Recipe
Banana Napoleons
Flying Fish Cafe
Boardwalk

Chef John State

YIELD: 6 servings
Prep: 45 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Cook 18 min., Bake: 55 min.

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
5 frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 bananas, cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices
Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, grated chocolate

Method

WHISK together egg yolks and 1/4 cup whipping cream; set aside.

COMBINE 1 1/4 cups whipping cream and 1/3 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise; scrape seeds into saucepan, and add vanilla bean halves.

BRING vanilla mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat;
discard vanilla bean.

WHISK about one-fourth of hot mixture gradually into yolk mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Skim air bubbles from top of mixture. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square pan. Place into a 13x9 inch pan. Add hot water to large pan to a depth of 1 inch.

BAKE at 300 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove pan from water, and cool. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

MELT 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Stack phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter and sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cut phyllo stack into 16 (3-inch) squares.

PLACE squares on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and a baking sheet.

BAKE at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and cool to room temperature.

COOK remaining 1 cup sugar and remaining 1/4 cup of butter or margarine in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Slowly add remaining 1 cup whipping cream, and cook, stirring constantly, 8-10 minutes or until caramel color. Set aside.

CUT chilled custard into 6 squares. Place one square on each of 6 dessert plates. Top each square of custard with 1 phyllo square. Drizzle a small amount of caramel sauce around custard.

STIR together banana and remaining caramel sauce. Spoon evenly over phyllo squares. Top each with a second phyllo square, and garnish, if desired. Reserve remaining phyllo squares for other uses.