Flambe and Flaming Recipes

Flambé Basics

The process of flambéing supposed was discovered by Henri Carpentier around 1895. As the story goes, Carpentier accidentally set ablaze a pan of glaze for crêpes he was preparing and discovered that the fire had improved the taste of the glaze. According to the story he served the glazed crêpes to the future King Edward VII who was immediately a fan. Whether the story is true or not is difficult to say.

Flambéing isn't as simple as pouring some booze over food and lighting it up. Indeed pure alcohol produces an almost invisible flame and would leave little flavor on a food upon which it was set ablaze. Pouring Everclear on some bratwursts and throwing a match to it would probably leave your guests yawning! True flambé produces a chemical reaction which caramelizes sugar without destroying it. Because the importance is the chemical change in sugars, flambé tends to be used in sweet sauces and desserts.

General Flambé Advice

The most important thing when you take your first attempts at flambéing is to be careful. For many recipes the flames can be quite large especially if the alcohol content is high. Stick to liqueurs witch are about 80 proof (40% alcohol) for safety. When igniting a flambé, approach the pan with a lit match from the side of the pan rather than from above it (this will prevent you from burning all the hair off your hand/arm which will produce a horrible smell even if it doesn't hurt.)

If it is appropriate for the recipe or depending on your taste, you can add additional salt to the flambé to produce a more brightly colored flame. Salt is a simple compound of sodium and chlorine. The burning sodium will produce a brilliant yellow/orange flame. You can also find experiment with adding salt substitute to your recipes which is generally potassium chloride. The potassium will give the flame a rich blue/purple color. Sprinkling cinnamon into the flames will create stunning "sparkling flames" which usually impresses guests. Dimming the lights will also enhance the visual sensation.

To see a short video clip of sprinkling cinnamon onto a burning flambé go to My Content Producer Page and look for the video titled "Flambe."

Recipes

Bananas Foster Recipe

In a sauce pan mix:
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Dark Rum (Captain Morgan/Meyers/Bacardi etc)
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Sliced Banana

Raise the contents of the sauce pan to nearly boiling. Quickly bring the pan to the table and set it ablaze in the presence of your guests. Alternatively, the mixture can be prepared by microwaving the ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl for around 45 seconds (the necessary time will vary according to your microwave's wattage.)

Serve immediately atop vanilla ice cream sprinkled with crushed graham crackers.

Crêpes Suzette Recipe

First prepare crêpes....

Add to a mixing bowl:
4 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
1 1/4 Cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Butter

Mix until smooth. In a lightly oiled pan, cook the crêpes just as you would cook pancakes (use about 1/4 cup mix per crêpe, cooking about 1 min on each side.)

Now prepare the sauce....

Warm in a sauce pan:
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Juice of 1 Orange + Grated Peal
1/3 Cup Grand Marnier (You can substitute dark rum as it is much cheaper!)

When the mixture begins to simmer, immediately pour it over the crêpes and set it ablaze in front of your guests.

Vin Brulé

Heat in a pan:
3 Cups Inexpensive Red Wine
1 Orange Peel (do not grate it)
4 Cinnamon Sticks
4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
5 Whole Cloves

When it begins to boil, ignite the mixture. Allow it to burn until flames subside and remove from heat. Remove spices/orange peel and serve immediately. Much of the alcohol will be lost in the process....So don't hesitate to enjoy a little more than you would normally drink if it were plain wine. Great after sledding or served with Christmas Dinner!