Allow me to put it simply...
I love it hot.
I love it fried.
I want to do the right thing.
But I'm such a sucker for bad
There's no sugar coating it. Deep fried foods are bad news. But I tremble at the mere mention of fried chicken, KFC, fish and chips and deep fried mars bars. Oh bestill my oil-soaked heart! I will never be a poster child for good nutrition but I am slowly adapting to the old adage of 'everything in moderation'. But what is it about a piping hot fried banana that sends shivers down my spine? It's pure magic.
These days, instead of dipping bananas in a stodgy batter and frying it into greasy fritter, I crumb it. It's still not going to win points in the nutritional pageant but it's definitely a more 'lighter' alternative. The coating of crumbs also means that the bananas stay crispier for longer and without the dangerous descent into soggy greasy sponge territory. If you can, use Japanese Panko breadcrumbs for ultimate crispy heaven.
Excuse my dirty windows!
Nothing beats the combo of hot crispy bananas with cold creamy ice cream. I usually opt for vanilla but ever since I found this awesome coconut ice cream recipe through David Lebovitz, which he adapted from the cookbook from my other favourite blog Delicious Days, there was no turning back. It's quick, easy, uses only three ingredients and there's not one egg in sight. Everything about this dessert blows my elastic-wasted pants off.
Coconut Crumbed Bananas
Not so much a recipe but a guidance. You'll need:
About 3 large ripe but firm bananas. The size of your fruit is, of course, your choice ;)
Plain flour
1 large egg beaten with about a tablespoon of coconut milk
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (Japanese Panko is best)
1/2 dried shredded coconut
Canola or Sunflower oil
Method
Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut until combined in a dish and set aside.
Peel and cut the bananas in half and set aside.
Place oil in the pot about 1.5 - 2 inches thick and heat up to 180°C. Oil is ready when a cube of bread turns golden brown in about 15-30 seconds. Another way to test is to stick the handle of a wooden spoon or wooden chopsticks in. If it starts to bubble around the spoon immediately then it's ready.
Simple rule for deep-fry oil - too hot and the outside will burn and cook too fast without the insides heating up adequately. Too cold and food will be greasy and heavy.
Coat the banana halves with the flour, patting off the excess. Then dip it in the egg mixture before dropping it on the crumbs to coat. If you wish to double coat it for extra crunch, dip it back into the egg wash and crumb it again.
Drop it gently into the hot oil and deep fry, turning it once until it's golden all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining bananas.
Do I need to tell you the next step? Proceed to eat.
Quick Coconut Ice Cream
Makes around 1 litre
320ml pure cream (heavy cream or any around 35% fat content)
500ml coconut milk *
120g palm sugar **
* My favourite brands are Kara and Ayam. Just make sure it says 100% coconut extract in the ingredients list.
** Make sure the palm sugar is grated or chopped so it'll melt easier. Can be substituted with caster sugar if you wish but it wouldn't have the same flavour.
Method
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, and chill the mixture thoroughly (preferably overnight).
Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Voila! How friggin' easy was that?
Print this recipe!
Ice cream adapted from a recipe from Delicious Days by Nicole Stich (via David Lebovitz).
Fry baby fry!
