Of all the desserts I’ve ever made, this one is the simplest. It involves only two ingredients (or three, if you count the optional one) and even its name sounds prosaic: grilled bananas.
Despite its simplicity, this dessert is so delicious. Grilling the bananas caramelizes their natural sugar, thus intensifying the fruit’s intrinsic sweetness. It also tenderizes the bananas, giving them a more sensuous texture and softer mouth feel.
You can glamorize the bananas a bit by piping whipped cream over them. Or make like a chef and add more butter to the pan. Deglaze the pan with liqueur or wine then serve the resulting sauce over the bananas.
But I think all that is unnecessary. By themselves the grilled bananas already taste so good. Besides, there’s nothing like eating fruits in their unadulterated state.
Grilled bananas
- 4 ripe lakatan or latundan bananas
- 2 tbsp butter
- Whipped cream (optional)
Slice the bananas into halves lengthwise. Do not peel them.
Heat a grill pan to medium and add the butter. When the butter starts melting, use a heat-proof spatula or pastry brush to spread it throughout the surface of the pan. Put the bananas on the grill pan, cut side down.
Turn the heat to high for one to two minutes so grill marks form on the bananas. Lower the heat and let the bananas grill for about one to two minutes or until softened.
Remove the bananas from the pan and transfer them to a serving platter, cut sides up.
If desired, pipe whipped cream over the bananas before serving. Makes four servings.
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Cook’s tips:
You can also use saba bananas or Cavendish bananas.
If desired, serve the bananas with ice cream.
The amount of time for grilling the bananas would depend on how firm the bananas initially are. If the bananas are very ripe and soft, grill them for a shorter time (one to two minutes). Firmer bananas would need a slightly longer time (two to four minutes).
If you don’t have a grill pan, just use a skillet. The grill marks on the bananas are not really necessary; they just give the bananas a more polished look. With or without grill marks, these bananas taste fabulous.
