Banana Pudding

Image Source: madeinmississippi.blogspot.com

Bill Smith shares a recipe from his menu at Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, N.C., a local institution that specializes in Southern cooking—from classic dishes to those with an updated twist.

Serves: 6-8

For the custard:

4 cups half-and-half, divided
6 tablespoons cornstarch
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2½ pounds ripe yet firm bananas
1 box vanilla wafers (Smith recommends Nabisco Nilla Wafers.)
Meringue

For the meringue:

2 teaspoons cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup egg whites (about 8 large eggs)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar, divided

To assemble the pudding:

1. In a large bowl whisk 1 cup of the half-and-half and the cornstarch together to make a smooth slurry. Whisk in eggs and set aside.

2. In a heavy, medium saucepan heat 3 cups of the half-and-half and the split vanilla bean over medium-high heat. As soon as it steams and begins to form a skin, slowly drizzle the hot liquid into the egg and cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly to mix well.

3. Strain the half-and-half and egg mixture through a mesh sieve back into the saucepan. Put vanilla bean back in the mixture.

4. Return saucepan to the heat and cook custard over medium heat, whisking constantly over entire bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and clumping, until custard begins to thicken and tug at the whisk, about 5 minutes.

5. When custard begins to steam, gradually whisk in sugar. Continue cooking and whisking until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about another 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Remove pan from the heat and discard vanilla bean.

7. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, letting the custard absorb each piece before adding the next. The butter will temporarily thin the custard.

8. Pour a cup of hot custard into the bottom of a shallow 3-quart casserole. Line bottom and sides of the casserole dish with vanilla wafers.

9. Slice bananas into ¼-inch thick rounds and arrange slices over the wafers. Top bananas with any remaining wafers.

10. Gently fill the casserole with the rest of the custard. Let pudding rest at room temperature while preparing meringue.

11. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spread meringue over the top of the pudding with a rubber spatula, making lots of dramatic swirls and curlicues. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the top.

12. Place pudding in the oven to bake until meringue begins to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until meringue peaks are toasty brown, about another 10 minutes.

13. Serve pudding hot, warm or cold. It is good fresh or for up to one day.

To create the meringue:

1. In a large mixing bowl swirl together vinegar and salt and then empty the contents into the sink. Do not rinse the bowl.

2. Add egg whites to the salted bowl and whip with an electric mixer at medium speed.

3. When whites begin to look opaque, add cream of tartar.

4. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and gradually add ¾ cup of sugar.

5. When the whites absorb the sugar, increase mixer speed to high and beat whites to glossy, stiff peaks.

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