Cá Kho Tộ
Cá Kho Tộ is deeply savory, lightly sweet, and fragrant with ginger, garlic, and pepper, with tender catfish lacquered in a dark caramel-fish sauce glaze. The sauce reduces to a glossy finish that soaks beautifully into hot rice, while chilli and spring onion bring freshness and gentle heat.
Ingredients
Cá và ướp
- 500 gcatfish steaks, cut 3-4 cm thick
- 45 mlfish sauce
- 10 mllight soy sauce
- 15 gfresh ginger, peeled and julienned
- 3 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
- 40 gshallot, thinly sliced
- 1 smallred chilli, sliced
- 1 gground black pepper
Nước màu và kho
- 25 ggranulated sugar
- 60 mlhot water
- 10 mlneutral oil
- 200 mlcoconut water
- 30 gspring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 1 gground black pepper
Hoàn thiện
- 10 gspring onion greens, finely sliced
- 1/2 smallred chilli, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •A clay pot gives the most authentic heat retention and gentle reduction, but a small heavy saucepan or cast-iron pot works well.
- •Catfish is traditional, though firm basa or snakehead can be used if catfish is unavailable.
- •If your fish sauce is especially salty, start with 35 ml and adjust with a few extra drops at the end.
- •Serve with plain steamed jasmine rice and a simple boiled green vegetable to balance the rich braise.
Background
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.
Love this recipe?
Get personalised AI-curated recipes, meal plans and smart shopping lists — free.
Download Gourmate – Free