Banana & Cassia Bark Jam, Fresh Seasonal Fruits, Salted Peanut Praline & Lime Coconut Cream
We call this the Farang Mess at the restaurant. It's our version of an Eton Mess: banana jam with cassia bark and pandan instead of strawberries, salted peanut praline instead of plain meringue, coconut cream in place of dairy, and whatever seasonal fruit looks best piled over the top. The principle is the same as the British classic. It's a deliberately chaotic dessert and it works because every component is properly seasoned on its own before anything goes near a plate.
The banana jam is the heart of it. Ripe bananas, soft brown sugar, cassia bark and pandan leaf cooked down until the mixture thickens and the flavour deepens into something rich and aromatic. Apples go in too, not primarily for flavour but for their natural pectin, which helps the jam set without anything else added. The lime juice goes in at the end to cut through the sweetness and lift the whole thing. The jam keeps for a week in the fridge and works well beyond this recipe: spread on toast, stirred through yoghurt, or spooned alongside anything that benefits from something sweet and spiced.
Cassia bark is often labelled as cinnamon in UK supermarkets, but it's not the same thing. True cinnamon has a softer, more delicate flavour. Cassia is bolder, more intense, and it's the spice that goes into massaman curry and a lot of Thai desserts. That warmth is what makes this jam specifically Thai rather than just a banana jam. If you can only find cinnamon, it works, but cassia is worth seeking out at an Asian supermarket if you can.
The salted coconut cream is thickened slightly with rice flour, enough to give it body so it sits on the plate rather than spreading out and disappearing. The salt in it amplifies the sweetness of the fruit and the jam underneath. It should taste properly seasoned before anything goes on top.
For the fruit, use what looks best. Watermelon, physalis, raspberries, grapes, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, pomelo and green mango all work well. Pomelo and green mango add a sourness that cuts through the richness of the jam. Jackfruit is good if you can find it ripe. If you're somewhere fresh durian is available and you enjoy it, it belongs here.
Banana & Cassia Bark Jam, Fresh Seasonal Fruits, Salted Peanut Praline & Lime Coconut Cream
Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 50 mins (plus cooling)
Ingredients
For the banana and cassia bark jam
500g ripe bananas, peeled and roughly chopped
500g light soft brown sugar
2 apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
10g cassia bark, lightly toasted in a dry pan
1 pandan leaf, torn
Juice of 1 to 2 limes
For the salted peanut praline
200g caster sugar
50ml water
10g toasted peanuts, roughly crushed
20g toasted desiccated coconut
1 pinch flaked sea salt
For the salted coconut cream
200ml coconut cream (from a tin)
1 teaspoon white rice flour
1 pinch flaked sea salt, crumbled fine
To serve (pick a combination of what looks best)
Watermelon, cut into wedges or bite-sized pieces
Physalis, husks removed and quartered
Raspberries
Grapes, halved
Blueberries
Pomegranate seeds
Pomelo segments
Green mango, sliced thin
Method
Start the banana jam first as it takes the longest. Put the bananas, sugar, apples, cassia bark and pandan leaf into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Stir to combine. As the sugar dissolves and the bananas break down, the mixture will become loose before it thickens. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring regularly to stop anything catching on the bottom, until the jam is thick and glossy.
To test if the jam has set, place a teaspoon on a chilled plate and push it with your finger after 30 seconds. If it wrinkles and holds its shape, it's ready. If it runs, give it another 5 minutes. Remove the cassia bark and pandan leaf. Stir in the lime juice, taste, and add more if it needs the sharpness. Cool completely. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
For the praline, put the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Do not stir once the sugar has dissolved. Let it cook undisturbed until the caramel turns a deep amber colour, around 8 to 10 minutes on a steady medium-high heat. Watch it carefully. The difference between amber and burnt is fast.
Pour the caramel immediately onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Scatter the crushed peanuts, toasted coconut and flaked sea salt over the surface before it sets. Leave to cool and harden completely, then break into shards. Store in an airtight container if not using immediately.
For the salted coconut cream, pour the coconut cream into a small saucepan and set over a medium heat. Whisk in the rice flour until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer and whisk constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the cream has thickened slightly and lost the floury texture. Season with the flaked salt. It should taste properly salty. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before serving.
To assemble, spoon the salted coconut cream across the base of each plate or bowl. Add a generous spoonful of banana jam. Break praline shards over the top. Pile on the fresh fruit, scatter any remaining praline and toasted coconut over everything. The mess is part of it.
Chef's notes
The banana jam keeps in the fridge for up to a week and can be made a day or two ahead, which is useful if you're making this for a dinner. It's also good on toast, stirred through natural yoghurt, or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a quick dessert in its own right.
The praline can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Humidity is the enemy of caramel. If the praline softens, lay the shards on a baking tray and put them in a low oven for a few minutes to crisp back up.
The rice flour in the coconut cream is a thickener. It gives the cream enough body to sit on the plate and hold its shape underneath the jam and fruit, rather than spreading out. It also stabilises the cream so it doesn't split. Don't skip it.
Cassia bark is available at Asian supermarkets and online. It's worth getting the real thing for this recipe. A stick of cassia has a rougher, thicker bark than cinnamon quills and a more intense flavour. Ground cinnamon is not an adequate substitute here. You want the whole bark in the jam for the flavour to infuse slowly.
If you want to make fresh coconut cream from scratch rather than using a tin, crack a fresh coconut, peel the flesh and grate it, then combine with an equal volume of boiling water and blend for a few minutes. Strain through muslin to separate the cream. Toast any leftover grated coconut until golden for the praline.
Visit us at faranglondon.co.uk. Sauces and pastes for cooking Thai at home at payst.co.uk.
For more recipes, signed copies of my cookbooks are available at Payst: Cook Thai and Thai in 7.
Head chef & founder of Farang London restaurant. Cookbook author of ‘Cook Thai’ & ‘Thai in 7’. Chief curry paste basher and co-founder of Payst London.