Emeril’s Famous Banana Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie to serve 10

CARAMEL SAUCE

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

CUSTARD FILLING

4 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1-1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR ASSEMBLY

3 pounds (about 9) firm but ripe bananas, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Shaved chocolate, for garnish
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Fresh mint, for garnish

Make the chocolate and caramel sauces first.

Make Chocolate Sauce: Scald half-and-half and butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

Place chocolate and vanilla in a medium heat-proof bowl. Add hot half-and-half and let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Serve slightly warm. (The sauce can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for several days, but it must be returned to room temperature before serving.)

Make Caramel Sauce: Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Add cream, whisk to combine, and remove from heat. Add milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving with pie. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Like the chocolate sauce, the caramel sauce can be kept several days, refrigerated, in a covered container. Let warm to room temperature before use.

Make Custard Filling: Combine 2 cups cream, the milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla bean and seeds in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.

Combine egg yolks, eggs, cornstarch, and 1 cup sugar in a medium bowl; whisk until pale yellow in color. Set aside.

Whisk 1 cup hot cream mixture into egg yolk mixture. Gradually add egg mixture to hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a large wooden spoon to cook out cornstarch and thicken mixture, about 5 minutes. (The mixture may separate slightly; if so, remove from heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and smooth.) Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in refrigerator for about 4 hours.

Make Graham Cracker Crust: Preheat oven to 350.

Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Add butter and mix well. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Top with aluminum pie tin and with a circular motion, press crust tightly into pan. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Assembly: Spread 1/2 cup custard over the bottom of the prepared crust, smoothing with the back of a large spoon or rubber spatula. Arrange enough banana slices (not quite one-third) in a tight, tiled pattern over custard, pressing down with your hands to pack them firmly. Repeat to build a second layer, using 3/4 cup custard and enough bananas to cover, smoothing down the layer evenly.

For the third layer, spread 3/4 cup of custard over bananas and top with remaining bananas, starting 1 inch from outer edge and working toward center. Spread 1 cup custard evenly over bananas to prevent discoloration. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a medium bowl, whip remaining 2 cups heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and vanilla extract and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

Remove pie from refrigerator. With a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut pie into 10 equal slices. Transfer slices to dessert plates. Fill a pastry bag with whipped cream and pipe onto each slice. (Alternately, spread the whipped cream evenly over the pie before cutting.)

Drizzle each slice with caramel and chocolate sauces, sprinkle with chocolate shavings and confectioners' sugar, garnish with fresh mint, and serve.

Editor's note: The original recipe in the NOLA.com | Times-Picayune files included bananas in the graham cracker crust, a variation that is no longer listed on the Emeril's website. For readers who wish to try it here is the

ORIGINAL BANANA PIE CRUST

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 very ripe banana, mashed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, cream the ingredients together with your hands. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before filling.