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BRENNAN’S

Brennan’s Restaurant brought this old Creole dish to prominence when they dusted off the recipe, ladled it over vanilla ice cream and named it after a favored customer. The restaurant overlooks a classic Creole courtyard entered through the original carriageway. When flaming a dish, extreme caution must be taken and a fire extinguisher must be nearby.

Serves 6

6 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces, 3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups light brown sugar
6 whole bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise and then cut into quarters
1/3 cup dark rum (Myers or Captain Morgan)
1/4 cup Creme De Banana (banana liqueur)
6 scoops vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
2 long, fireplace matches
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar, mix thoroughly and set aside.

In a flambé pan or a chafing dish, combine the butter and brown sugar. Mash together, then place the pan over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture caramelizes to a creamy rich brown color. It will require 5 minutes do it thoroughly.


Add the banana pieces to the pan, cut sides down and cook for about 1 minute. Place the rum in a large ladle and ignite with a long match. Drizzle the flaming rum into the pan.

Scatter the cinnamon-sugar mixture directly over the flame. As the flame dies out, pour the banana liqueur into the ladle and ignite with a long match. Drizzle the flaming banana liqueur into the pan and stir gently to combine all the ingredients. The flames will quickly die down.

Immediately place one scoop of ice cream in each of six saucer-style champagne glasses. Spoon over some of the banana mixture and plenty of the pan juices and serve immediately.