their shape. 
Remove the pan from the heat, darken the room as much as reasonably possible,
pour the cognac (brandy) into the pan, wait exactly 7 seconds, then put a lit
match to the top of the concoction. Swirl the pan slowly until the flame goes
out, then spoon the bananas & syrup on top of the ice cream, which one of your 
assistants will have put on the dining room table.

If you are counting calories, avoid using both sour cream and butter together 
on your baked potato.

	I once had the same thing except the server added 1/3 c each of 
banana and strawberry liqueurs before torching it.        ^^^^^ (approx.)

JoeT

	On the other hand, the Wildwood Steak House on route 20 in Marlboro
	has a 'Bananas Foster' on their menu. It is not the real thing. All
	it is, is a banana split with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch sauce
	and whipped cream. The bananas were cold, not cooked.

Ken....

This recipe is from "Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook".  I've never fixed it 
myself, but have eaten it in the Atlanta and New Orleans Brennan's -- in 
both places it was delectable!

			BANANAS FOSTER

2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced lengthwise
Dash cinnamon
1/2 oz. banana liqueur
1 oz. white rum
1 large scoop vanilla ice cream

Melt brown sugar and butter in flat chafing dish.  Add banana and saute 
until tender.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Pour in banana liqueur and rum over 
all and flame.  Baste with warm liquid until flame burns out.  Serve 
immediately over ice cream.  Makes 1 serving.


							Pat

	The Bananas Flambe I ate while visiting in France was good, but
did >>not<< include ice cream.  However, it's even easier than the above.
Goes like this:

		Bananas
		Sugar
		Lemon
		Brandy, preferably cognac
		Butter

	1) Slice bananas lengthwise.  If very long bananas are used, slice
	   crosswise once, too.

	2) Melt butter in pan.  Fry bananas over medium flame.

	3) When bananas show some softness, sprinkle with lemon juice,
	   sprinkle liberally with sugar, then gently decant brandy over
	   the mixture (figure 1/3 cup brandy for two bananas).

	4) Ignite brandy and baste over bananas.

	5) Remove bananas to plates, spoon sauce over (the bananas
	   should be basted until the brandy flame extinguishes
	   naturally).

>> Serves 1 per banana, unless they are very large bananas.

	It was served this way to me in the finest restaurant in Tours.

Apollonius

Since some of the readers of this note file aren't experienced cooks, I 
thought it might be wise to include the following caviat in the "flaming 
desserts" note.

Regarding any flaming dessert:  There is one hard and fast rule that must 
be followed.  NEVER, NEVER pour liquor directly from the bottle into a hot 
dish.  Should it catch on fire, the fire can burn right up the stream of 
liquid into the bottle and become a flaming torch in your hand.  Yes, I 
know, they do it in restaurants all the time, but notice that they have a 
cute little metal device on the mouth of the bottle designed to prevent a 
mishap.

If you pour the liquor into a measuring cup first (or any container for 
that matter) then fixing a flaming dessert is easy, safe, and quite 
impressive.  Measuring cups aren't very pretty, so when I do one in the 
chafing dish at the table, I have the liquor in a silver cream pitcher.  
It's safe and prettier than a bottle!  Have fun!

						Pat

    Bananas Bahamas        Serves 4 - 6
    
    Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes
    
    6 Bananas
    3 tbsp (45 ml) dark rum
    4 oz (125g) Syrup
    1 oz (25g) butter
    1 oz (25g) cornflour
    1/4 pint (150 ml) water
    2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
    
    Make a sauce by blending the cornflour with a little water in a
    sourcepan. Add the rest of the water, lemon juice and syrup and
    cook over a gentle heat, stirring continuously until the mixture
    thickens. Peel the bananas. Cut each in half and then slice lengthways.
    Put them in a buttered ovenproof dish. Cover them with the sauce
    and dot with the remaining butter. Bake at 350F/180C or gas mark
    4 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with rum and set alight before serving.
    (For a children's pudding, omit the flamed rum. Orange, instead
    of lemon juice is a nice variation.
    
    Keith

    Cafe Brulot
    
    32 cubes of sugar
    3 1" sticks of cinnamon
    3 whole cloves
    Shredded rind of one orange
    Shredded rind of one lemon
    3/4 cup brandy
    1 cube of sugar
    3 cups boiling water
    1/2 cup instant coffee
    
    Combine sugar, spices and shredded rinds in chafing dish (or use
    a shallow pan). Add brandy and heat. Warm ladle and dip a little
    of the spiced brandy into it. Place a cube of sugar in the ladle
    and ignite the brandy. WHen brandy is blazing, lower the ladle into
    pan. Combine boiling water and coffee. Add to brandy. Blend by lifting
    some of the mixture in ladle and pouring it back. When flame burns
    out, ladle into demitasses.
    
    Makes nine 3oz servings.
    
    Keith

    I found a recipe for Banana Flambe that calls for Triple sec and
    sounds quite simple!
    
