Recipe

Salted caramel sauce

Who can say no to a sweet treat from time to time? And how good does a salted caramel sauce sound? Mmm … what a treat! This recipe is an absolute taste sensation with the deep caramel flavour and a twist of saltiness. Yes, salt is the ‘obvious’ ingredient to add for the saltiness, but have you ever tried miso paste as an alternative? Have a look at the tips to see how much miso to use and for an explanation on what it is, if you have never used it before. It’s a surprisingly good combination and perfect for a dessert with fresh fruit or drizzled over ice cream.

Spoon some caramel over a pancake, stack of flapjacks or use it as a topping over a meringue with fresh fruit. The fact that this caramel is homemade also means you know exactly what is in the sauce. Like I always say: homemade is best!

Recipe developed for JOYA® apples

Serves 8 – 10 portions

Ingredients

80 ml (⅓ cup) soft brown sugar

60 ml (¼ cup) golden syrup

30 ml (2 tbsp) butter

100 ml fresh cream

30 ml (2 tbsp) water

a small pinch of fine salt, no more than 1,2 ml (see tip)

Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except the salt, in a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat and stir constantly until the sugar, syrup and butter has melted and a smooth mixture has formed.
2. Bring sauce to a gentle boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture just starts to thicken. Remove from the heat, add the salt and stir well.
3. Don’t boil for too long, as the sauce will just become stickier. Remember that it will firm up as it cools down, so keep warm. Or if you have prepared the sauce in advance, place the bowl of sauce in another bowl half filled with warm water and stir through – the sauce will become runny in a minute or two.
4. Serve warm caramel sauce as a dessert with fresh apple wedges or cubes skewered on a stick. Alternatively, drizzle over ice cream.

Tip

1. For a delicious umami flavour add 20 ml (4 tsp) miso paste instead of the salt. Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning, made from fermented soya beans and salt. It is a thick paste with an earthy, sweet, salty taste and can be used in a variety of recipes. It can really transform the taste and flavour of a dish, without overpowering the other flavours in the recipe, but rather complement them beautifully. You can add miso paste to sauces, marinades, soups, stews or meat dishes and even in desserts, like in this recipe, so it’s really versatile. Miso paste is available from speciality stores or the Oriental section in large supermarkets.

Photo by Adel Ferreira.