BANANA TARTE TATIN WITH RUM & RAISIN ICE CREAM
Recipe by Philip Johnson, E'cco Bistro, Queensland
Servings: 6. Prep Time: 40 mins plus soaking overnight and chilling/churning. Cook Time: 10-12 mins Skill Level: Moderate
For the ice cream
150g raisins
125ml (½ cup) dark rum
300g caster sugar
12 egg yolks
500ml (2 cups) milk
500ml (2 cups) cream
For the tarte tatin
1 roll frozen butter puff pastry, defrosted (or use thinly rolled homemade pastry)
6 large bananas
250g caster sugar
60ml (¼ cup) water
80ml ( cup) dark rum
60ml (¼ cup) cream
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
Vegetarian
For the icecream: soak raisins in the dark rum overnight.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg yolks. Place milk and cream in a 2-litre saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk hot milk mixture into the egg mix, then return to a clean saucepan and place over a moderate heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let mixture boil. Strain through a fine sieve, then refrigerate until cold.
Churn cold icecream mixture in an icecream machine. Once fully churned, stir rum and raisins through, and store in the freezer.
For the tarte tatin: pre-heat the oven to 220C. Butter a 26-28 cm fry pan. Cut the puff pastry to fit the top of the pan and set aside. Peel bananas and slice thickly on the diagonal.
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, and boil without stirring until syrup turns to a dark caramel colour. Immediately remove from the heat and, very carefully, as caramel spits, stir in the rum. Return to a low heat and stir until smooth, then add cream and bring to the boil.
Pour the caramel into the base of the pan. Arrange sliced banana in concentric circles, then top with the puff pastry circle. Egg-wash pastry by brushing with beaten egg. Take care not to let egg run down the edge of the pastry. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until pastry is golden.
To serve: remove the tart from oven and, while still quite hot, invert tart onto the centre of a serving plate. Top each serving with a spoonful of rum and raisin icecream.
Recipes from Made With Love: 100 of the World's Best Chefs, Cooks and Food Artisans and the Food They Make for the People They Love, PQ Blackwell Limited, $49.95.