Crunchy banana, mister?

Some articles will make you dream of a certain dish. This made me dream of not just this dish, but has set up a new standard of spousal interaction. Philippe Conticin, then head chef at the Petrossian Boutique and Cafe in New York, wrote how his wife, an engineer by profession, concocted this awesome little dessert after he had explained how salt carries the flavors and sweetness of other ingredients. I love the image of this engineer, excited by a discussion with her spouse, conducting her own experiments in the kitchen.

He describes the resulting dessert as

“not a restaurant dessert, and yet, it is no ordinary home dessert. It is what I call "gourmand" — yummy, that is. It is like the Little Prince: appealing to children and adults alike. For pastry chefs, that is the ultimate goal… Her sandwich is made with a rather coarse grain-flecked whole wheat bread, whose outer layers are spread with butter and sugar. Inside, it is layered with thin
slices of very ripe banana, a dash of cinnamon and ground ginger, and a healthy pinch of fleur de sel. As a finishing touch, there's a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. The sandwich is then pressed closed and toasted in a sandwich griddle. The sandwich warms through, the milk moistens the middle and the outside gets crispy and caramelized.”

Long-time readers of this blog know that nothing will grab my attention like the combination of the words “moist”, “crispy” and “caramelized.” Like its namesake, croque monsieur (literally “crunch mister”), this banana version has a satisfying crisp crust, but its crispness owes more to a crème brulee-like thin layer of caramelized sugar. But unlike croque monsieur, the Banana Croque-Monsieur works as a breakfast treat as well as a dessert for anytime of the day or night. (BTW He wrote this with Amanda Hesser, who I think does her most memorable writing within the framework of a relationship such as Mr. Latte, relatives or old friends.)

Banana Croque-Monsieur (adapted from Philippe Conticin in the New York Times)
Time: 20 minutes
8 slices high-quality multigrain country bread such as Orowheat
6 tablespoons melted butter
8 teaspoons sugar
2 very ripe bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
4 large pinches ground cinnamon
4 pinches ground ginger
4 pinches fleur de sel
8 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon lemon zest for garnish (optional)

1. Heat a sandwich griddle or a large skillet on medium-high. Brush butter on one side of each bread slice. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each slice.

2. Place four bread slices on a work surface, butter-and-sugar side down. Place bananas in equal portions on the slices, leaving a 1/4- inch border. Sprinkle a large pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of ginger and a pinch of fleur de sel on each slice, and then drizzle 2 teaspoons condensed milk over the slice.

3. Top each sandwich with a slice of bread, butter-and-sugar side up. Transfer sandwiches to griddle and cook until edges are crisp and well browned and sandwiches are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side. These will burn quickly. (Alternatively, cook sandwiches in skillet, using a large spatula to gently compress them and brown them evenly, about 2 minutes on each side.) Garnish with lemon zest, and serve hot. They can also be made a head of time and heated in a warm oven.
Yield: 4 servings.