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Recipe 003// Portminster Restaurants Caramalised Bananas with Cinnamon Meringues & Pistachio Ice Cream

When we got in contact with the Head Chef at Porthminster Restaurant, Mick Smith, we were super excited when he said we could share this recipe with you. It features in the official Porthminster Restaurant Cookbook which you can purchase here
 
 
Ingredients-Serves 4
 
Half a banana per person
Caster Sugar to cover
 
Cinnamon Meringues- makes a 8 meringues
2 large egg whites
110g caster sugar
Cinnamon to dust
 
Pistachio Ice Cream
250ml milk
250ml cream
120g sugar
6 egg yolks
1 cup of unsalted, shelled pistachios
 
Cinder Toffee
150ml water
25g butter
2tsp malt vinegar
1.5tbsp golden syrup
225g sugar
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
 
Method
1// Peel the bananas and halve them lengthways. Place cut-side up in a baking tray and sprinkle over and even layer of sugar.
2// A blowtorch is best to caramelise if you have one, alternatively you can place the bananas under a preheated grill (be careful then don't burn).
For the Cinnamon Meringues 
3// Preheat the oven to 140°c and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
4// Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and continue whisking until you have a stiff, glossy mixture.
5// Spoon 8 heaped desert spoons on a baking tray, dust with cinnamon and bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are dry. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues to cool and dry for a few hours with the door ajar.
For the Pistachio Ice Cream
6// Roast pistachios in a dry frying pan over a low to medium heat, taking care not to let them burn.
7// Heat the milk and cream in a pan. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl and slowly pour the hot mixture over the yolks and sugar.
8// Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon (this may take a little time and patience).
9// Blitz the pistachios in a food processor and stir into the mixture. Strain through a fine sieve and cool.
10// Once fully cooled, churn in an ice cream machine until smooth and thick. Transfer to a plastic container and freeze.
For the Cinder Toffee
11// Grease a large baking tray, you'll also need a thermometer to hand.
12// In a large pot (big enough to accommodate the rising bubbles), heat the butter, water and vinegar until the butter melts. Add the sugar and golden syrup and cook until the mixture reaches 154°c (what is known as the hard crack stage).
13// Now for the fun bit. Remove from heat, add the bicarbonate of soda – it will bubble up quite a lot – and continue to stir until the bubbles settle. 
14// Pour into the greased tray and allow cool before breaking into chunks. You can keep it for quite a while in an airtight container-if it lasts that long!
 

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