Banana Salad, Lach Bananas or Dressed Bananas

 Banana Salad or “Lach Bananas”

Recipe from: Grandma Julia Lach of Bracken County, Kentucky 

This is a vintage… and dare I say ‘antique’ recipe from our family… handed down through the years, shared and enjoyed for generations.  My great-grandmother, Julia Lach, lived from 1865-1966.

How wonderful for our family that these recipes live on…  We will certainly remember our loved ones and our heartfelt Thanksgiving memories of years gone by… This banana recipe has been there for all of our Thanksgiving days…  it is a tradition and it’s truly a treasured staple on our menu every year… it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without this unique dish. 

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

Dash of salt

2 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch 

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

Bananas 

2 cups finely chopped roasted peanuts

Fancy leaf lettuce for serving-optional 

Directions:

In a saucepan off the heat, combine the sugar, salt and flour. Set aside. 

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, water and vinegar, stirring well.

Add the egg-water-vinegar mixture to the sugar-salt-flour mixture.  Stir well. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stir during the heating and until mixture thickens and boils for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and then cool. Transfer the cooled dressing into a covered container and refrigerate —the banana dressing will thicken as it cools.

Assemble just before serving.

To prepare the bananas:

Peel 4-8 bananas. Discard peels. Cut bananas in half and then quarter. Coat each banana slice in the dressing. 

Dredge each dressed banana slice in the chopped peanuts.

Place the prepared bananas on a platter or large plate lined with leaf lettuce. Can also be served on individual plates.

Serve.