This Vietnamese dish was inspired by my parent’s own cooking. We made a few alterations to make it our own, but I still had to steal my mom’s clay pot for it!
The marinade is easy to make, but the caramel is the tricky part. My parents use this huge block of brown sugar. (I have never seen it in american stores, so I have no idea what it really is). They would melt the block down to create a nice thick caramel.
Making it that way wasn’t exactly CK style, so we decided to make it refined sugar free by using coconut sugar. However, I have NEVER tried to caramelize coconut sugar.
My first attempt did not go well at all… the clay pot got too hot, so when I added the sugar it started burning instantly. I thought I had ruined my mom’s pot, which would’ve been really bad, but I was able to scrub off all the burned sugar. Fortunately, my next attempt was successful!
The trick is to spread the coconut sugar out in a nice even layer. It will start to bubble and turn a nice light brown color. Once it gets to that point, stir the sugar around before adding the catfish.
After you get past the sugar part, it should be smooth sailing! Hope you enjoy my take on my family’s recipe.
Keep your catfish in your pot, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Ingredients
- 4 catfish steaks
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 4 tbsp coconut sugar divided
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium-sized shallot sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ cup coconut water
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 green onion chopped for garnish
Instructions
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Marinate catfish with fish sauce, 2 tbsp of sugar, garlic, and sliced shallot.
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Heat vegetable oil in dutch oven or clay pot over medium heat. Add remaining coconut sugar in an even layer on the bottom of the pot. Watch the sugar to make sure it does not burn! It will caramelize quickly.
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Place catfish into the pot in a single layer. Add pepper to taste.
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Once you get a nice brown color on one side of your catfish, flip it over and add your coconut water.
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Cover the pot and let braise for 10 minutes.
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Garnish with green onions before serving.