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Max La Manna’s banana peel bacon BLT

Published: 28 May 24
Updated: 4 Jun 24

The B in this BLT stands for banana skin! This recipe from Max La Manna is a must-try. He says: “Bananas are one of the most wasted fruits in the world, with over a million going to waste every day in the UK alone. I’d never force you to you to eat a raw banana skin, but when marinated and crisped up, they turn into something surprisingly bacon-y and very tasty – perfect for putting in this sandwich.”

Easy
May 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 2
Hands on time 20 minutes, plus marinating, cooking time 8 minutes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 579kcals
Fat: 25g (1.9g saturated)
Protein: 12g
Carbohydrates: 71g (23g sugars)
Fibre: 6.2g
Salt: 4.1g

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Ingredients

4 ripe bananas
2 tbsp light soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 slices sourdough, toasted
8 lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes, sliced

For the mustard

1 tbsp wholegrain or dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
½ tsp white miso paste
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

For the mayonnaise

2 tbsp mayonnaise (vegan if needed)
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp chopped soft herbs (such as basil, parsley, chives and/or dill)

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Method

Give the bananas a good wash, then peel them. Put the flesh in a bag and keep in the freezer for smoothies another time. Top and tail the skins, then use a spoon to scrape away as much of the stringy fleshy part on the insides as you can. Cut each piece of skin into 3 strips.
In a shallow bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, paprika, garlic powder and liquid smoke (if using). Add the banana skins, toss and turn to coat in the marinade, then set aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 170°C fan/gas 5 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Add the oil to a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the marinated skins, outer-side down, in a single layer (work in batches if you need to). Cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to crisp around the edges, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the cooked skins to the lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Brush any remaining marinade over the skins, then cook in the oven for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway, until very crisp. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the cooking time as they’ll go from crispy to burnt quite quickly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, make the mustard by whisking all the ingredients together with a pinch of salt. Make the mayonnaise by whisking all the ingredients together with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Spread 2 pieces of sourdough toast with the mayonnaise and top each with 4 lettuce leaves. Divide the sliced tomatoes between both pieces, then top with the banana skin ‘bacon’. Spread the other 2 pieces of toast with the mustard, use them to close the lid of each sandwich and enjoy.