Baked Banana With Poppy-Seed-Honey Ice Cream and Chocolate Tuiles

Preparation

1. Step 1

   To make the ice cream, place the yolks in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the milk, cream, honey and salt in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and slowly whisk the hot liquid into the yolks. Whisk in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate until chilled, and freeze according to the instructions for your ice-cream maker.

2. Step 2

   To make the tuiles, place the sugar, cocoa and flour in a small bowl and whisk them together. Place the chocolate, corn syrup, butter and water in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth. While the butter-and-chocolate mixture is still warm, combine it with the dry ingredients, and stir until smooth.

3. Step 3

   Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. On a nonstick cookie sheet, drop a little less than a tablespoon of the batter, and use a small spatula to spread it into a circle 3½ inches in diameter. Continue until you have 3 cookies formed, leaving at least 1 inch between each. Bake until the cookies are bubbly and lacy, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 1 minute. Use a spatula to loosen the cookies from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Continue to form and bake the cookies until you have about 12 good-looking ones. Set aside. (Once cool, the cookies may be stored in an air-tight container until needed.)

4. Step 4

   To make the bananas, place the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until the mixture turns a deep amber color. Immediately turn off the heat and carefully add the cream. (The mixture will sputter.) Stir in the butter. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Step 5

   When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut out a wedge from each banana that runs almost its entire length, and keep the peel attached at one end. Remove and discard the flesh portions of each wedge and fill the resulting cavity with the caramel sauce. Transfer the bananas to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake until very soft, about 20 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Transfer the warm bananas to serving plates, and place a tuile on each plate. Scoop the ice cream onto the tuile, and garnish with yet another piece of tuile, standing it upright in the ice cream like a flag.