Butter

Plantains Foster

March 26, 2021
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgepeth. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

Plantains Foster is a remix of the iconic Bananas Foster dessert that was made famous for its tableside performance at Brennan’s in New Orleans. Although plantains are typically fried and served alongside Caribbean, South American, and African dishes, here the fruit is cooked in a caramel that’s gently spiced with orange zest and cinnamon sticks. Dark rum brings the caramel sauce together, giving it an oaky molasses undertone.

This recipe was featured on our new cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Briana melts, flambés, and scoops her way through this recipe, offering tips and backstory along the way.Briana Riddock

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Ingredients
  • 1 large (or 2 small) ripe yellow plantains
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of an orange
  • 1/4 cup dark rum
  • Pinch of salt
  • Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
  1. Cut ends off each side of the plantain. Remove the peel by cutting a slit along the length of the plantain piercing the skin but not cutting through the flesh. Cut the plantain in half and cut each half into 4 slices to make a total of 8 slices.
  2. Heat a large (10-inch) skillet (10-inch over medium heat and melt butter. Add the cinnamon sticks toast in the butter.
  3. Add dark brown sugar to the butter and continuously stir until the sugar melts and starts to bubble. A glossy cohesive sauce will start to form. Add plantain slices to the sugar mixture. Cook the plantain for about 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through on each side. (If your heat is too high, the sauce will separate and break.) Stir in vanilla extract and orange zest.
  4. Slightly tilt your skillet away from you and pour in the rum away from you. The rum will instantly catch a small flame if you are cooking on a gas stove. Allow the flame to subside. If you are cooking on an electric/induction burner allow the alcohol content to cook out within 2 minutes.
  5. Finish with a pinch of salt and immediately remove from the heat. Serve hot with ice cream.

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