Growing up, my aunt would make delicious Vietnamese food for us for Sunday dinners. It was akin to the Sunday roast dinner that many American families have, but rather than a huge roast, we would have specialty dishes that required lots of time and preparation. This ca kho to dish, a Vietnamese caramelized braised catfish, was usually part of the spread we would have. I have lost count of how many times I’ve watched my aunt cooking this dish.
With the widespread popularity of pho and eggrolls being the ambassador foods of Vietnamese cuisine, many equally delicious Vietnamese dishes have been hidden in their shadow. My family actually never made pho at home because of how time and labor intensive it is. Ca kho to, however, is relatively easy and quick to make and packs such a punch of flavor. There are recipes that utilize a pre-made caramel sauce. I am going to challenge my readers to make their own caramel. It is such an easy and cheap product to make; yet its ready-made versions are often overpriced at grocery stores. So, have a little faith in yourself, and give caramel a try! Once you master this skill, you can make caramel sauces for desserts, caramel candies, and even caramel sugar art if you are extra ambitious.
What fish do I use for ca kho to?
The dish is traditionally made with catfish. But if you are not a fan of catfish, like me, you can opt for another white fish that has a meaty firm texture. For this recipe, I used perch, which was available at my local Asian grocery store. Tilapia would be another good option.
Try to buy your fish at the Asian grocery store because they have fresher fish, often even live fish. They often offer fish cleaning and cutting services, which saves you lots of time and unnecessary mess in your kitchen. Have your butcher cut the fish into steaks, as boneless filets will easily fall apart in the braising process.
How do I make caramel sauce?
Make caramel by melting and browning sugar in your pan. Then use fresh coconut water from a young coconut if possible (water from a brown coconut is no good). This will make a delicious caramel sauce base for ca kho to. Of course, you want to add fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and soy sauce as well.
For other homey Vietnamese dishes, check out my Bun Rieu recipe, a tomato based crab noodle soup dish.
Ca Kho To Vietnamese Caramelized Braised Fish
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh coconut water
- 1 tbsp xiaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 2 lb fish steaks cut into 2-inch thick pieces
- 1/4 cup fried shallots store-bought
- 1 bunch green onion chopped
Instructions
- Place sugar into a saucepan on medium-high heat. Allow sugar to melt. Mix sugar crystals with melted sugar to ensure an even caramel. Continue heating until melted sugar becomes a medium brown caramel color.
- Then add coconut water, xiaoxing wine, butter, fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, and garlic. Mix well. The sugar will become solid, but will eventually dissolve again. Continue mixing and add in onions and garlic. Mix well and continue boiling on high heat until the sauce reduces to the point where it can coat the back of a wooden spoon (~10 minutes)
- Then add in fish steaks into the sauce. Cover with lid. Braise for 5 minutes each side, depending on thickness of fish. After 5 minutes of cooking, baste the tops and sides of fish with sauce. Flip fish once. Do not turn too much. Then cover lid again and braise on medium high another 5 minutes.
- If sauce becomes too sticky add more coconut water or water.
- Allow catfish to braise in the sauce until sauce is thickened and easily coats a wooden spoon.
- Adjust seasonings to taste: by adding in a splash of water, oyster sauce, fish sauce, or sugar.
- Garnish with fried shallots and green onion and serve with white rice. Enjoy!
