PANTRYFLEX

From Charles Phan's kitchen · The Slanted Door, San Francisco

stove · gastrique

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base

From an award-winning kitchen

Ratio

WATER 180FISH SAUCE 60

Ingredients

  • SUGAR200 g
  • WATER180 ml
  • FISH SAUCE60 ml

Method

  1. This one needs stove heat — jar fill-lines aren’t the whole story yet.
  2. Cook ingredients gently according to the published technique, adapted here as pantry quantities only.
  3. Finish off heat; adjust seasoning.

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.

Originally published as Clay Pot Caramel Sauce Base.

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FAQ

Can this go in a shake jar?+

This one is blend or stove fit. Use it from the recipe page; jar columns are shake-ready sauces only.

What do the quantities mean?+

Amounts below are from the published source, converted to ml/g where liquids allow. On a jar, every column 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.