Golden Spice Delight: Caramelized Ginger & Gingered Caramel

Introducing a culinary masterpiece: Caramelized Ginger and Gingered Caramel! 🍬🧡 These delightful treats infuse the zesty warmth of ginger with the sweet allure of caramel, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds. Perfect for indulging your sweet tooth or adding a spicy kick to your dishes, this recipe brings together the best of Asian, Indian, and European culinary traditions in one tantalizing concoction. 🌶️🍬

Let’s embark on this culinary adventure together, shall we?

Ingredients:

• 2 four-inch pieces of gingerroot 🧡
• Sherry wine 🍷
• White sugar 🍚
• Butter 🧈

Instructions:

1. Preparation:

   • Begin by cutting the gingerroot into pieces that fit snugly into a plastic bowl with a lid.
   • Pour sherry over the gingerroot pieces until they are fully submerged. Allow them to soak for a month or more, until they become dark tan in color and firm in texture, almost translucent.

2. Caramelized Ginger:

   • Once the gingerroot is soaked through, remove it from the sherry and set the sherry aside for later use.
   • Peel off the gingerroot’s rind and cut the inner portion into pieces about the size and thickness of half a dime.
   • Place the ginger pieces into a bowl and cover them completely with white sugar, adding back about 2 tablespoons of the reserved sherry to create a thick syrup.
   • On a plate or in a small bowl, create a mound of granulated sugar and set it aside.
   • Cook the ginger-sugar-sherry mixture on the stovetop until it boils, ensuring it doesn’t darken or burn.
   • Using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger pieces from the boiled mixture and place them onto the sugar mound, keeping them separate.
   • Sprinkle more granulated sugar over the ginger pieces and let them sit for about a minute before stirring to coat them evenly.
   • Allow the coated ginger to sit for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a piece of baking paper to air dry.

3. Gingered Caramel:

   • The remaining boiled sherry-sugar mixture in the pan can be boiled again for about 30 seconds.
   • As it begins to brown, remove it from the heat and add two or three tablespoons of butter.
   • Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then pour the thick caramel onto more baking paper to set.

Notes:

• This recipe yields approximately 1/4 cup of caramelized ginger and 1/3 cup of gingered caramel.
• Cooking sherry works wonderfully in this recipe, but feel free to use your preferred type of sherry.
• The gingerroot can be soaked in sherry for several months, preserving its flavor until ready to use.
• The caramelized ginger and gingered caramel can be enjoyed as candy or used to enhance various dishes, adding a delightful spicy-sweet flavor profile.

So there you have it, a delectable recipe for Caramelized Ginger and Gingered Caramel that will elevate your culinary creations to new heights! 🌟✨