Ingredients
35ml water x 2 
65g sugar  
½ tbsp lime juice 
2 shallots, finely sliced 
1 whole dried red chilli (add more than 1 if you like it spicy) 
1 cinnamon stick 
2 star anise 
½ tsp whole Szechuan peppercorns 
½ tsp  whole black peppercorns 
30ml fish sauce 

Equipment 
A pastry brush

Method
In a medium saucepan on a medium heat put 35ml of water, the lime juice and sugar and heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and boil without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. This will depend on how hot your heat is and on what pan you use but expect it to take around 20 minutes. If you stir you could cause crystals to form so fight your urge! If any sugar crystals start to form on the sides of the pan down the bottom then take your pastry brush, dip in water and brush over the crystallised sugar, this should stop the build up. You may have to keep repeating this step.

Stir the shallots and spices into the caramel and then remove from the heat and add the fish sauce and remaining 35ml of water. The caramel may harden in places so return to the heat until any hardened caramel has dissolved.