Doing flambes without burning down the house?

Question

What is a good mix of liquors to do a fun flambes at a dinner party without burning down the place or your guests? Anyone have experience at this?

Answer 1

There are great recipes at foodnetwork.com.  The key is to REMOVE  the saute pan from your heat before igniting the alcohol.  Bananas Foster is delicious.  Try purchasing one of those gun type of igniters (at Walmart) because they are much easier than matches.

Answer 2

rum or brandy works nicely.  It only takes a couple Tbsp to catch fire, and it will burn out fairly quickly.  Be sure you have no cloth (dish towels, hot pads, curtains) hanging right where you plan to light it, and remove it from the heat when adding alcohol and lighting w/ a match.

Answer 3

It’s really not about the type of liquor used as much as it is about the proof of liquor used and whether or not it is giving off enough vapors to be ignited.  The best alcohols for flambéing are a minimum of 35 proof, although you will get the best results with 40 proof alcohol or greater.  Some of the recipes that I have encountered use high-proof liquors, between 50 and 150+ proof for flambéing, although these have to be used with even more care than other types.    When flambéing, it is best done with alcohol that has been warmed in some way, either in a separate pan or heated on top of the item to be flambéed. This is due to the fact that you are actually setting the vapors of the alcohol on fire.  Without substantial vapors, such as those from lower proof spirits, the flames will not be as striking. Make certain that any alcohol is added while the pan is OFF of the burner so as to prevent flare ups.  

Have all hair tied back and make certain to wear tighter clothing that doesn’t flop around so as not to drag loose clothing across a burning surface.

Make certain that you are flambéing in an open area away from furniture and other surfaces that may catch on fire from sparks.  

It’s also imperative to have something to cover the item to be flambéed completely, as this is the only way to extinguish flames without ruining the dish.  If the recipe calls for the alcohol to be kept on fire until it burns out, it is still a good idea to have some way to smother the flames in case something goes wrong.  

It’s also a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case.