Five things you didn’t know about bananas

It may come from afar, the banana is one of the fruits that are most often found in our grocery basket. Nutrition doctor Hubert Cormier reveals all his secrets to us – in addition to 80 recipes for “bananomaniacs” – in his new book, completely banana. Here are five amazing facts to discover along with a completely decadent banana bread recipe.

There are more than 1000 varieties of bananas in the world

Yes, from the plantain banana to the pink banana, there are sweet ones, which can be eaten raw, and others, more starchy, whose texture is more reminiscent of potatoes and which must be eaten cooked. Hubert Cormier lists 11 in his book, but the Cavendish is arguably the easiest to find – and in abundance – in any grocery store.

Banana peel is not dangerous, unless you slip on it…

Even if most of us have the reflex to throw it away, the banana peel is entirely edible. The author of completely banana has therefore made the bet to incorporate it into his purées, which he then uses as the basis for all his recipes. Plus, once mashed with the flesh using his banana cooking technique (see recipe), the stringy texture of the skin becomes imperceptible, he says.

Peel the banana upside down

Many of us peel our bananas by their stem. But we should rather use the other end of the fruit, slightly pinching the black tip of the banana to open it. This avoids breaking it, while getting rid of unpleasant filaments – in addition to being able to hold it by the stem to eat it.

Mashed bananas may be sweet, but they don’t contain enough sugar!

Indeed, one could easily believe that adding sugar in a recipe containing bananas is superfluous, but this one would have a “superpower” which makes it a key ingredient to obtain a perfect banana bread. Without sugar, the bread risks crumbling more easily, being dry and not having that colorful and crispy crust that we love so much.

Freezing is the secret ingredient for moist banana bread

As soon as the bread is cooled and cut into slices, it is better to freeze it without delay so that its texture becomes even softer, recommends Hubert Cormier in his book. The slices then thaw in about ten minutes at most. Moreover, this is the secret of the soft slices served in a certain café “whose name begins with an ‘S’ and ends with ‘ks’”, he tells us.

Tiramisu Banana Bread Recipe

Yield: 1 loaf
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

Ingredients

Division 1

• 210 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 60 g (1/2 cup) almond flour
• 1 C. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 C. ground cinnamon

Division 2

• 12 g (1/4 cup) ground instant coffee
• 1 egg, beaten
• 160 g (3/4 cup) sugar
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. buttermilk
• 30 ml (2 tbsp.) coffee liqueur
• 250 g (1 cup) mashed bananas (see recipe at the end)
• 120 g (1 cup) walnuts, chopped

Icing

• 375 g (1 1/2 cups) mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) 35% whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. amaretto liqueur
• 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar

Accompaniement

• 1 C. cocoa powder

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter and line with parchment paper a 20 cm x 10 cm (8 in x 4 in) loaf pan.

2. In a bowl, sift and mix the ingredients from section 1.

3. In a second bowl, combine the ingredients from section 2.

4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture of ingredients from Section 1 into that containing the ingredients from Section 2 all at once. Do not overmix.

5. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Icing

6. Meanwhile, place the cheese in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat while gradually incorporating the cream. Then add the amaretto and sugar. To book.

7. Cut the cooled bread horizontally into two equal-sized halves. Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip (1A) with half of the frosting, then spread it evenly over the lower half.

8. Place the other half of the bread on top. Spoon the rest of the icing into a piping bag fitted with an open star (8B or 6B) or flower (1G) tip, then drizzle evenly over the top of the bread.

9. Sprinkle the bread with cocoa. Keep refrigerated.

Banana puree recipe

For 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 260 g bananas (with or without the peel)
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) of water
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 C. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. tablespoon unsalted butter

Preparation

1. Cut off and discard the ends of the bananas.

2. Cut the bananas into pieces of about 1 cm (1/2 inch).

3. In a saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

4. In a food processor, grind the mixture until you obtain a smooth purée. Let cool completely.