Banana Creme Brulee - unsalted butter

Method

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saute pan.
• Add the bananas, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of white sugar.
• Stir well to blend the sugar and butter.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• The bananas should be lightly caramelized.
• Mash the bananas with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add the lemon juice to the mixture, raise the heat to high, add the brandy, and boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, divide among 6 wide, shallow creme brulee dishes, and let cool.
• Place the heavy cream in a saucepan.
• Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the cream with the tip of a knife.
• Add the scraped-out vanilla bean, and bring the cream just to a boil, then remove from heat.
• Reserve.
• Place the egg yolks and 5 tablespoons of white sugar in the top of a double boiler.
• Whisk them together, then stir over simmering water until the mixture becomes fairly thick (about 15 minutes).
• Strain the reserved cream into eggs, and stir the mixture over simmering water for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and ladle over the cooled banana puree in the 6 dishes.
• Place the dishes in a roasting pan, and fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes.
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
• Remove the dishes from the pan, and chill them for at least 3 hours.
• When you are ready to serve, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar over each dish, distributing evenly.
• Place the dishes on a bed of cracked ice in a roasting pan, and position the pan under a broiler until the sugar caramelizes.
• Watch carefully, and move the dishes around so the sugar browns evenly but doesn't char.
• Remove and serve while the crust is still hot.