Flambé is a cooking technique where alcohol is added to a hot pan and ignited, flaming the food. It adds flavor from the liquor without retaining any alcohol. Common dishes prepared this way include crepes suzette and bananas foster. To flambé, heat ingredients like butter, sugar and fruit in a pan, then pour liquor over and carefully ignite it, flaming the pan at the table for dramatic presentation. Safety precautions must be followed like using a burner away from guests and not leaning over the pan when lighting.

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FLAMBÉ
At a dinner party, flambé offers a dramatic presentation. The term "flambé" (flahm-BAY) is a French word meaning
"flaming" or "flamed." Cooking foods flambé adds the rich, complex flavor of a liquor or liqueur without adding any
alcohol (it is burned off in the cooking process). Though certain safety precautions are required, with a little
practice, almost anyone can learn how to flambé. One of the showiest restaurant traditions is the table-side
preparation of certain dishes by highly skilled servers. The cooking is done on a chafing dish, a small burner heated
by alcohol fuel. The foods prepared this way are usually things that could be prepared quickly and were often
flambeed with rum or brandy for the sake of showmanship. Typical examples included Crepes Suzette and Bananas
Foster, two dishes that met the requirement for showmanship, or more ordinary items such as omelets.
How to Flambé
1. Set up the chafing dish on a serving cart or small folding table, close to the dining table but not close
enough for the cooking equipment to spatter on the guests.
2. Prepare and measure the ingredients, and bring them to the table in separate containers. Light the alcohol
burner, and place the lightweight skillet over the flame.
3. Place the butter and brown sugar in the pan, and add the pinch of cinnamon. Swirl gently as the butter melts
and the sugar dissolves into it. Add the bananas and the water or banana liqueur, and swirl the pan carefully
as the sauce cooks.
4. Remove the pan from the flame, once the bananas are tender and the sugar has formed a thick sauce with
the butter and water or liqueur. Pour the rum into the skillet, and carefully return it to the flame. Swirl the
bananas and sauce gently as the rum warms up.
5. Tip the pan carefully to the side, once the smell of warm rum is noticeable. The flames from the burner will
ignite the fumes of the hot rum, creating a sheet of flame that covers the pan. Use the barbecue lighter, if
desired, to simplify the process.
6. Spoon the banana pieces over the vanilla ice cream in the dessert bowls. Cover the pieces liberally with the
sauce, and serve the dessert immediately.
Tips & Warnings
 Liquors that are higher than 80-proof can be volatile and dangerous. Select a brandy, liquor or liqueur that
has a flavor complementary to the food you are cooking. (Ex: A fruity one for Bananas Foster, or a more
savory cognac for steak.)
 If you don't want to use liquor in your cooking, place sugar cubes (soaked in a flavored extract) along the
edges of the pan and ignite.
 Before you light it, heat the food that you want to flambé. Cold foods can cool down the warm liquor and
make it difficult to light.
 Use extreme caution when cooking, as there are open flames. Do not carry the flaming pan. Do not lean
over the pan as you light it.
 Do not pour the liquor directly into the pan from the bottle if it is near an open flame. The flame can travel
up into the bottle and cause it to explode.

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Bananas Flambẻ
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 5 min
Serves: 2 servings
Ingredients
 1/2 stick butter
 1/2 cup brown sugar
 Pinch ground cinnamon
 2 bananas, sliced in rounds and tossed with the juice of 1/2 a lemon
 1/2 cup dark rum
 Vanilla ice cream ( optional )
Directions
 Melt the butter gently in a large saute pan. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the cinnamon and
cook until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Toss in the bananas.
 Turn the heat up to high, pull the pan off the burner and add the rum and tip into the flame to allow the
flame to "JUMP" into the pan and set on fire! Do this carefully and respectfully but have fun, it's all about
the show.
 Spoon over ice cream and serve.