Banana Tatin
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 firm, ripe bananas
1 pack (about 1lb ) puff pastry
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1 cup roasted almonds sliver
1 cup whipping cream
Tools
Cupcake Pan
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°.
In a saucepan, stir 1 ½ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water to dissolve. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until a light amber caramel forms. Remove the skillets from the heat, add 4 tablespoons of butter stir until combined.
Pour 1 ½ tablespoon of hot caramel mixture into the bottom of each muffin mold.
Using the rest of the hot caramel in the saucepan add 1 cup of whipping cream and bring back to a boil to dissolve and make a caramel sauce (optional add 1 tablespoon of Rum).
Slice the bananas to fit in the mold about 1 inch thick. pack the banana slices in each mold
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry 1/4 inch thick. Using circle cookie cutter or wine glass, cut out o round that cover the top of the cupcakes mold
Poke the pastry all over with a fork or a knife and lay the rounds over the bananas. Lightly brush the pastry with the egg wash, and cover with slivered almonds
Bake the tarts in the upper and lower third of the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed and the filling is bubbling. If needed Shift the pans from top to bottom during baking for even browning.
When done remove from oven and put a piece of wax paper on top of the cupcakes pan press lightly and let rest for 15 minutes
Flip muffin thin over and carefully unmold.
Make Ahead: The tarts can be baked early in the day and kept at room temperature.
Serve with Caramel sauce, Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
So I've been cooking for 48 years. The first start of my career was classicaly trained french chef career working in a 5 star restaurant. Cooked food to die for and literally die for (lol)! And then I went into healthy cooking and worked with doctors and health care. I realized that you can use food in many different ways. You can use food for pleasure, for health reasons. I have always taught a little bit on the way. I have been teaching for 32 years at different schools and I have been here [USF] for 20 years.
It's funny I come from a family of teachers, my sister is a professor, my uncle, my family all professors. When I first set out to cook, I went to a hell kitchen type of situation, a horrible chef, a screaming chef. And then I was lucky to find a real talented [person] my master chef. I realized there is a different way of learning cooking. And if cooking is taught in a really calm, and good manners, people can really use the skills and those are life long skills.
-Chef Jean-Marc Fullsack
Nutrition
Serves: 12