Vietnamese Caramel Fish Recipes

VIETNAMESE CARAMEL FISH

Steps:

• Clean and chop/slice the fish and place in a bowl. Add the shallot, green onion, chillies, fish sauce, 1 tsp of the sugar (not the sugar with the coconut oil) and the pepper. Stir gently to combine and let sit 15 minutes.
• For the caramel syrup, heat the oil and sugar over medium heat in a large skillet, stirring constantly, until the sugar forms golden brown blobs in the oil, 3-5 minutes. Don't cook too long or the blobs harden up into candy.
• Add the fish, toss to coat with the caramel syrup. Add broth, stir again. The blobs should dissolve and make the liquid golden in color.
• Bring to a simmer and add the remaining sugar; continue to simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and lightly thickened and the fish is cooked through, 12-15 minutes. Garnish with a little extra ground pepper and chopped green onion and serve with rice and veggies.

CARAMEL COATED CATFISH

Steps:

• Mix 1/3 cup of water with the fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Combine shallots, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Heat 1/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar turns deep golden brown. Gently stir in the fish sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the shallot mixture and cook until shallots soften, then add the catfish. Cover and cook the catfish until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side. Place catfish on a large plate, cover, and set aside. Increase heat to high and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Stir in the lime juice and any sauce that has collected on the plate. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced. Pour sauce over the catfish and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

CA KHO TO (VIETNAMESE FISH IN CARAMEL SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the fish sauce, brown sugar, honey, pepper, garlic and shallots.
• In a dutch oven, melt the sugar and cook until golden brown. Add the water. Add the coconut milk and stir. Add the fish and the contents of the bowl. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for at least ½ hour to 45 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the fish over so that both sides soak in the sauce. Add more coconut milk if the sauce starts to dry out. Before serving, take off the lid so that the sauce can thicken a bit. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.

QUICK VIETNAMESE FISH IN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine soy sauce, brown sugar and fish sauce, set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoons oil in skillet over high heat. When hot, cook fish skin side down 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn and cook one minute, then remove from skillet.
• Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil. Add onion, cook 2 minutes or until wilted and just beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook one minute. Add soy sauce mixture, stir well. Return fish to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, or until sauce is dark and syrupy. Top with lime juice and black pepper.
• Serve with steamed rice and vegetables (sauteed greens are good here!).

FAST VIETNAMESE CARAMEL BLUEFISH

Steps:

• Brush fish all over with oil. Remove outer layer of lemongrass stalk and cut stalk into 2-inch lengths. Using the butt of a kitchen knife, pound and bruise stalks all over.
• Place lemongrass pieces, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger and black pepper in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and reduce sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, until syrupy.
• Place fish, skin side-down, in pan. Simmer, basting fish frequently with pan sauce, for 2 minutes; carefully turn fish and continue cooking until fish is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Transfer fish to a serving plate and garnish with scallion, jalapeño and cilantro. Drizzle with additional sauce. Serve over rice, if desired.

VIETNAMESE FISH SIMMERED IN CARAMEL SAUCE (CA KHO TO)

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, cook the sugar over low to medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown and caramelized.
• Remove pan from heat and stir the fish sauce into the caramel.
• It will smoke slightly.
• Return the pan to low heat and gently boil for about couple minutes while stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Stir in the shallots, chili and ginger.
• Add the fish in the caramel sauce and sprinkle with black pepper.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
• Simmer for 30-45 minutes, turning the fish occasionally and carefully.
• Serve with rice.