Being a private chef can have its challenges. One of them is constantly coming up with creative dishes to impress your clients. I'm fortunate in that my 3 clients enjoy more casual food, making it a bit easier; however, I do host fancier events that require more upscale meals. I recently had an Asian-themed dinner which is usually not a problem except for the dessert course. I wanted to create a dish that was good enough for the adults but also kid-friendly. The result ended up being these fabulous banana egg rolls with salted caramel sauce. Suffice to say, it was a hit!
Banana Egg Rolls with Salted Caramel
Ingredients
Banana egg rolls
- 8 egg roll wrappers
- 4 bananas
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- oil for frying
Salted caramel sauce
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon water
- 3 fl ounces heavy cream
- 1 ¼ tablespoon butter
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Peel and mash the bananas. Stir in cinnamon and brown sugar. Unwrap the egg roll wrappers and place one on working counter with a corner facing towards you. Scoop 2 tablespoon of filling towards the bottom ⅔ of the wrapper. Fold over the sides towards the center. Dip finger in a bowl of water and moisten the top edges of the wrapper. Roll up the egg roll towards the top. Place seam side down on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
- Freeze egg rolls for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salted caramel sauce. Heat sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Let sugar dissolve. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, making sure not to stir the sugar mixture. Boil until the syrup becomes a deep caramel color, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the sugar from heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Add the butter and salt and stir until the butter has melted. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and let cool.
- Heat frying oil to 350 degrees F.
- Carefully drop the egg rolls into the hot oil, frying in batches. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray. Repeat with remaining egg rolls.
- Drizzle salted caramel sauce on the egg rolls and serve with extra sauce on the side.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
If you ever made egg rolls before, these banana egg rolls are exactly, if not easier, to prepare than savory ones. The filling doesn't have to be cooked which saves a lot of time!
I've experimented with chopping the banana and leaving it whole but found the egg rolls tastier when chopped. The filling almost becomes gooey as it fries as opposed to leaving it whole and having a giant banana in the center. Just don't over mash the bananas or it will become too wet.
When rolling the egg rolls, fold in the centers first. Wet the edges with water to help seal the egg roll. Roll from the bottom up and seal. I like to freeze the egg rolls for at least 30 minutes to help them keep their shape while being fried. Make sure to leave space in between the egg rolls when freezing or they will get stuck together. Feel free to fry right away, but be sure to handle them delicately.
Prepare the caramel, drizzle them on the hot egg rolls, and dive right in. When I presented this dessert at the event, they absolutely loved it. One of them declared that she was going to kick me because it was so good (a compliment I suppose?). If you want to go all out serve them a la mode!
For more dessert inspiration check out these matcha beignets!
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