PANTRYFLEX

stove · gastrique

NATIONAL AWARD WINNERPrep 10 minCook 15 min

Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base

Independent adaptation of a publicly published Charles Phan recipe. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Phan.

Charles Phan's Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base, from the published recipe.

Ratio

Ratio by volume: Water 180 ml, Fish Sauce 60 ml
Water 180 mlFish Sauce 60 ml

Ingredients

  • Sugar1 cup (200 g)
  • Water1/4 cup + 1/2 cup later (180 ml)
  • Fish Sauce1/4 cup (60 ml)

Method

  1. This sauce is cooked on the stove — the jar is for storing it, not making it.
  2. Cook ingredients gently according to the published technique, adapted here as pantry quantities only.
  3. Finish off heat; adjust seasoning.

Companion jar

Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base wants a whisk and a stove — make it from this page.

The jar carries pour-and-shake sauces. These are its closest cousins from kitchens like this one:

2 kitchens · 3 stars · 3 national awards

First run is small.

Leave an email and we’ll hold a jar with its companions on it.

Provenance

Vietnamese-Californian chef of The Slanted Door (now closed as original Ferry Building flagship); James Beard Best Chef: California 2004 and Outstanding Restaurant 2014. Nuoc cham and Viet-American classics.

More from this kitchen

FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?

No — this one needs a blender or stove, so make it from this page. Jars only carry pour-and-shake sauces — its companion jar is below.

What do the quantities mean?

Amounts follow the published recipe in household units (with metric in parentheses). On a jar, every sauce scales to the same fill height.

Where did this recipe come from?

Adapted from The Slanted Door clay pot chicken reprints (published as “Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base”). Full citation lives in Provenance.