Bananas Foster with Ice Cream

° Serves 4

These sautéed bananas can also be eaten cold with sour cream and a slice of pound cake, but here they are served warm, with ice cream on top. I prefer vanilla ice cream with the bananas, but almost any flavor you like will be good.

• 4 ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 pint best-quality vanilla ice cream

Peel the bananas and slice them crosswise.

Heat the butter and sugar in a skillet until the butter melts, then cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute, until the sugar starts to brown lightly and the mixture begins to caramelize. Add the bananas and sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir in the water, rum, and lemon juice. Cover and cook for about 1 minute, until a sauce has formed.

Spoon the mixture onto dessert plates or into individual glass bowls or wine goblets, top each with a scoop of ice cream, and serve immediately.

Note: Use bananas that have some black spots on their skin to ensure they are well ripened.