Quick Pan-Fried Honey Cinnamon Bananas
炸香蕉·(zhà xiāngjiāo)
Sides & Finishers: The Extras
If you remember the glory days of the Chinese buffet, you know these golden, sticky nuggets wedged somewhere between the almond cookies and the cubed Jell-O. We're skipping the deep fryer but stealing the takeout trick: a cornstarch dredge shallow-fried in a slick of hot oil to fake that shatteringly crisp shell. Finished in a honey-cinnamon slurry spiked with a brilliant, barely-there pinch of five-spice, it bubbles into a glossy lacquer in seconds. This is exactly the nostalgic, molten-centered bite you remember, only better because you just made it.
Ingredients
- firm yellow bananas2 large
- cornstarch3 tbsp
- neutral oil3 tbsp
- honey3 tbsp
- water2 tbsp
- ground cinnamon1/2 tsp
- Chinese five-spice powder1/8 tsp
- light soy sauce1/2 tsp
- unsalted butter1 tsp
- cornstarch1/2 tsp
- toasted white sesame seeds1 tsp
Method
- 01
Whisk the honey, water, cinnamon, five-spice, and soy sauce in one bowl, and prep your cornstarch slurry in another.
In wok cooking, everything happens fast once the heat is on, so have your liquid mise en place ready before you slice the fruit.
- 02
Toss the sliced bananas in the dry cornstarch right before you intend to cook them.
Press lightly so the starch adheres to all sides, but do not let them sit around. The moisture from the fruit will turn the coating gummy; this immediate starch dredge is your cheat code to faking a deep-fried tempura shell.
- 03
Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat until shimmering, then shallow-fry the bananas undisturbed for about two minutes per side.
You want a generous slick of oil to mimic that high-heat wok crispness. Once both sides are shatteringly crisp and golden-brown, temporarily remove the pan from the heat and pour off any excess oil.
- 04
Return the pan to medium-low heat, pour in the honey mixture and butter, then quickly stir in your slurry.
Swirl the pan as the liquids bubble up. Within seconds, the watery sauce will tighten into a thick, glossy lacquer that clings desperately to the fruit.
- 05
Transfer to a plate, scrape every last drop of the caramelized glaze over the top, and garnish generously with sesame seeds.
Serve these immediately while the shell is still violently crispy and the center is molten, preferably next to a scoop of rapidly melting vanilla ice cream.