Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Bananas Foster French Toast

I have owned and operated a fine-dining restaurant for over 30 years. I grew up 112 miles from New Orleans. My first exposure to fine dining - outside of my grandmother's formal dining room - was in the old-line restaurants of New Orleans - Galatoire's, Antione's, Arnaud's, and Brennan's. The first time I saw bananas Foster cooked tabled side, I was hooked. This recipe is a homage to those meals.

Ingredients

3 Eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups Heavy cream

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 loaf Brioche, sliced 1 inch thick (may substitute Texas toast or croissants)

4 Tbsp Unsalted butter

1 cup Brown sugar

4 Bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2 cup Chopped toasted pecans

1/4 cup Dark rum

Instructions

Preheat a flat griddle to 325°F or a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Combine the eggs, cream, cinnamon, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Soak the sliced of brioche in  the batter briefly and place on the griddle or skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and transfer to plates.

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a large skillet over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Fold in the bananas and pecans and continue to stir carefully until the bananas are slightly softened and completely coated, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rum and flambé until alcohol is burned off.

Distribute over the French toast.

Yield: 4 servings

Recent Recipes

Salsa

Makes about 3 cups Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse several…

Read more

Pastel de Huevo

OK, so it’s a quiche. But “Mexican Quiche” just didn’t sound right. I’ve already thrown in an Italian version in this book. I don’t want to do even more to insult the Francophiles. So, we’ll just call it an egg pie. If you have a Mexican market nearby, purchase your chorizo there (unless you make your own). Substitute queso cotija or queso chihuahua for a little more depth in the flavor profile. Leftover salsa can be used for a topping on scrambled eggs or a dip with chips later in the day.

Read more

Baked Potato Quiche

I call this recipe “Comfort quiche.” It’s perfect for a cold December evening. The great thing about quiche is that it can be prepared in advance and held cold in the refrigerator or frozen up to a couple of weeks. When the holidays are hectic and the house is crowded, this quiche is perfect as a lap meal in front of the fireplace served alongside a light salad.

Read more