Ca Kho To (Vietnamese Caramelised Clay Pot Fish)

Ingredients

• 700 g cod fillet, cut into 3 cm thick steaks
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
• 3 shallot, thinly sliced
• 5 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 garlic, minced
• 3 dl coconut water
• 2 fresh chilli, sliced on the diagonal
• 3 spring onion, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 300 g white rice

Method

1. 1.

   Marinate the cod — Toss the cod steaks with 1 tbsp of the fish sauce, half the cracked pepper and a third of the sliced shallot. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes while you build the caramel.

2. 2.

   Burn the sugar to caramel — Put the sugar and water in a heavy clay pot or a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir: swirl the pan and let it cook for 6-8 minutes until the syrup turns the colour of dark tea and smells faintly bitter, then pull it off the heat immediately.

3. 3.

   Fry the aromatics in the caramel — Stand back, add the oil, garlic and the remaining shallot to the hot caramel and return the pot to low heat. Fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the caramel loosens again and the garlic is fragrant but not coloured.

4. 4.

   Nestle in the fish — Lay the fish in a single snug layer, pour over the coconut water and the remaining fish sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer. The liquid should come roughly two-thirds of the way up the fish.

5. 5.

   Simmer covered, without stirring — Cover and simmer very gently for 20 minutes, spooning the sauce over the fish two or three times but never stirring, so the pieces stay whole.

6. 6.

   Reduce to a lacquer — Uncover, raise the heat and reduce for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is dark, syrupy and lacquers each piece when you tilt the pot. Scatter over the chilli, remaining pepper and spring onion and serve straight from the pot with steamed white rice.