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1
Set a heavy copper or stainless sauté pan over a high direct flame. Add the butter and dark brown sugar together. Stir continuously until the butter is fully melted and the sugar has dissolved into it, and the mixture is bubbling actively across the entire surface — the base must reach 115–120 °C and darken slightly beyond its starting colour before the bananas are introduced.
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2
Lay the banana pieces cut-side down in the hot caramel. Cook for 30–60 seconds per side only. The bananas are ready to turn when the cut face is golden and lightly coloured at the edges; they are done when the second side matches. They must be soft but not mushy — caramelised on the exterior, barely warm through. Remove from the pan if necessary to avoid overcooking while the flambé is prepared.
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3
This is where the dish lives or dies. With the pan still over the flame and the sauce visibly hot, add the dark rum and the crème de banane together. Allow the pan to heat for a moment so the rum reaches its flash point. Tilt the pan deliberately toward the flame — or use a long lighter — to ignite. Never lean over the pan; the flame column can reach 60 cm. The flame must burn blue and die naturally: a flame that is extinguished too early leaves a boozy sauce; a flame allowed to burn too long strips the rum of its molasses and oak depth. The flambé is complete when the blue flame falls and extinguishes of its own accord, having burned off the harsh alcohol and concentrated the rum's character into the sauce.
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4
Immediately spoon the bananas and sauce over scoops of vanilla ice cream in individual serving bowls. The sauce should be dark amber, thick, and toffee-like. Serve at once — the dish cannot be held, reheated, or batched.