Ca Kho to (Vietnamese Caramelized Fish)

Submitted by Member 610488

"Ca kho to is a dish that families routinely eat on a regular basis. The sweet, savory and gooey goodness of the caramelized sauce of this dish is almost good enough to stand on it’s own mixed with plenty of jasmine rice."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 2-4

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup water, boiling
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2⁄3 lb fresh catfish fillet, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• 1 scallion, cut into thin rings
• 1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro stem, and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

directions

1. Place the oil and sugar in a 1-quart clay pot or dutch oven and heat over moderate heat.
2. When the mixture begins to turn light yellow, add the garlic and stir until it turns dark golden (but not black), about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the water and fish sauce and bring to a boil.
3. Add the catfish and turn the pieces so they are evenly coated. Simmer until the fish is done and the sauce is thickened, about 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove the clay pot from the heat and garnish with scallions, cilantro, and black pepper. Serve immediately from the clay pot.

Reviews

[rpgaymer]

The flavor of this dish was really good, but the sauce did not caramelize like it should have. This was probably because I used a large pan instead of a clay pot or dutch oven. Really quite tasty though!