           1 banana, sliced in half lengthwise
           1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
           1 T Triple Sec
           1/4 C unsweetened apple juice
           1 T freshly grated ginger
    
    Arrange banana slices in a large skillet. Add apple juice, lemon
    rind and ginger. Cook over low heat for 4 minutes, basting with
    the juice constantly. Heat Triple Sec and pour over banana slices.
    Ignite and shake the skillet until flames extinguish. Serve
    immediately. (172 calories per whole banana)

    For a simple, but delicious, variation that is popular in the
    caribbean (where bananas and rum are inevitable):
    
    Use the recipe in .7, but substitute dark rum for the brandy.
    Also, use bananas that are fairly "ripe" (that is, yellow with 
    brown spots - no hint of green) because they're usually sweeter. 
    As the alcohol evaporates, the sugar from the ripened bananas 
    thickens any liquid left over from the rum.

Hi,

I was recently introduced to this notes file and have already tried some 
of the recipes.

I will be adding my favorite recipies in a few categories.

Two questions I have come up with so far. 

I have read directions to 'flame' things after adding liquor.  I assume that 
means setting it on fire and the alcohol burns off.  is there a technique 
to doing this?  what are the dangers?  how do you avoid them?  will your 
dinner blow up?

Also, in a beef burgundy recipe, it called for Bouquet Garni.  Help - 
what is this???

Thanks so much and I'm hooked !!

karen

>I have read directions to 'flame' things after adding liquor.  I assume that 
>means setting it on fire and the alcohol burns off.  is there a technique 
>to doing this?  what are the dangers?  how do you avoid them?  will your 
>dinner blow up?

Dangers are simply setting your clothes, drapes, hair, or guests on fire...
considered real tacky by most people...

Technique:  pour warmed liquor (almost hot - so it gives off fumes) over
select food and, keeping face back from pan, gracefully apply a burning
match to the food - blue flames should envelop the food.  Alcohol to use
must have enough "proof" to burn easily - usually rum, brandy, wiskey,
or other hard liquors.  Some instructions in cook books recommend you
light the booze in a small pan after warming it and then pour it over
the food...watch for splashes...both ways work.  Advantages are in flavor.
I especially like flamed brandy added to desert crepes...the flavor
without the harshness or alcohol can be a real asset.

>Also, in a beef burgundy recipe, it called for Bouquet Garni.  Help - 
>what is this???

a small cheese-cloth sack filled with spices and herbs...check out a
good french cookbook for exact recipe.  The sack can be removed, intact,
after simmering, which leaves the food with the taste, but not the
color or texture.

Welcome aboard!

    If you have a gas stove, you can flame things simply by tipping
    the pan so that the fumes ignite.  I always use a LONG handled pan,
    to avoid getting too close to the flame.  And I also always have
    a large cover handy, just in cash...
    I have seen many different types of Bouquets for cooking.  It seems
    to mean a bundle of herbs that you remove prior to serving, but
    can contain whatever types of herbs go well with what you are making.
    Usually it has fresh thyme and rosemary.
    I don't use the cheesecloth.  I just tie everything up in butcher's
    twine.
    

RE: Flaming

>>>"What are the dangers?  How do you avoid them?"

DO NOT simply pour the alcohol from the bottle into a heated dish
that's on a burner.  The alcohol in the dish often ignites before you
apply a match.  From what I've read, the flame might then follow the
flow back to the bottle, then blow up your bottle like a Molotov
cocktail (causing great injury to you and those around you). To play
it safe, first pour the alcohol you want to use from the bottle into
an intermediate container, such as a measuring cup. 

In addition, keep a lid handy when flaming.  If the flames get out of hand, 
just put a lid on it first, then deal with the flaming kitchen, etc.  

Also, have a fire extinguisher on hand.  They cost about $12 and can be 
mounted somewhere in your kitchen.  A MUST whether you flame foods or not!

And to avoid tall flames, have the food on low before adding the alcohol.  You 
can always turn up the heat after igniting.

						     
							- JP

    The correct terminoligy for this technique is calle Flambee, though
    I don't know whether Flambeeing is a word.
    
    					Geoff

    Went out to eat this weekend and one of the party ordered 'Fried
    Bananas'.  Imagine our surprise when they 'flambe'd' them tableside.
    For New Englander's - this was at the Asia Chinese & Polynesian
    Restaurant, River Road in Newington NH.  There is also an Asia in
    Portsmouth on Rte 1 and in Dover on Third St.
    
    What was different from all the above was that the bananas were
    more like fritters - they had a dough coating - and the flambe 
    'fuel' was 151 rum and they were served with a chocolate sauce.
    
    So, I would say you could probably make banana fritters and lightly
    fry them ahead of time.  Then, when you are ready to serve, put
    some chocolate sauce in the bottom of a chafing dish then the fritters
    then pour a shot of 151 over and fire.  When the fire goes out spoon
    the sauce over the fritters and serve. 
                                     
    No, I didn't try to make these, but I did enjoy eating them......