FRIED CARAMELIZED BANANAS WITH ICE CREAM

Fried Caramelized Bananas with Ice Cream image

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 pint vanilla ice cream

Steps:

Make the Caramel
Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the brown sugar and butter. Allow both to melt and mix well using a heatproof silicone spatula.
Fry the Bananas
When the caramel is hot and bubbly, add the bananas, cut side down, along with the pecans. Allow the bananas to cook for about 3 minutes before turning them over. The cut side should have a deep golden brown color and a slightly crispy texture. (Depending on the ripeness of the banana, they may break. Don't worry about this; they will still be delicious.)
Cook for another 2 minutes, using a spoon to drizzle the caramel sauce over the bananas to keep infusing them with caramel flavor.
Serve
Place the bananas on a serving dish or platter, top with scoops of ice cream, and drizzle the caramel sauce and nuts all over it.
COOKING NOTES
ADVANCE PREPARATION
The bananas are best served just after they are made. They will lose their crispy caramelized texture as they sit but will still retain their flavor so long as they are not refrigerated.
If you must make them in advance, the bananas can be held in a warm oven for a few hours.