Chef Mia Castro's Brown Butter Salty Caramel

Ingredients: 

• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes 
• ¼ cup water 
• 1 cup cane sugar 
• ¾ cup heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 

Directions:

1. Have all the necessary utensils and ingredients pre measured and ready to go next to the stovetop to avoid stepping away at any point. 
2. Bring a medium sauce pot to medium-low heat. Add the butter and swirl the pot, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the butter melts, foams, turns deep golden brown, and acquires a nutty aroma. This process will take 1-2 minutes, so don’t step away. When the butter has browned, turn off the heat and immediately, but carefully, pour it into a separate container, This will stop the cooking process. Make sure to scrape in all the golden, browned bits that remain at the bottom. 
3. Into that same pot, immediately add the water and swirl it around to deglaze any residual butter. Add the sugar into the center and lightly shimmy the pot to hydrate all the sugar. Turn the heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer. Stir it occasionally and gently for 5-10 minutes or until the sugar has turned a dark amber color. Turn off the heat. 
4. To avoid the caramel from splattering, slowly stream in all the heavy cream. Whisk gently until it is well combined and smooth. 
5. Turn the heat to low and bring back to a simmer. Pour the browned butter back into the pot, scraping in all the browned bits. Whisk again until combined. 
6. Add in the salt and whisk well. Carefully transfer the caramel to a mason jar or heat-proof container. Allow the caramel to come to room temperature before covering it with a lid.