In the Kitchen: Caramel sauce and savory caramel sauce for Vietnamese caramel chicken {recipe} (and Shopbop winner)

There is just something about caramel that is pretty much perfect.  I love it when it is used as a topping for freshly baked sweets, a frosting on cupcakes or in whoopie pies.

I also love the unexpected combination of caramel with a few savory components for a wonderful, rich sauce (funky but I love it!) I absolutely love fish sauce, which is used a lot in Thai or Vietnamese cooking.  Warning: fish sauce may be an acquired taste because it is very pungent from all those tiny little anchovies. But I find it works wonderfully with chicken and I have started to use it in chicken burgers as well.  The sweet and salty taste also works well with fish as well. Mmmm savory caramel sauce – who knew? Well now you do, so if you like fish sauce, try making your own savory caramel sauce!

Caramel sauce

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Servings: 1/3 cup sauce

Preparation

1. Stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, without stirring (though you may need to break up the sugar if the mixture is too wet and clumps), until mixture turns golden in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla (if using), stirring until completely smooth. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

When sugar turns golden, remove from heat.

Sauce will immediately turn dark.

Mix with cream and vanilla and enjoy!

Savory Vietnamese Caramel sauce

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1 tsp chopped garlic

Servings: ~1/2 cup sauce

Preparation

1. Stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue cooking, without stirring (though you may need to break up the sugar if the mixture is too wet and clumps), until mixture turns golden in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and slowly add in vinegar and fish sauce.  Smooth out any sugar/caramel clumps off of heat.  Cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to thicken sauce.
3. Add garlic in final few minutes of cooking and remove from heat.
4. Sauce may be stored for one week in the refrigerator.
5. Use 1 tablespoon per chicken thigh to marinate chicken.  Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes and baste with additional teaspoon of sauce per thigh.

Finally, congrats to the Shopbop winner…

…Rositas!  I will contact you soon with your prize! Don’t fret friends because I am working on other giveaways for you coming soon!

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