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Vietnamese Caramel Fish
To make Vietnamese cá kho tộ, fish is cooked in a savory-sweet caramel sauce, both seasoning the fish and keeping it moist. To ensure our sauce was dark and savory, not cloying, we cooked the sugar a little longer, creating a darker and slightly bitter caramel. We found that a tablespoon of coconut water helped the sugar caramelize faster, getting us the deep coffee color we were after in just minutes. Keep a close eye on the caramel to prevent it from burning and becoming too bitter. Dark, oily fish are common in this dish, but we liked it better with a firm whitefish. Note that cooking times are for fillets about ¾ inch thick.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t use canned coconut milk here. Coconut water is widely available and lends a slight sweetness and subtle coconut flavor to the caramel. If you can’t find it, use water.
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
1
tablespoon plus ½ cup coconut water
-
¼
cup white sugar
Directions
-
01In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, bring 1 tablespoon of coconut water and the sugar to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to color at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the sugar is mahogany-colored, 1 to 3 minutes. Off heat, add the fish sauce and whisk until smooth (the mixture will steam and bubble vigorously). Add the remaining ½ cup of coconut water and whisk until fully incorporated. Add the shallots, ginger and zest. Return to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
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January 21, 2023
Great dish
This looks s one of our favorite recipes. Im careful of the steam created when adding the fish sauce, but if you just keep whisking the caramel will blend in. Follow the directions and you will love this dish. Flavor is great!
March 18, 2024
Quick and easy
Great recipe. Don’t need the coconut water - just use plain water. I used halibut.
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I have made the caramel fish a couple times. The sauce tastes good but the caramel hardens after adding the coconut water. I am able to re-incorporate it but the sauce never thickens.