Light plumes of vapour (not acrid smoke) will waft
from the pot. At a perfect colour and smell, the
temperature will be 190°C (375°F), which is a f ew
degrees away from burning. If you are nervous,
aim for 180°C (360°F) the first time – it will still
be wonderful.

Under arrest
‘Arrest’ is the professional term that means
shocking caramel to cool quickly by adding room- temperature
liquids such as water, cream, fruit
juices or syrups, such as honey. Alternatively, you
can arrest your caramel by lowering the pot base
into a shallow sinkful of cold water. The caramel
will resist arrest and spatter angrily as two greatly
varying temperatures try to cohere, so …
Protect yourself
At its hottest, caramel is double the temperature
of boiling water. When you add a liquid, it
aggravates the caramel, creating dangerous
spattering and intensely hot steam. To be safe, tilt
the pot away from you and add the liquid in half or
third amounts from the side, at a safe arm’s length
distance. Let the caramel adjust before adding
more. A pro tip is to keep a metal bowl handy and,
in a swift and confident movement, drop some
liquid in and then place the bowl on top, muffling
the furious mixture. Give the pot handle a little
shake and safely remove the bowl when the fury
subsides. Play it extra safe and wrap a kitchen
cloth over your hand and forearm.

Re-melt it
If the caramel has cooled a little too much, just
warm it over a low heat and use a hand whisk to
stir it back together into its former mahogany- hued
caramel glory.

For those who wash the dishes
Employ heat and water, not elbow grease, to
shift the tenacious caramel residue. A good long
soak with hot tap water works, as does half filling
the pot and simmering the remains away for
10  minutes. Two runs through a dishwasher also
works well. When I make a crème caramel, I like
to heat the milk in the scraped-out caramel pot
for dual benefit – a clean pot and a little extra
caramel flavour in my milk.