• Place the brown sugar, butter and salt in a large saucepan (you want the mixture to only half fill the pan) over moderately high heat until it melts and combines. Boil for one minute.
• Carefully stir in milk and sago (don’t worry if the caramel seizes and hardens – it will melt again as the mixture heats back up).
• Turn down the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer (stirring constantly so that the sago doesn’t catch and burn at the bottom) until the sago pearls become translucent – they can still have tiny pin points of white at their centre. This will take 25-30 minutes. Occasionally scoop up the sago pearls with a dessert spoon to check for doneness. If any sago pearls clump together, you can easily separate them by gently poking the clump with a spatula or spoon.
• When the sago is translucent and the mixture has thickened, take off heat.

Continue with either version 1 or 2 below:

• VERSION 1: Separate eggs. Whisk egg yolks until frothy and add a little of the hot sago mixture into the yolks in a fine stream, while whisking, to temper the eggs (i.e. ensure they don’t cook). Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the sago mixture and whisk to combine. Place pan back on the heat for one further minute, whisking constantly, but don’t let it boil or the eggs will curdle. Take off the heat, place the pan in a water bath, whisking for another minute, and then stir in the vanilla extract. Whisk the egg whites until they are firm, but the peaks fall (i.e. not stiff). Using a metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the sago mixture.
• VERSION 2: Whisk whole eggs until frothy and add a little of the hot sago mixture into the eggs in a fine stream, while whisking, to temper the eggs (i.e. ensure they don’t cook). Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the sago mixture and whisk to combine. Place pan back on the heat for one further minute, but don’t let it boil or the eggs will curdle. Take off the heat, place the pan in a water bath, whisking for another minute, and then stir in the vanilla extract.

To continue for both versions:

• Let the mixture cool a little (whisking from time to time to avoid a skin forming on top) before spooning into individual dishes. The pudding can be eaten warm, at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
• Serve with dollops of softly whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.