It reveals a new taste of familiar products: Klopotenko explains how to caramelize fruits, vegetables and meat

Caramelization adds a new flavor and a beautiful crust to familiar foods. Even fried potatoes will open up in a new way if you add a little honey to them 10 minutes before cooking, let them heat up, and fry them until golden brown.

Grilled fish and meat will look so appetizing thanks to caramelization that food bloggers won't even need to take pictures of them and post them online. And fruits, berries, and nuts in a viscous sweet caramel are simply irresistible.

Read also: Klopotenko shares a recipe for fried cucumbers

Caramelization occurs when sugar or honey is cooked over low heat, and becomes viscous and brown. Its flavor becomes more complex - not just sweet, but with a subtle taste of bitterness. For caramelization, crystalline white or brown sugar, and honey are most often used. Ingredients that can be caramelized include fruits, berries, vegetables, meat, fish, and nuts.

A non-stick pan with high sides, preferably with a thick bottom, is suitable for caramelization. If you don't have one, you can simply put in fewer ingredients to be caramelized and do it over a lower heat. During caramelization, you need to actively stir the food and make sure that everything is caramelized.

Three ways to caramelize

1. Sugar and water. To do this, add sugar to a frying pan and fry it until it has a light, pleasant caramel aroma and a slightly brown color, stirring constantly over low heat. Then add a little water (the approximate proportion is 100 g of sugar and 50 ml of water) and reduce the heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the liquid evaporates, the bubbles become larger, and the mixture turns into a viscous and transparent caramel. To balance the flavor, you can add a pinch of salt and the food you want to caramelize. Stir to coat each one well with caramel and transfer to a plate. This method is suitable for small pieces or if you want the product to be cooked to an al dente state;
2. Butter and oil + sugar + water. To do this, heat a frying pan with butter, oil, or a mixture of butter and oil in a 1:1 ratio. Put the food and fry over medium heat. If necessary, cover them with a lid to help them cook until soft. Then add sugar and stir until the mixture turns brown. Increase the heat and caramelize. Add water if necessary. This method can be used if you have large pieces that you want to caramelize, but they should not be too soft;
3. Honey. When it comes to caramelizing foods, both liquid and candied honey can be used. If you want to get a certain result, then depending on it, you can add honey to the pan at the beginning of the process, then add the foods to be caramelized with it. Alternatively, the food can be fried first, and at the end, add a little honey and heat it to a thick and viscous consistency. As for the ratio of honey to food, it depends on personal preferences and the desired result, so the exact percentage cannot be given.

Earlier, we wrote about three simple tips from Klopotenko on how to cook asparagus.

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