Campfire Cast-Iron Seychellois Coconut Banana Fritters with Vanilla Cream

Build your campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — you want steady medium heat, not leaping flames. Set a cast-iron skillet on a grate above the coals to preheat.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Build your campfire and let it burn down to an even bed of glowing coals — you want steady medium heat, not leaping flames. Set a cast-iron skillet on a grate above the coals to preheat.
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until only small lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and coconut milk until smooth.
3. In a second bowl, stir together the flour, desiccated coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture just until combined. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon — add a spoonful more flour if it seems loose.
5. Add the coconut oil to the hot skillet and let it shimmer. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the oil, leaving room between each fritter.
6. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through. Move the skillet to a cooler edge of the grate if they are browning too fast.
7. Lift the fritters onto a plate lined with paper towel and repeat with the remaining batter.
8. Whip the chilled cream with the vanilla extract until it holds soft peaks. Serve the fritters warm with the vanilla cream spooned over the top.
9. Fritters like these are a fixture of Seychellois home cooking, where overripe bananas and freshly grated coconut are never wasted. Cooking them over a campfire is a natural extension of island kitchens, which have long relied on open flame and a single heavy pan. The combination of caramelized banana, toasted coconut and warm spice tastes like the tropics whether you are on a granite beach in the Indian Ocean or a campground closer to home.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 486 kcal
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 27g
• Carbohydrates: 56g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 180mg