10 TO 12 SERVINGS
This is my last-minute dessert standby, and everyone loves it. Dark rum lends a tantalizing Caribbean flavor, and the dish cooks literally in minutes. Choose bananas that are yellow but have no trace of brown in the skin, so that they will hold together over heat. Serve the bananas alone with their rich sauce or ladle over scoops of vanilla ice cream.
10 to 12 ripe but firm bananas
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2⁄3 cup dark rum
3 cups heavy cream
1. Peel the bananas and cut them first lengthwise in half, then crosswise in half to make 4 pieces from each banana.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt half the butter over moderate heat. Add about one-third of the bananas and turn them in the butter for about 1 minute to heat through. Gently transfer to individual plates or a serving dish, leaving as much butter as possible behind in the pan. Repeat 2 more times with the remaining butter and bananas.
3. Add the brown sugar to the butter remaining in the skillet and stir over heat to melt until bubbling. Pour in the rum and boil for about 30 seconds. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Boil until the cream reduces and thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over the bananas and serve.