Blackberries Jubilee for Two, Inspired by a Chef Who Taught Me to Flambé

Learning the Flambé Technique from a Pro

I learned the basic flambé technique for Cherries Jubilee, Bananas Foster, and Strawberries Flambé from the late Robert Kunce, a chef I worked for in my late teens. He had been a longtime head chef at the Houston Country Club, and then he ‘retired’ and moved to Gilchrist, Texas, the tiny town on the Bolivar Peninsula where I grew up. The Wharf was Robert’s reservations-only restaurant whose doors were open only on Saturday nights, with a prix fixe menu each week. These fancy citified approaches to dining out were unheard of at the time in our laid-back beach town where putting on shoes (flip flops) was considered dressing up, but The Wharf attracted guests from other cities and did quite well. Robert was also the chef during duck-hunting season at Los Patos, a lodge in Crystal Beach, and went on to preside over Dinner on the Diner, a reservations-only dining car at the Galveston Railroad Museum. I worked for him at all three places, in a very part-time arrangement (whenever I was in town and available). It was a fabulous learning experience for me, encouraged by my parents, who were close friends with Robert.

To flambé fruit for fab desserts, Robert taught me to use the same basic method and vary the fruit, liquors, spices, and add-ins. It became one of those muscle-memory dishes I don’t really need a recipe for anymore, but I’ve documented it here for the blog, subbing in those gorgeous Texas summer blackberries I snagged at the farmers market for my test kitchen version last Tuesday.

Recipe: Blackberries Jubilee for Two

This is a bright, fruity, flavorful dessert — an easy-to-prepare special treat that feels decadent and celebratory without using a lot of sugar. It comes together in just over ten minutes and makes any meal feel like a party, even if it’s just the two of you on a weeknight. Like it was for us last Tuesday.

Serves 2; cooking time: about ten minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 pint large blackberries, about 2 cups
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Juice of ½ lemon, about 1½ to 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons blackberry liqueur, crème de cassis, or Chambord
• 2 tablespoons rum
• Vanilla ice cream, 2-3 small scoops per serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and combines with the brown sugar to form a thick, glossy slurry, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 pint large blackberries, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch of sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, the juice of ½ lemon, and 2 tablespoons blackberry liqueur, crème de cassis, or Chambord. Cook, stirring gently, for another 2 minutes, until the berries soften slightly and release some of their juices. The sauce should turn a deep, beautiful red and begin to thicken.

Pour 2 tablespoons rum into a metal spoon or small heatproof ladle. Nestle the spoon into the skillet without submerging it, allowing the rum to warm slightly above the berries and sauce. Using a long lighter or fire stick, carefully ignite the rum. (This is easier with a partner.)

Pour the flaming 2 tablespoons rum over the blackberry sauce and stir gently until the fire goes out.

Scoop 2-3 small scoops vanilla ice cream per serving into shallow bowls. Spoon the warm blackberries and sauce around the ice cream, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, and serve immediately.

Join Me in the Kitchen

This dish comes together so quickly!

Flambé Safety Note

Never pour rum directly from the bottle into a hot skillet. Measure 2 tablespoons rum separately first, use a long lighter, and keep your face and hands away from the flame. Turn off any overhead vent before lighting, and keep a lid nearby in case you need to smother the fire.

For a non-flambé version, add 2 tablespoons rum to the skillet along with 2 tablespoons blackberry liqueur, crème de cassis, or Chambord, and simmer the sauce for another minute or two. You’ll still get the flavor without lighting it.

Notes

• Using a fruit liquer is my addition to the classic approach. Blackberry liqueur keeps the flavor focused and fruit-forward, Crème de cassis gives the sauce a deeper blackcurrant note, and Chambord adds a softer raspberry flavor. Any of them bring a fruity sweetness that is irresistible.
• The lemon juice is important, because it adds a tartness that makes fruit really pop with flavor.
• You can be innovative with the spices, using cinnamon, cardamom or even allspice instead of the nutmeg.
• Pecans feel especially right as a garnish for Texas blackberries, but walnuts are delicious, too. Toasting the nuts first gives the finished dessert a warmer, richer flavor and a little crunch against the melting ice cream. A different and pretty garnish is fresh mint.
• This is a great dinner party dish! Just multiply the amounts based on your number of guests, and be ready to serve immediately.
• For serving, I like shallow bowls, coupe glasses, or small dessert plates with a rim so the ruby sauce can pool around the ice cream. Serve it right away, while the berries are warm and the ice cream is just beginning to soften.

Thank You, Robert

You’ll be thanking Robert, too, my friends, once you make this dish. It’s luscious!

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