Sticky miso bananas with lime and toasted rice

This dessert ticks all our flavour boxes – sweet, salty, tangy and umami – and all our texture boxes – sticky, crunchy and creamy. The bananas you use should have almost completely yellow skin, with only the tiniest bit of brown spotting.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

• 40g unsalted butter
• 70g light soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground star anise
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1½ tbsp white miso
• 4 medium bananas (medium ripe), peeled and halved lengthways
• 1 lime: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp and then juice to get 1½ tsp

TOASTED RICE TOPPING

• 1 tbsp Thai sticky rice (raw), or jasmine rice
• 2 tsp black sesame seeds
• ½ tsp ground star anise

1. Set the oven to its highest grill setting.

2. Make the topping. Toast the rice in a small frying pan on a medium heat for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until deeply golden. Blitz in a spice or coffee grinder until fine, then transfer to a small bowl. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast for 1 minute, then stir into the rice bowl along with the star anise. Set aside.

3. Put the butter, sugar, star anise and half the crème fraîche into a large, ovenproof cast-iron pan (or a large sauté pan) on a medium heat. Stir the mixture frequently, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then, off the heat, whisk in the miso until smooth. Add the bananas, cut side up, using a spoon to coat the tops with some of the caramel, then transfer to the oven and grill for about 8 minutes (this will vary, depending on your grill, so check them at the 7-minute mark), or until the bananas have softened and are lightly browned.

4. While the bananas are grilling, mix the remaining crème fraîche with the lime juice. When ready, spoon this all over the bananas, then sprinkle with the lime zest and a tablespoon of the rice topping. Serve immediately and directly from the pan, with the extra rice topping alongside.

Make it your own:
– No spice grinder? No problem! Swap out the ground rice for nuts, seeds or coconut flakes.