Jamaican-Style Banana Fritters

Preparation

1. Mash the bananas to a pulp with a fork. In a second bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, then mix in the mashed banana.
2. Stir in the flour and baking powder. The batter is very thick at first, so add the milk gradually (150 to 200 ml) until it only just drops from the spoon in a thick ribbon.
3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and drop in the batter by the spoonful to make small fritters 4 to 5 cm across; smooth them with the back of the spoon if needed.
4. Once the underside is browned, turn and finish cooking. Work in batches and add fresh oil as needed.
5. Sprinkle the fritters with cinnamon sugar or dust with icing sugar, garnish with banana slices and eat as warm as possible.

Drink with it

• Aged rum · excellent match

  Aged Jamaican rum, 8 to 12 years, neat

  Thanks to its long fermentation, Jamaican rum carries strong banana and caramel notes; they meet the ripe banana and the browned crust head on.

  Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling ↗

• Spiced rum · excellent match

  Spiced rum, on ice

  Vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in the glass mirror the spices in the batter, and the ice sets a cool counterpoint to the warm fritters.

  What is spiced rum? Pay attention to the legal designation ↗

• Mellow whisky · good match

  Mild Speyside single malt from a bourbon cask, neat

  Vanilla and honey from the cask support the sweetness of the banana without drowning it out.

  Whisky with food: cheese, chocolate, and savory dishes ↗

• Cream liqueur · good match

  Rum cream liqueur, well chilled, small glass

  Cream, rum and vanilla wrap softly around the banana and cinnamon sugar; only a small sip, or it becomes too sweet.