Baked Bananas (Gabonese Bananes au Four Croustillantes)

Oven-baked bananas are a traditional Gabonese dessert consisting of fried slices of breaded banana which are then baked in the oven before being sprinkled with brown sugar, and served with sour cream. Oven-baked bananas are certainly one of the iconic dishes of Gabonese cuisine. Crispy and tasty, they are traditionally eaten with dessert, as an accompaniment or just as a snack. The locals are very fond of it and do not hesitate to add brown sugar to make them even more decadent. Also, they are usually served with sour cream. The cuisine of Gabon, a country in Central Africa, is mainly based on dishes made with products from the land and bush meat. There are therefore several dishes based on plantain, cassava, chili and African eggplant.

½ cup vegetable oil
3½ oz fresh breadcrumbs
4 bananas
1 egg
2 Tbsp. orange juice, freshly squeezed
4 Tbsp. soft brown sugar
4 Tbsp. sour cream

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Pour the oil into a skillet over a medium-high heat.

Place the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish.

Peel each banana, cut in half width ways, then in half again, lengthways.

Beat the egg together with the orange juice in a medium-sized bowl.

Dip each banana quarter into this mixture, and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

Fry for 2 minutes or so on each side, until the breadcrumbs have become golden.

Remove from the oil, and drain on some paper towels.

Transfer the fried bananas to a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Serve immediately with sour cream.

Makes 4 servings.