Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
I have been the lucky recipient of many a sweet from my old friend, Chef Dominique. His recipes elevate my baking skills. I am looking forward to the day I can share a meal with my family again. This book's chocolate cake recipe with chocolate ganache filling, topped with these sweet, caramelized bananas, is the first dessert on my list. The Zabar boys are going to be very, very happy.
MY GO-TO CARAMELIZED BANANAS
You might wonder, what’s the difference between roasted fruit and caramelized fruit? Roasted fruits are cooked until thoroughly softened, and have a concentrated, almost jammy flavor. Caramelized fruits are cooked until golden on the outside but still firm. How flavors change, depends on how you choose to cook an ingredient!
The first time I tried caramelized bananas, they were ladled over a crepe, and I can still smell their burnt sugar, which had an almost bitter taste that melted away as I chewed.
MAKES: 500 grams (1 cup), enough to cover one 8-inch or 20 cm tart
TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
100 grams 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 bananas, peeled and sliced into 1-inch-thick (2.5 cm) coins
30 grams 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Make the dry caramel: Place a small nonstick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is blond in color, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Caramelize the bananas: Place the bananas in the pan in an even layer. Cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute more, until the bananas are soft but not overly mushy.
3. Deglaze the pan: Add the butter and let it melt, swirling the pan and stirring as it melts to deglaze the pan.*
* Don’t be intimidated—this isn’t deglazing with alcohol like on TV, so you won’t see a giant flambé flame in your kitchen. Here you’re simply deglazing the pan with a bit of liquid—in this case, the moisture in the butter—to help lift the caramelized bananas from the bottom of the pan and prevent them from burning.
4. Transfer the bananas to a large plate, placing them in an even layer, and let cool.*
* Don’t forget all the other good stuff in the pan—scrape any leftover caramel into an airtight container and let it cool, too, then drizzle over ice cream or pour into your coffee.
STORAGE
The caramelized bananas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
BEST FOR
› I love these on a simple tart or a chocolate mousse cake
› Leftover caramelized bananas are delicious over yogurt or ice cream
Reprinted with permission from Everyone Can Bake (Simon & Schuster) by Dominique Ansel photographs by Evan Sung.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
