Caramel Sauce

I have a confession. Making caramel scares me. Caramel is finicky, it goes from perfect to a burnt mess in the blink of eye. But when you nail it, the outcome is extraordinary. Practice makes perfect, and when you do make the perfect caramel sauce, you’ll never have to buy that overly sweet jarred stuff again! 

Caramel is essentially melted sugar and I love it by itself, or sprinkled with sea salt, covered in peanuts, enrobed with nougat…well you get point. 

There are two basic ways to make caramel: the dry method and the wet method. The dry method involves slowly heating sugar until it melts and is deemed as a bit more difficult. The wet method is more common and is what you will find in today’s recipe.
In the wet method, granulated sugar is dissolved in water and then boiled until the water starts to evaporate. As the water escapes, the mixture goes through a series of stages that indicates the ratio of water and sugar.

1 cup sugar
1/4 liquid cup water
1/2 liquid cup heavy cream, heated until warm
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a heavy saucepan (at least 5 cup capacity), stir together the sugar, and water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber. Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.

Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until smooth, scraping up the thicker part that settles on the bottom. If any lumps develop, return the pan to the heat and stir until they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The mixture will be streaky but become uniform after cooling slightly and stirring. Allow the sauce to cool for 3 minutes.

NOTE:

Caramel is HOT! Be careful. For reference- Water boils at 100°C, while the sugar mixture is around 175°C. Also, give your undivided attention to the caramel sauce while you are preparing it.

Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; refrigerated, about 3 weeks. To reheat, simply place in a microwave safe container and heat for about 45-60 seconds. Stir well.

When you add the heavy cream to the pot of molten sugar, it will bubble violently and steam will escape. Stand back and keep your face away from the pot.

Tip:

Avoid a caramel catastrophe by making sure your heavy bottomed pot is large enough. You do not want this caramel sauce to boil over onto your stove.When you’re done, be sure to soak your pot and tools with hot water to help the cleaning process.

Make sure your stirring utensil is heat proof. I typically use a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula.

Uses for Homemade Caramel Sauce:

-Eat it with a spoon
-Spoon it over your favorite ice cream
-Drizzle it over your favorite baked goods
-Stir it into your morning coffee to create a homemade caramel macchiato
-Use it as a dip

Spaghetti Carbonara

The most popular of all pasta dishes out there, a traditional Spaghetti Carbonara is very simple at the heart of it (though its not so simple when it comes to your heart and cholesterol). The classic recipe uses cream, eggs and bacon over a bed of spaghetti. But ofcourse it has evolved, and each cook has their own secret ingredient to add. Traditionally only spaghetti and bacon are used (and its a marriage made in heaven), but   obviously you can use any pasta, any meat and add some veggies to the mix.


Here's my take on the Spaghetti Carbonara


250g Spaghetti
3 rashes of Bacon
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp chopped Parsley or 2-3 leaves of Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste




Add water and a little salt to a big pot and bring to boil. Drop spaghetti into the pot of boiling water and cook for about 8 mins or till al dente. Drain and keep hot. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add bacon and let it cook till its a little crisp and golden.


In a separate bowl combine eggs, cream and cheese and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper according to taste. This is a basic carbonara sauce.


Add pasta to the bacon pan. Now toss the egg mixture into the hot pasta coating it well. Add parsley and serve.




Tip: While cooking the Spaghettin in the pot, add a tablespoon of oil. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Likewise also add some oil or butter after draining the pasta to prevent it from sticking and adding some additional flavour.


I love adding some spinach and mushrooms to this dish to give it a little earthy flavour.


My secret is to add a dash of nutmeg to the carbonara. It adds a beautiful flavour and aroma and really brings out the sauce.


Note: Bacon is already fatty and hence no oil is required in cooking it. Please do not add oil to crisp the bacon


It is important to keep the pasta hot after draining because the heat of the pasta actually 'cooks' the egg in the carbonara sauce and gradually thickens it. Just ensure you mix the two well.