bananas foster topping

I went to brunch with some of my favorite people on the planet last week at Essex Restaurant in Manhattan. My meal was just fine–nothing unbelievable, but solid nonetheless–but something on the menu caught my eye and made me want to recreate it at home:

Bananas foster…topping.

And yesterday I had everything at home to make it happen:

Melt butter in a pan, sprinkle in sugar (brown is preferred, but any will do, really) and cook briefly until it starts to turn golden brown. Toss in sliced bananas and then carefully (I’m serious) add a bit of rum. Tilt the pan just slightly to ignite the liquor, and once the flames die down, season with cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a tiny bit of salt.

The restaurant served this atop French toast, but I imagine the best home for it is over a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.