Flambé is a technique in which a spirit or liqueur is poured over a dish and then ignited, allowing the alcohol to burn off before the dish is served. By burning off the volatile alcohol, flambéeing allows the use of flavorful liquors without introducing alcohol or additional water to the final dish. It is also used by restaurants to introduce drama to table-side service.
Some noteworthy flambéed dishes include Bananas Foster, Cherries Jubilee, Crêpes Suzette, and Steak Diane.