Casa Romero's Bananas or Plantains Flambé

This elegant dessert of banana or plantain flambé is popular in the finer restaurants of Mexico. It is a more sophisticated version of plátanos maduros, or sweet fried plantains, which has been a dessert staple in Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.

Ingredients

2 cups sliced bananas or plantains
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brandy

Directions

In a saucepan, melt the butter.

Add the sugar and the cinnamon. Stir.

Sauté the bananas for a few seconds so they get covered in butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

If you have a gas stove, lower the flame and add the brandy very carefully, stirring it. Increase the size of the flame and tilt the pan toward the flame until it catches fire. Then turn off the gas. When the alcohol is burned, the flame will go out. (If it’s an electric stove, strike a match on top of the brandy.) Alcohol burns blue. Food burns yellow. If the flame is yellow, it’s the bananas that are burning, not the brandy. Don’t try to extinguish the flame—just let it burn out.

Hint: this is a delicious dish served over vanilla ice cream.

Serves: 4

Chef Leo Romero opened Boston's Casa Romero in 1972. He shared this recipe with us when he was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.