Earlier this year, I went to Miami, where I had fantastic Cuban comida criolla; Spanish paella; Argentinian alfajores (tender shortbread cookies sandwiching creamy dulce de leche); and a great dinner at Michy’s, a newish restaurant nowhere near trendy South Beach. There was an upscale twist on the Cuban croqueta, this one a fritter of ham and cheese with fig relish. There were delicate ravioli filled with veal sweetbreads and topped with peas and mint. And for dessert, apple tart with ice cream and a salted caramel sauce with thyme. It was the salted caramel that spoke to me, and I never would have guessed how thyme could perk it up.

It’s plenty easy to make caramel, as long as you don’t walk away once it starts to bubble. Whip up a sauce for vanilla ice cream, scatter on some thyme leaves and fleur de sel, and you’ve got a tarted-up dessert. Or boil it for a bit to make herbalicious caramel candies.

Salted caramel sauce with thyme

1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/4-1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme 

Heat the water, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Keep a close eye on it once it starts bubbling, and let it go to golden brown. Turn off the heat and add the salt and cream, and watch out for the volcano effect when the liquid goes in.

 Strip the thyme leaves from the twig by pulling it through your fingers, toward the root. After putting the sauce over whatever you’re going to sauce, sprinkle the leaves on top.