6 large, well-ripened bananas
1 stick sweet butter (4 ounces)
1/3 cup sugar
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup good white or dark rum

Although this dish is usually made in the dining room, a couple of steps can be done in advance. Place the bananas in a 400-degree oven on a cookie sheet and cook for 15 minutes. The skins should be black and the bananas soft to the touch. Cut the ends off and make an incision down the entire length of each banana. Set aside. This step can be done 45 minutes to an hour before serving time.

Place the butter, sugar, lime juice, and 1/4 cup water in a large copper skillet (a skillet that can be used in the dining room). Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula. In about 4 to 5 minutes the mixture should turn to a light caramel color. Remove immediately from the heat. It will continue to cook and darken off the heat, so be careful not to let the mixture take on too much color before you remove it from the heat. This step also may be done ahead of time.

At serving time, place the pan with the butter mixture over a heater or flame in the dining room. Add I tablespoon of water and mix with a spoon to dilute the basic sauce, which has thickened. Open the bananas and "unwrap" into the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, basting the bananas with the sauce. When very hot, add the rum. Ignite and keep basting until the flames die out. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

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