Vietnamese Braised Catfish (Cá Kho) - A Recipe for Lent

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 lbs catfish steaks
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 shallot

  minced
• 2 cloves garlic

  minced
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes

  optional
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Caola oil, or another neutral, high smoke point oil
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

• 1 Arrange your fish steaks in one layer at the bottom of a heavy bottomed or
  stainless steel pot
• 2 Sprinkle fish sauce, shallot, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper and oil on
  top of the steaks.
• 3 Put the fish undisturbed on the stove over medium heat. In the meantime, make
  your caramel.
• 4 Make the caramel by heating sugar on high heat until it is a deep brown color.
  Be careful not to burn the sugar.
• 5 Add water to sugar and immediately pour sugar water on top of fish.
• 6 Bring to a simmer and cook covered for 15-20 minutes. Check every few minutes
  and add boiling water as necessary if the liquid boils away too quickly. If the
  sauce is too runny, cook uncovered until your desired amount of liquid has
  evaporated.
• 7 Season again to taste with salt and pepper and serve with white rice and pickled
  mustard greens.

Nutrition Info