Cá Kho Tộ

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Pat the catfish dry. In a bowl, combine the catfish with fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, shallot, sliced chilli, and black pepper. Turn to coat well and let it marinate for 15 minutes at cool room temperature while you prepare the caramel. Drying the fish first helps it braise cleanly rather than steam.

   500 g catfish steaks, cut 3-4 cm thick45 ml fish sauce10 ml light soy sauce15 g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned3 cloves garlic, finely chopped40 g shallot, thinly sliced1 small red chilli, sliced1 g ground black pepper
2. 2

   Set a clay pot or small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook dry, without stirring, swirling the pot occasionally until it melts and turns a deep amber caramel. Carefully add the hot water a little at a time; it will bubble vigorously. Stir until the caramel dissolves into a dark syrup. The correct color is rich amber-brown, not black, or it will taste bitter.

   25 g granulated sugar60 ml hot water
3. 3

   Add the neutral oil to the caramel, then scrape in all the marinated fish and aromatics. Arrange the fish in a single layer if possible and spoon some caramel over the top. Cook for 2-3 minutes to let the outside take on color and the shallot soften slightly.

   10 ml neutral oil500 g catfish steaks, cut 3-4 cm thick45 ml fish sauce10 ml light soy sauce15 g fresh ginger, peeled and julienned3 cloves garlic, finely chopped40 g shallot, thinly sliced1 small red chilli, sliced1 g ground black pepper
4. 4

   Pour in the coconut water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the spring onion lengths, then reduce the heat to low. Cover partially and braise for 18-20 minutes, turning the fish once halfway through. The sauce should reduce to a glossy, savory-sweet coating, and the fish should be just cooked through and flaky but still intact.

   200 ml coconut water30 g spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
5. 5

   Uncover and simmer for 3-5 minutes more to tighten the sauce if needed. Finish with the remaining black pepper. The final sauce should cling to the fish rather than pool thinly in the pot.

   1 g ground black pepper
6. 6

   Let the pot rest off the heat for 2 minutes so the sauce settles. Scatter over the sliced spring onion greens and extra chilli, then serve hot, ideally with steamed rice to catch the sauce.

   10 g spring onion greens, finely sliced1/2 small red chilli, thinly sliced

Origin & History

Cá kho tộ is a classic southern Vietnamese braised fish dish traditionally cooked in a clay pot, which helps concentrate the savory-sweet sauce. The dark color comes from nước màu, a caramel made from sugar, combined with fish sauce to create the characteristic glossy braising liquid. It is a homestyle dish closely associated with everyday family meals rather than formal banquet cooking.