Banana Glace
Aperçu
Banana glace is a Senegalese dessert of frozen banana cream spread over fresh banana and finished with chopped nuts and candied fruit. It is a chilled, rich, decorated dish, and it belongs to a side of Senegalese eating that gets less attention than the country's rice dishes. That side is worth naming. Senegal has a substantial tradition of desserts and sweet drinks, from thiakry and ngalakh to bissap and bouye, and a good deal of it sits alongside a French influence in presentation and technique that the country absorbed and adapted. Banana glace shows that clearly: the assembly is composed and plated in a way that reads as European, while the base is a fruit that grows abundantly across the region. It is served with a small cup of strong black coffee or espresso, which is the detail that places it most precisely. Coffee served that way after a dessert is a habit of the Senegalese urban table rather than of the village, and banana glace belongs to restaurants, hotels and household occasions rather than to everyday cooking. The toppings, peanuts, slivered almonds, glacé cherries, angelica and raisins, are the kind of decoration that signals a dish is being made for guests.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
In a blender, beat the mashed bananas, cream and sugar until frothy.
- 2
Pour into freezer trays and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, until partially firm.
- 3
Cut the 8 whole bananas in half lengthways and then across.
- 4
Place 4 pieces in a row side by side on a dessert plate.
- 5
Spread the frozen banana cream evenly over the fresh bananas.
- 6
Scatter over the chopped peanuts, slivered almonds, candied fruit and raisins.
- 7
Serve immediately, with strong black coffee alongside.
Notes de l’Africook
Notes personnelles de Nympha Nzeribe- Freeze the cream only until it is partially firm, at the one to two hour mark. Frozen solid it will not spread, and it needs to be spreadable rather than scoopable.
- Assemble at the last moment and serve straight away. The frozen cream starts to melt into the fresh banana within minutes and the dish loses its structure.
- Use bananas that are ripe but still firm for the base. Overripe fruit collapses under the weight of the cream.
- Brush the cut bananas with lemon juice if you are working slowly. Cut banana browns fast and the dish is judged on appearance.
- The toppings are open. Any combination of chopped nuts, dried and candied fruit works, and the point is the contrast in texture against the soft banana and cream.
Questions fréquentes
What does banana glace taste like?
Sweet and cold, closer to a semifreddo than to ice cream. The frozen banana cream is rich and only lightly sweetened, and it sits against fresh banana underneath, so there are two banana textures in the same mouthful. The nuts and candied fruit on top provide the contrast that stops it being one note.
Can I make banana glace ahead of time?
The cream, yes, up to the point where it is partially frozen. The assembled dish, no. Once the frozen cream is spread over fresh banana it begins to melt immediately, so it has to be put together at the last minute and served straight away. Prepare the components and assemble as guests sit down.
Can I use whipped cream instead of freezing it?
You can, and it makes a pleasant dessert, but it is not the same dish. The partial freezing gives a dense, cold, sliceable cream that whipped cream does not, and the temperature contrast against the fresh fruit is much of the point. If you do use whipped cream, chill everything thoroughly first.
Why is banana glace served with coffee?
It is the conventional Senegalese pairing for this dessert, served as a small cup of strong black coffee or espresso alongside rather than after. The bitterness cuts the sweetness of the cream. It also places the dish socially, since coffee served that way belongs to the urban Senegalese table.
Avis
2 avis
Slicing the whole bananas lengthways and arranging four pieces side by side makes the plate look so neat. I was doubtful about blending heavy cream with the mashed banana pulp but it came out so frothy and light after freezing. Did not find angelica here in Enugu so I just used extra black raisins and candied cherries, e sweet well well.
left the whipped heavy cream and banana mixture in the freezer for two hours sha, but my freezer power is no joke so it went completely hard! had to let it sit out for 15 mins before i could spread it over the fresh banana slices. next time 1 hour is enough. very refreshing dessert o, the peanuts give it a good crunch.