The Louisiana New Garde- Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce

The Louisiana new Garde is an oversize glossy paperback based on the Television Series Great Chefs: the New Garde. They are not so new anymore as the book was published in 1995. The chefs were from some of the famous hotels and restaurants in New Orleans and the neighboring areas.

This is an interesting verse from Mark Ulrich Hollger of Santa Fe Restaurant, New Orleans:

We may live without poetry, music, and art;

We may live without conscience and live without heart;

We may live without friends; we may live without books;

But civilized man cannot live without cooks.

He may live without books--what is knowledge but grieving?

He may live without hope--what is hope but deceiving?

He may live without love--what is passion but pining?

But where is the man who can live without dining?

New Orleans is famous for bread pudding and the book contains several recipes. This one from Frank Brigtsen is described as a cross between bread pudding and Bananas Foster.

Banana Bread Pudding with Banana Rum Sauce and Whipped Cream

6 cups bite-sized pieces of day-old French bread

3 large eggs

3 cups milk

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 large very ripe bananas

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup seedless raisins

1/2 cup roasted pecans

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Bananas Rum Sauce

2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

6 large ripe bananas, quartered

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons dark rum

2 tablespoons banana liqueur (optional)

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the French bread pieces into a 90by-12-by 2-inch baking pan and set aside. In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, 2.3 cup of the sugar, the bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Pour this mixture over the French bread pieces. Fold in the raisins and pecans and let the mixture set for 20 minutes. Top with small pieces of the butter.

Cover the pudding with foil and place the pan in to a larger pan. Add warm water to a depth of 1 inch in the larger pan. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until set.

In a deep bowl, whip the cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla . Whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill.

To make the sauce: Heat a large saute pan or skillet over low heat. Add the butter, sugar, bananas, cinnamon and nutmeg. Moving the skillet back and forth, cook until the butter and sugar become creamy and the bananas begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from heat and add the rum and optional liqueur. Return the pan to heat. Tilt the pan, avert your face, and light the liquid with a long match. Shake the skillet until the flames subside. Add the vanilla, remove from heat, and keep warm.

To serve: Place a large scoop of bread pudding in the middle of each serving plate or bowl. Place 2 slice of banana on each plate and top with about 3 tablespoon of sauce. Spoon the whipped cream over the bread pudding and serve immediately. Serves 12.