The greatest invention of the world-famous Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans - Bananas, sautéed in caramelized butter, served with whipped cream (and usually flambeed with brandy).
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Culinary 2
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
For chantilly cream
1cupheavy cream
3tablespoonsconfectioners' sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
For Banana Foster
1/4cupbutter
2/3cupdark brown sugar
1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
3bananaspeeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
1/4cupcoarsely chopped pecanstoasted lightly
Instructions
Prepare Chantilly Cream
Lightly beat the cream in a chilled stainless steel bowl with a large balloon whisk until it begins to thicken.
Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until the cream is very stiff and stands in firm peaks when it is lifted from the bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare Bananas Foster
Warm saute pan over medium heat, melt butter.
Stir in sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and pecans in pan.
Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve at once with a dollop of pastry cream and chopped pecans.
Notes
In the 1950's, New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Edward Brennan challenged his talented chef, Paul Blangé, to include bananas in a new culinary creation-Owen's way of promoting the imported fruit. Simultaneously, Holiday Magazine had asked Owen to provide a new recipe to appear in a feature article on Brennan's.In 1951, Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who, as chairman, served with the restaurant's owner on a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen.Little did anyone realize that Bananas Foster would become an international favorite and is the most requested item on the restaurant's menu. Thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas are flambeed each year at Brennan's in the preparation of its world-famous dessert.