A Recipe for Caramel
Katrina Meynink is kindly sharing her recipe for caramel, taken from the pages of her family-friendly cookbook, From Salt to Jam.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Caramel isn’t just for kids, and if you have a soft spot for this rich, oozy delight, then go ahead and treat yourself!
It’s cold and dark at this time of the year, and if you need a drizzle of the sweet stuff to lift your spirits – and your cooking – then Katrina Meynink’s caramel recipe will do the trick!
Katrina is a mum of three who makes amazing food and writes about it too (as a columnist for Good Food), and her caramel recipe covers all bases, because it works in sweet and savoury dishes.
To make Katrina’s family-famous caramel (in various volumes), this is what you need to do!
To make 500 ml of caramel, measure out:
340 g (12 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
125 g (41/2 oz) excellent-quality unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
175 ml (6 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
2 tsp sea salt flakes
To make 1 litre of caramel, measure out:
675 g (11/2 lb) caster (superfine) sugar
250 g (9 oz) excellent-quality unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
355 ml (111/2 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
To make 1.5 litres of caramel, measure out:
1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
375 g (13 oz) excellent-quality unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small cubes
530 ml (18 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
Then, get your caramel cooking!
In a heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat, heat the sugar until it has completely melted – swirl the pan gently every 20 seconds. The sugar will clump in spots before melting slowly. Watch this part closely – it’s important not to let it burn.
Once melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter – your mixture will look as though it is possessed, violently bubbling! Continue whisking until the bubbles begin to subside.
Slowly pour in the cream and half the salt. Whisk until everything is combined.
Taste a spoonful of the caramel – if it is mouth-cloyingly sweet, add the rest of the salt.
Allow to cool completely before using.
If you’d like to add vanilla, add it separately, so you have some caramel in reserve for savoury dishes.
To add vanilla, simply add 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean extract for every 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) of caramel.
Caramel can be stored in jars with a screw-top lid.
It will last for 6 weeks in the fridge and up to 4 months in the freezer.
To see how Katrina uses caramel in a savoury dish…
Look for the Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Salad with Feta, Caramel and Crunchy Bits in her cookbook, From Salt to Jam, or head to KindiCare’s Instagram or Facebook pages to find the recipe there.
YUM.
The above is an edited extract from the book - From Salt to Jam by Katrina Meynink, published by Hardie Grant Books and available where all good books are sold ($40 RRP).
Photography © Katrina Meynink 2023
