Bananas on Toast

2 cups bourbon (such as Devil's Cut by Jim Beam)

1 vanilla bean

¼ cup honey

2 slices double-smoked thickcut bacon

½ cup condensed milk

4 ripe bananas, unpeeled

4-8 slices raisin bread

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

Pour the bourbon into a canning jar. Split vanilla bean in two and scrape out the seeds, cut the pod into 1-inch (2.5 cm) sections and add both the seeds and the pod into the bourbon. Add in the honey and seal jar. Give it a shake to dissolve the honey in the bourbon. Set aside to infuse for 24 hours.

Cut the bacon into ½-inch (1 cm) thick lardons, or strips, across the width of the bacon. In a pan, fry the bacon lardons over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp. Remove from heat and drain. Pat with paper towels to remove excess bacon grease. Place bacon in small bowl. Spoon over the condensed milk and drizzle with a little vanilla-infused bourbon. Stir to combine and keep warm.

Fire up your grill to 450 to 550 degrees.

Suck up the bourbon mixture into an culinary injection syringe. Set aside.

Grill the bananas for 5-8 minutes per side, until the banana skin is darkened and begins to split. The flesh of the banana should be warm and soft. Inject each banana with a little squirt of infused bourbon. Be careful, as the bourbon will more than likely ignite as it drips out of the banana.

At the same time as you are grilling the bananas, grill the raisin bread until golden brown and crisp.

Remove bananas from grill and carefully open the peel to expose the hot, tender banana. Spread the warm grill-roasted banana over the raisin toast. Drizzle with crispy bacon condensed milk. Garnish with a little fresh chopped sage. Serve immediately.

Serves two to four.

"Gastro Grilling" by Ted Reader (Pintail, 2014)