The ever-so-slightly burnt tang of sweet caramel can be every bit as enticing as chocolate. And while its intense sugar hit is perfect in puddings, caramel is also useful in creating balance in savoury dishes – evening out spiky acidity.
The only art is to get the sugar to the right point – where it is a deep amber without being bitter. Don’t be overly cautious: you need the flavour of the molasses in the sugar. If you’re making it for the first time, fill the sink with ice-cold water so you can dip the base of your pan in the water and halt the cooking. Remember too that you can take the pan off the heat regularly, checking on its colour as the bubbles subside. If it needs a deeper hue, just return it to the hob. A splash of cold water or cream will also stop the cooking process and make the sauce smooth. The caramel may splutter when you add liquid and even seize into large crystals but heat will dissolve these.
In fact, the easiest part about making caramel is that you don’t have to worry about crystals forming, as you do with a sugar syrup, because you’ll take the mixture to such a high temperature that any crystals will melt later. If you want the caramel to set into glassy shards, don’t add liquid at the end of the cooking – this will keep it fluid.
It’s also worth remembering that caramel clings to everything and it burns skin, so never touch it. To clean the pan, simply add water and bring to the boil; this will melt any sticky bits, leaving the pan ready for another batch of delicious caramel.