This is a sauce that's used in Vietnamese cuisine. It's used in a variety of recipes and turns out to be the "secret" ingredient that gives barbecued Vietnamese stuff that unique taste when used as a marinade for strips of beef, chicken or pork. I use it in Satay recipes. The result is a subtle, delicious taste. It also gives a nice glazed finish to stuff. Its use shouldn't be limited to Asian cuisine. In fact, I suspect that this is originally a French influence... 

Ingredients

• 1/3 c Sugar 
• 1/4 c Vietnamese fish -sauce 
• 4 Shallots, thinly sliced Freshly ground pepper

Cook the sugar in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown. It will smoke slightly. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir the fish sauce into the caramel, being careful to guard against splattering (the mixture will bubble vigorously). 

Return the mixture to low heat and gently boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and ground pepper to taste; stir to combine. Use in recipes where required. [Or, as I noted, as a marinade for BBQ stuff. S.C..] 

NOTE: Cool this sauce thoroughly before using. If cold food is added to a caramel sauce that is hot, the sugar will harden instantly and you'll end up with a dish full of candy chips.