Elevate dishes with caramelization

[Food Network Fan]

Elevate dishes with caramelization

By JACQUELINE HIGUERA McMAHAN
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
There is nothing I love more in the kitchen (except for maybe a good chocolate cake) than well-executed caramelization, whether it is the golden edges of a biscuit, the syrupy brown juices of a roasted pepper, a roasted chicken with crispy skin or meatballs with crispy edges.
Good caramelization needs more than serendipity. You encourage it with a hot oven or a little oil in a heavy skillet (I like cast iron or enameled cast iron like Le Creuset) and then you leave it alone. Don't keep moving the food in the pan or keep turning it to keep busy.
Allow the food to sizzle into golden, caramel brownness. Leaving it alone is sometimes hard to do, but you must, as it will make the difference between good and great.


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[BerryBaby]

I especially love it on mushrooms....it is hard to just leave them and not move them around. However, the results are delicious!