“Camping” Bananas Foster
When we decided to spend a night yurt camping, I think my boyfriend expected me to provide simple food, like hotdogs. He clearly underestimated my ability to over-complicate a menu. I marinated the lamb steaks in red wine with rosemary and fennel seed and wrapped the scallops in bacon. Grilled some mushrooms and asparagus, along with potatos wrapped in foil and buried in the fire’s embers- the best way I’ve ever had a baked potato. The are hard and crusty on the outside and molten hot and fluffy on the inside… But the real triumph was the bananas.
I prepared the sauce ahead of time, reducing coconut rum and brandy and mixing it with cinnamon. At the campsite I mixed this with butter and heated it over the fire to melt. The bananas were on the grill ten minutes, maybe less, but it only took that long for the skins to blacken and the fruit inside to bubble and caramelize.
While I played with the butter-rum sauce, he toasted the marshmallows. I split open the bananas, tossed the butter sauce on them, and smushed the marshmallows on top. Fabulous. Camping food at its best.
Recipe: “Camping” Bananas Foster
Ingredients:
8oz dark rum- may substitute coconut rum, brandy, or whatever is on hand.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2tbsp butter
4 bananas
About 12 marshmallows
Prepare the sauce before you reach the campsite. Reduce rum by 1/3 to a 1/2, until thickened and syrupy. Let cool, then pour into a small portable container. I used an empty spice jar. Add cinnamon.
At campsite, place bananas on grill if using a grill; if there is no grill, wrap thoroughly in tinfoil and place at edge of fire. Let cook 5-10 minutes, until skins are blackened and fruit is bubbling.
While bananas cook, make a bowl out of tin foil, or use a small camping pan. Pour sauce into pan and add butter. Heat until melted.
Take bananas off heat and unwrap, if necessary. While bananas rest, toast marshmallows. Split open bananas and pour sauce equally over them. Top with 2-3 marshmallows per banana.
Serves 4
