This is one of the recipes I performed at The Royal Show last year. Orignally, this recipe started out as a quick banana ice cream by James Martin. It works by combining frozen bananas with buttermilk to create a soft serve ice cream.I had never tried this recipe before ( which is not always a good idea when performing infront of hundreds of people).Never the less whats life without a little risk huh?
I had my bananas good and frozen the night before and kept in a borrow freezer space have way across the hall. Still confident that this simmple dish would work until the organisers decided to have an unscheduled presetation. Fifteen minutes later and now partly defrosted I couldn't make the ice cream because it was too soft to call it ice cream so I told the audience I was making a fool out of myself.
Ingredients
Banana Fool
4 large ripe bananas
1/2 a vanilla pod
4 Tbsp of caster sugar
150ml (5floz) buttermilk
100g (4oz) raspberries
100g (4oz) blackberries
Spun Sugar
100g (4oz) Caster Sugar
Method
1. Peel and cut the bananas into chunky slices and place them on a non-stick baking tray (or line your tray with parchment) and freeze.
2. The bananas need to freeze for 4 hours to make sure they are frozen enough.
3. Make sure buttermilk is very ,not frozen but nice and cold.
4. In the mean time to make the spun sugar decoration by pouring 100g (4oz)into a non-stick saucepan and heat gently, shaking the sauce occasionally.
5. It wil begin to brown at the edges (hence the need to shake it but not stir).
If you stir the sugar it may crystalise.
6. When the sugar is metled and a light brown colour remove from the heat and cool the bottom of the saucepan slightly dipping just the bottom of the pan in an inch of cold water.
7. Lay two whisks on a parchment lined tray to "catch the sugar threads".
8. Use a dinner fork to test how quickly the hot sugar runs off it.
9. When it is drizzling slowly the it is ready. Use a flicking motion to flick the sugar across the whisk handles to create very fine strands. This make take a few practice goes but along as you covered anything you don't want sugar on it's fun almost like make candy floss.
10. Briefly you will be able to shape the spun sugar into nests or in this cas long whispy strands. The shape you want really depends what your serving the fool in.
Move the spun sugar away from any heat or moisture.
11. The finish the Fool by mixing half of the buttermilk, 4 Tbsp caster sugar and scrap the seeds from the 1/2 vanilla pod.
12. Now add the all of the banana pieces, mix for a few moments then slowly add the rest of the buttermilk.
To Serve
Spoon onto attractive bowls or glasses and top with some of the fruit (keeping the rest to offer at the table). Decorate each glass with a little bundle of the spun sugar.
Chef's Tips
It's important when making a simple dessert to use something stylish to serve it in.
I chose these wonderful Manhattan glasses.
The reason I shared this story with is to show that even a chef with 30 years can have unexpected problems. Just like when your fixing a dinner party. But you just have to stay cool and work around them.
