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Food in focus |  |
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Caramel
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According to Larousse Gastronomique the name caramel comes from the Latin Cannamella (sugar cane) though some say caramel follows its roots back to Sanskrit, where sugar cane is called Ganna, and Maila means dirty, or the colour of dirt. Others insist it is simply the French word for burnt sugar.
According to the food historians, caramelisation was practiced in France in the 17th century and pralines are an example of a caramelised confection. Caramel 'candies' and sweets, as we think of them today, surfaced in the 18th century and are related to toffee. They're made when butter, milk and/or cream are added to the basic caramel made with sugar and water. In addition to sweets and as a base or topping, caramel can be used as flavouring as in caramel custard, a sauce served over hot puddings or ice cream, and as a coating for, say, caramel nuts.
Strictly speaking, the term caramel has two meanings: the highest stage of heated sugar (also caramelised/caramelisation) and a confection or sweet.
In its most basic form, caramel is simply sugar heated to about 165-180 degrees C/ 330-350 degrees F at which point it becomes a golden brown liquid. As you continue to heat it, the colour intensifies and so does the flavour. Sugar is caramelised with two classic methods, dry or wet. The dry method is where sugar is heated alone until it liquefies, the wet method is where the sugar is first dissolved in water and is then brought to boiling point.
When left to cool, the caramel becomes the base for nut brittles or can be crushed and used a topping for ice cream and other desserts. It could also form the bottom of crème caramel, or the top of crème brūlée, or the bottom (later top) of caramelised upside-down cake. Soft caramels are created when caramelised sugar is mixed with butter, milk or cream. They can be easily formed into lengths and cut into desired shapes.
How to make caramel
Put white sugar in the bottom of a clean pan and heat it. If you add water to the sugar from the start, it will help it melt more evenly. Use just enough water to dissolve the sugar; around 1 part water to 2 to 3 parts sugar. Place the sugar-water mixture over high heat and begin to stir as the mixture heats. Completely dissolve the sugar in the water before it boils. It is essential that all sugar completely dissolves before the sugar comes to a boil, and this includes scraping in the sugar crystals that cling to the sides of the pan, otherwise the mixture will crystallise once it boils, turning the caramel gritty.
While you're heating the sugar wash the sides of the pot with a moist pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Check for undissolved crystals by carefully taking some slightly cooled caramel from a wooden spoon and rubbing it between your fingers.
Once it begins to boil, don't stir the mixture, or it will begin to crystallise. It takes about 7-10 minutes for the sugar-water mixture to begin to caramelise, but you have to watch it carefully at this stage as once it begins to boil, it will darken within seconds. Don't let it burn, or you'll be stuck with an unpalatable bitter black mess.
Shake the pan lightly as the sugar is turning brown to ensure an even colour, but don't stir it. Remove the caramelised sugar from the heat when it's still a little lighter than you'd like, as it will continue to cook with the heat of the pan. You can always put it back on the heat if it's not quite dark enough. You can also slowly reheat hardened caramelised sugar to soften/liquefy it again.
The just-melted sugar syrup is called light caramel. As the sugar syrup continues to cook, it reaches the golden stage, followed by the slightly darker amber stage and then the dark stage. If the colour becomes excessively dark, the caramel will be bitter and can quickly burn. If you undercook it, it won't have enough flavour. Light golden caramelised sugar is more brittle and has less flavour when cooled than dark brown caramelised sugar, which has intense flavour and is slightly more pliable when cool.
Once the caramelised sugar is taken off the stove, you can stir in cream, butter, vanilla, salt or nuts (see tips and tricks below) to make caramel sweets. If you're adding liquids to it like cream or milk, do it slowly, and be prepared for lots of spluttering and bubbling. Warm the cream if used in the recipe as cold cream may cause the caramel to seize or clump-up.
Fresh caramelised sugar is very hot, so handle it carefully. Keep a container of ice water handy. If you accidentally spill hot caramel on your hand, immediately plunge it into the ice water to stop the burn.
Caramel is best made with 100% pure, white granulated cane sugar, which will be clearly marked on the label. Brown sugar contains impurities that prevent caramelisation, though light brown sugar can be used.
Before pouring the caramelised sugar mixture onto a surface such as a cookie sheet, ensure the surface is well oiled so that it doesn't stick.
By adding water to caramelised sugar stuck to the bottom of the pan and heating it to boiling point, it will dissolve and you will loosen it and the pan will come clean.
Use a heavy, high-sided metal pan or cast-iron pan so that the sugar liquefies without burning.
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