Bananas Meringuées

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 2-quart (2 L) saucepan for poaching
• •Heavy 2-quart (2 L) saucepan for the sweet rice
• •Shallow 1½-quart (1.4 L) oval gratin dish
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Piping bag with a small plain tip
• •Slotted spoon
• •Fine sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach bananas whole

   Combine the water, ¾ cup granulated sugar, and scraped vanilla pod in a wide saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes, just until the syrup is clear and fragrant, then lower the heat until its surface barely trembles. Peel the bananas and slide them into the syrup whole. Poach for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once with two spoons, until they bend slightly but remain intact. Never cut them before poaching: raw roundels break apart in syrup. Lift the bananas onto a flat plate with a slotted spoon and cool for 10 minutes. If one splits, don't discard it. Lay the pieces together, cool them without handling, and place the fracture downward beneath the meringue. Ça se rattrape.

   The right banana is fully yellow and fragrant but still firm, with few brown freckles. A very ripe banana belongs in a cake; it won't survive this syrup.
2. 2

   Cook the sweet rice

   Reserve ¼ cup of the milk, then combine the remaining milk with the rice, ¼ cup granulated sugar, vanilla seeds, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring it slowly to a bare simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often at first and almost constantly near the end, until the grains are completely tender and suspended in a thick ivory cream. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter. If the rice tightens before the grains are tender, add the reserved milk a spoonful at a time; if it remains loose, simmer it for another minute or two. It should fall reluctantly from the spoon, since it firms as it rests.

3. 3

   Cut and layer

   Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter a shallow 1½-quart (1.4 L) gratin dish with the remaining butter, spread in the vanilla sweet rice, and leave it until barely warm. Cut the poached bananas crosswise into ½-inch (1.25 cm) roundels and overlap them across the rice. For a whole-fruit presentation, arrange the bananas without cutting them. Either way, they meet the knife only after poaching.

4. 4

   Whip the meringue

   Put the egg whites in a perfectly clean glass or metal bowl and whisk until they hold soft peaks. Add the superfine sugar gradually, one spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue until the ordinary meringue is dense, glossy, and stiff enough to hold a point. Rub a little between two fingers; if it feels gritty, keep whisking until the sugar dissolves. A greasy bowl leaves the whites slack, so wipe the bowl and beaters with a little vinegar before beginning if there is any doubt.

5. 5

   Shape the dome

   Cover the bananas with three-quarters of the meringue, carrying it to the rim so the fruit is completely enclosed, then smooth it into the dome directed by Abricots Meringués (No. 2555). Spoon the remaining meringue into a piping bag fitted with a small plain tip and pipe simple ribs, buttons, or a border, following the decorative treatment of Abricots Meringués (another method) (No. 2556). Fine ornament is pastry-station scaffolding; a clean border is enough at home. Sift the icing sugar lightly over the dome.

6. 6

   Bake and finish

   Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the meringue is lightly set and its raised edges have taken a pale biscuit-gold color. The source calls for slight cooking, so don't chase a dark crust. If the top colors too quickly, move the dish to a lower rack and reduce the oven to 300°F (150°C). Warm the apricot and red-currant jams separately until just spoonable, then dot them alternately over the piped decoration while the meringue is still warm. Rest for 10 minutes and carry the gratin dish directly to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Poach the bananas whole. This is not decorative fuss but the structural rule of the dish: exposed raw roundels soften from every side and begin to break before they are properly poached.
• •If a vanilla bean isn't practical, use 2 teaspoons (10 ml / 12 g) of good vanilla paste, half in the syrup and half in the rice. The flavor remains vanilla, as the source requires.
• •Use smooth jams. If the apricot jam contains pieces or the red-currant jam contains seeds, warm and press each through a fine sieve before decorating; the little alternating dots should gleam, not drag across the meringue.
• •A home broiler colors meringue fiercely but doesn't give this dome time to set. Use the moderate oven. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
• •Serve warm rather than piping hot, when the rice has settled but the banana is still soft. A small glass of Muscat de Rivesaltes is generous company, though coffee suits the dish perfectly well.

Advance Preparation

• •The sweet rice can be cooked one day ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface, chill it, then loosen it over gentle heat with a spoonful or two of milk before spreading it in the gratin dish.
• •The bananas can be poached up to 4 hours before assembly. Keep them whole, drain them well, cover, and refrigerate; cut them only when the rice is ready.
• •Whip and bake the meringue close to serving. The assembled dessert can wait about 30 minutes after baking, but overnight storage softens the meringue and encourages it to weep.
• •Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to one day. Serve them cool or let them lose their refrigerator chill; reheating makes the meringue rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)