Banana brûlée

INGREDIENTS

(makes approximately 12 portions)

5 large, ripe bananas
Juice of half lemon
90ml crème de banane liqueur
3 gelatine leaves
5 egg yolks
300ml milk
350ml double cream
110g Demerara sugar
110g caster sugar
110g broken dried banana chips

For the ice-cream
4 egg yolks
30ml water
90ml granulated sugar
200ml milk
200ml double cream
1 coconut, flesh removed and passed through the finest drum sieve
90ml Bacardi

For the butterscotch sauce
170g granulated sugar
90g double cream
300g unsalted butter
Splash of rum

For the banana syrup
90ml water
90ml granulated sugar
60ml crème de banane

To garnish
1 banana, sliced on a mandolin lengthways, brushed with lemon and dried in a low oven

METHOD

To make the bavarois, liquidise the bananas (you should have 350ml). Add the lemon juice and the crème de banane immediately to stop discolouration.

Soften the gelatine in cold water. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl over simmering water until they thicken. Bring the milk and cream to the boil and combine them with the eggs.

Add the gelatine and the banana mixture and turn into ring moulds that have their bottoms sealed with Clingfilm. Allow to set in the refrigerator.

Place a mousse ring onto a greased, inverted baking tray. Cover the tray inside the ring with the two sugars that have been mixed together. Remove the ring and blowtorch to make the caramel sheet topping. It will be too bitter, so before it goes cold, sprinkle on more sugar mixture and some broken banana chips.

To make the ice-cream, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl over simmering water until they have thickened. Make a syrup from the ounce of water and the sugar. Bring the milk and cream to the boil.

Incorporate the boiling syrup into the egg yolks with a hand blender, add the milk and cream mixture, cover and allow to cool. Then add the coconut purée, and churn in an ice-cream machine. When almost finished, add the Bacardi and churn for a few more minutes.

Prepare the butterscotch sauce by heating the sugar in a saucepan until a rich brown colour is achieved, then add cream. Allow it to mix through and whisk in the butter until it is all incorporated. Add the rum and allow to cool.

For the banana syrup, boil the water and the sugar to make a clear syrup, cool, and add the crème de banane. Store in the refrigerator.

To serve, turn out the bavarois into the centre of a plate, place the caramel sheet on top, arrange the sauce around the dish and sprinkle with the banana syrup. Put a ball of ice-cream on top and insert a slice of dried banana into it. Serve immediately.

Tony Borthwick

Photo © Alan Donaldson