I've been plowing my way through Johnny Iuzzini's book, Sugar Rush. Before I take it (reluctantly) back to the library, I wanted to post this recipe. I made it with bananas and stuffed crepes with them, but I'm thinking of a ton of other applications. Over my favorite pound cake, ice cream, etc.
Caramelized Fruit
Sugar Rush, by Johnny Iuzzini
This dry caramel is a quick way to make an easy dessert sauce or topping or to prepare fruit for uses in other desserts. Almost every fruit can be caramelized except for soft berries. This recipe produces not a crunchy, hard coating, but rather a deep rich caramel sauce that coats the fruit. Remember to keep the fruit slices uniform in size so the texture is similar in each bite. The firmer the fruit, such as apples or pears, the thinner the slices should be. Softer fruits like bananas or mangos should be cut at least 1/4 inch thick, as they break down more easily. You don't wan the fruit to break down, but rather to soften slightly in the caramel.
Makes about 2 cups, serves 4
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
CHOOSE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
2 firm bananas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 crisp apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 firm pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 ripe quince, peeled, cored, and sliced
Put the sugar and alt in a dry skillet over medium-high heat; do not stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the sugar is melted, begins to brown, and the sugar gives off white smoke. Once the sugar is liquefied, occasionally roll and tilt the pan to evenly coat the sugar to a deep, dark honey color, Add the butter and swirl to mix.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the fruit, and suing a fork, toss to coat evenly in the caramel. The fruit can be sued immediately or poured into a parchment-lined sheet pan to cool. Use a fork to separate the pieces into 1 thin layer.
Note: I tried this with 1 banana and all the caramel ingredients remained the same. I liked the ratio of banana and caramel. I'm not normally a banana dessert fan, but the banana-infused caramel flavor is heavenly!
Caramelized Fruit
Sugar Rush, by Johnny Iuzzini
This dry caramel is a quick way to make an easy dessert sauce or topping or to prepare fruit for uses in other desserts. Almost every fruit can be caramelized except for soft berries. This recipe produces not a crunchy, hard coating, but rather a deep rich caramel sauce that coats the fruit. Remember to keep the fruit slices uniform in size so the texture is similar in each bite. The firmer the fruit, such as apples or pears, the thinner the slices should be. Softer fruits like bananas or mangos should be cut at least 1/4 inch thick, as they break down more easily. You don't wan the fruit to break down, but rather to soften slightly in the caramel.
Makes about 2 cups, serves 4
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
CHOOSE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
2 firm bananas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 crisp apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 firm pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 ripe quince, peeled, cored, and sliced
Put the sugar and alt in a dry skillet over medium-high heat; do not stir. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the sugar is melted, begins to brown, and the sugar gives off white smoke. Once the sugar is liquefied, occasionally roll and tilt the pan to evenly coat the sugar to a deep, dark honey color, Add the butter and swirl to mix.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the fruit, and suing a fork, toss to coat evenly in the caramel. The fruit can be sued immediately or poured into a parchment-lined sheet pan to cool. Use a fork to separate the pieces into 1 thin layer.
Note: I tried this with 1 banana and all the caramel ingredients remained the same. I liked the ratio of banana and caramel. I'm not normally a banana dessert fan, but the banana-infused caramel flavor is heavenly!