The night I almost set fire to a hotel kitchen in Nashville

I tried to flambé some bananas foster in a cramped hotel kitchen downtown and the flames shot up into the hood vent, scaring the line cook so bad he dropped a full hotel pan of bearnaise. Now I always check the overhead clearance before lighting anything off, has anyone else had a fire scare that taught you a quick lesson?

3 comments

3 Comments

jakeb251mo ago

I read a chef's blog once where he lit a whiskey sauce and burned off his eyebrows doing the same thing. He said he never worked above a vent hood without checking the filter gap first. That story stuck with me because it shows how easy it is to get carried away with the flames.

masonbell1mo ago

Wait, didn't you think flambeing was all show too?

williamhill1mo ago

Not really. I've done it plenty of times in my own kitchen and the drama is what makes people actually want to eat the thing. If you're careful with your pour and don't lean over the pan like an idiot, the risk is basically zero.