Caramel Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Vietnamese Condiment
Ceideburg 2

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
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1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish — sauce)
4 Shallots — thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper

Thought your reference to cooking sugar syrup to “caramelize” it was
interesting. It reminded me of a sauce that’s used in Vietnamese cuisine. It’s
used in a variety of recipes and turns out to be the “secret” ingredient that
gives barbecued Vietnamese stuff that unique taste when used as a marinade for
strips of beef, chicken or pork. I use it in Satay recipes. The result is a
subtle, delicious taste.
It also gives a nice glazed finish to stuff. Its use shouldn’t be limited to
Asian cuisine. In fact, I suspect that this is originally a French influence…

“…the only rule to remember is to turn off the smoke alarm and open all the
windows, as the sauce will smoke heavily, with a pungent smell.” [I didn't
find this to be much of a problem. S.C..] Cook the sugar in a small heavy
saucepan over low heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown. It will
smoke slightly. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir the fish
sauce into the caramel, being careful to guard against splattering (the
mixture will bubble vigorously).

Return the mixture to low heat and gently boil, swirling the pan
occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add
the shallots and ground pepper to taste; stir to combine. Use in recipes where
required. [Or, as I noted, as a marinade for BBQ stuff. S.C..]
NOTE: Cool this sauce thoroughly before using. If cold food is added to a
caramel sauce that is hot, the sugar will harden instantly and you’ll end up
with a dish full of candy chips.

Yield: 1/3 cup.

From “The Foods of Vietnam” by Nicole Rauthier. Stewart, Tabori Chang.
1989.

You can multiply the recipe and keep it on hand for when needed. It stores
well.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg; December 20 1990.

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