Somewheresville

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It’s a curious truth that banana-flavoured food tastes and smells more authentically banana-ry than bananas (good work, ‘flavorists’!). But here’s the exception: banana ice cream that tastes and smells 100% banana-ry despite not having a single e-number or dash of isoamyl acetate in it. Like everything in the Osa Cookery Book – a niche work in progress – this recipe has been created specifically for the hot, jungle-dwelling, non-shopping, not particularly hungry, non-cook. It does require a freezer. Until recently, what we had was ice in a cool box, but Fitz has had a fridge with a functioning freezer compartment sent down on a small boat. I share it with William and Carmen, and because it uses solar-generated power, it isn’t on all the time, but it works which is very exciting (as anyone who has read Paul Theroux’s great book, Mosquito Coast, might imagine). Anyway, after months of fishing about in the tepid melted ice water of cool boxes for slices of ham and cheese that have slipped out their battered plastic packaging, I’m well into the whole business of freezing things.

So, now for the recipe: Select your banana. Put it in the freezer. Some time later, take it out. Peel it. Use a knife to shave off banana strips. Allow them to fall elegantly into a bowl. And eat.

Fair enough, there’s no cream in this, (I refer you back to banana ice cream with no bananas) but it does taste creamy. Further recipes to follow.