BURNT BANANA AND BUTTERSCOTCH TARTE TATIN WITH RUM & RAISIN ICE CREAM

When The Ivy reopened after refurbishment in 2015, Sticky Toffee Pudding came off the menu as it had been there for years – nay, decades. It would have to be replaced with something very special, and equally appealing to those with a sweet tooth. This is it – the pastry caramelises, going chewy around the edges, and the bananas are bathed in toffee sauce. The alcoholic ice cream really cuts through the richness, so it’s worth making it too. Alternatively, crème fraîche or pouring cream would work well.

Serves 6

1 quantity Rum & Raisin Ice Cream (see below)

6 tuiles (wafer-thin biscuits, available online), to serve

For the butterscotch sauce

275ml (9½fl oz) double cream 75g (2¾oz) dark brown sugar 65g (2½oz) unsalted butter

For the tarte Tatin

100g (3½oz) caster sugar 100g (3½oz) unsalted butter, diced 6 large, ripe bananas Plain flour, for dusting 320g (11¼oz) puff pastry 50g (1¾oz) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

You will also need

20cm (8in) heavy-bottomed frying pan or cast-iron skillet

Start the ice cream the day before you plan to serve.

For the butterscotch sauce, pour 100ml cream into a pan, add the dark brown sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a steady boil for 10 minutes, until thickened and reduced by half. Remove from the heat, add the butter and remaining cream and whisk to combine. Set aside.

For the tarte Tatin, heat the frying pan or skillet on the stove. Add the caster sugar and cook over a low-medium heat until it becomes a dark caramel. Slide the pan from the heat and gradually add the butter, whisking constantly until thoroughly incorporated. If the caramel hardens, return the pan to a very gentle heat as you keep adding the butter and whisking. Once the butter has been added and the caramel is smooth and covers the bottom of the pan, leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 190° C/ fan 170° C/gas 5.

Peel the bananas and slice at an angle into 1cm slices. Arrange the slices in a pretty pattern over the top of the caramel, covering the bottom of the pan. Continue layering to a depth of 2cm.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a disc that is 3- 4cm larger all round than the pan. Prick the pastry all over with a fork and lay it over the bananas, tucking it in around the inside edges of the pan so that the bananas are encased. Bake in the hot oven for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Meanwhile, warm the butterscotch sauce.

Remove the tarte Tatin from the oven and leave in the pan for 2 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a warmed serving plate. Cut into slices, drizzle with a little butterscotch sauce and scatter with toasted pecans. Place a quenelle (an oval-shaped scoop) of rum and raisin ice cream on top of each slice, finish with a tuile, and serve with the extra butterscotch sauce.

CHEF’S TIP This can also be made in individual pans for mini tartes Tatins, as pictured here. You will need about 200g (7oz) more puff pastry.