Once I won a ToastMasters Impromptu Award for sharing my dislike of bananas. They still call me the Banana Lady at work. I have a banana mental block: its smell, the way it looks when exposed to air, the texture. Believe me, I have banana issues. Big ones, but I won’t bore you with them. HOWEVER, there are 2 things I like banana hints in: banana bread and banana fritters. The fritters are another goody my mom used to make when I was growing up.
I’ve been thinking about banana fritters for a while now, so when I bought a share of produce from a local farmers market association-group-co op thing and it included bananas, I knew the time had come. I stared at them for days waiting for them to ripen enough to make these fritters. Then they were ready, so here you go:
Banana Fritters
About 10 fritters
2 very ripe bananas
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp sugar
1 cp flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
Oil for deep-frying
Mash the bananas, it’s ok to have a few lumps. Stir in the egg, then the rest of the ingredients, until you end up with a pretty thick batter.
Preheat the oil over medium temperature; you don’t want to fry them too hot, otherwise they will brown while remaining raw in the center. Use a large soup spoon to pour the batter. Here’s a trick: dip the spoon in oil before scooping batter from the bowl, this will keep the batter from sticking to the spoon.
Drop the batter into the oil and spoon some of the hot oil over the fritters. This helps seal the top and makes it easier to flip. Fry for about 2 minutes per side until lightly brown and crisp on the edges. Once you flip them, give them a little squeeze, this helps to cook through the middle.
Drain on paper towel and serve dusted with powdered sugar.
THEN…
I REALLY went bananas. *I*, Anamaris of Chef It Yourself, the same person who unloves bananas and who cringes at the sight of banana splits, went for the chocolate. I did. I don’t know what happened.
I don’t know why I did it. Well, I think I do know why I did it. It’s become apparent to me that my palate is growing up, expanding, refining, becoming more flexible.
I gave it a try, and OH.MY.GAWD!
Just a light smear of it will do. There was something magical about the combination. The fritters are slightly sweet with just a hint of banana, they develop a nice crisp edge, while they’re goey doughy inside. The Nutella teases you with its light chocolate taste.
Now I must leave you so I can come to terms with this choco-banana turn.
Enjoy!
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Comments ( 6 )
These look so good that I might try to overcome my horrible fear of death frying! I tried to make banana fritters a couple weeks ago, but ended up making banana pancakes because I couldn't make the deep-frying to work ;o).
You are bad!! Nutella... my thighs grew an inch just looking at that picture! Shame on you!
LOL Ap, are you afraid of the hot oil or just the food that comes out of it? You could fry these in less oil, but I find that things end up oilier if they're not fried in enough oil. Deep frying is big part of my culture, though. My people always have a pot filled with oil sitting around. @Shutterboo--imagine what's happened to my thighs! And stomach(s). And arms. Chef It Yourself is bad for me.
I'm afraid of the hot oil. I don't know why, but I picture major burns or huge flames...
yeah, I can understand your reluctance. A deep-fryer would help avoid a lot of that, but I didn't use mine for this recipe. My only recommendation is to use a pan with tall sides, at least 2-3 inches deep, make sure it sits flat on your cooking surface, don't overfill it, and pay attention. Practice really does help with this.
Are you bringing any leftovers for your co-workers to sample??? I wanted to eat the Nutella from just looking at it!!!! Glad you overcame your banana issue...at least for a moment!