Vietnamese Caramelized Catfish Rice Bowls (Cá Kho Tộ)

Name: Vietnamese Caramelized Catfish Rice Bowls (Cá Kho Tộ)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) catfish fillets, patted dry, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce; 1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar; 2 medium (70 g) shallots, peeled and finely minced; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely minced; 1½ tsp (3 g) black peppercorns, coarsely ground, divided (1 tsp for marinade, ½ tsp to finish); 1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks; 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, cool; ¾ cup (180 ml) water or coconut water, boiling hot; 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce; 2 whole (6 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced (optional); 1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in a strainer until water runs mostly clear; 2 cups (480 ml) water, cool, for cooking the rice; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced; ¼ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 1 small (200 g) English cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender catfish simmered in a glossy, salty-sweet amber caramel sauce with shallots, garlic and plenty of black pepper, then spooned over steaming jasmine rice with cool cucumber and fresh herbs.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 4 generous rice bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the fish
1½ lb (680 g) catfish fillets, patted dry, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar
2 medium (70 g) shallots, peeled and finely minced
4 cloves (15 g) garlic, finely minced
1½ tsp (3 g) black peppercorns, coarsely ground, divided (1 tsp for marinade, ½ tsp to finish)
1 tbsp (8 g) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
For the caramel sauce
3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) water, cool
¾ cup (180 ml) water or coconut water, boiling hot
1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
2 whole (6 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced (optional)
To serve
1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in a strainer until water runs mostly clear
2 cups (480 ml) water, cool, for cooking the rice
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup (8 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 small (200 g) English cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

Equipment (6)

10-inch (25 cm) deep skillet or 3-quart (2.8 L) heavy saucepan with lid (a clay pot works well)
Rice cooker or 2-quart (1.9 L) saucepan with lid
Medium bowl for marinating
Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Fine-mesh strainer for rinsing rice

Steps

Before you start

Pat the catfish very dry and cut it into even 1½-inch pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
Boil a kettle of water before you start the caramel. Adding cold water to hot caramel makes it spit violently.
Read the caramel step first: it moves quickly once the sugar darkens, so have all aromatics prepped and within reach.
Ventilate the kitchen. Fish sauce and caramel are fragrant, and the pepper is intentionally bold.

1
Prep the aromatics
- Mince the shallots and garlic, cut the ginger into thin matchsticks, grind the pepper coarsely, slice the scallions and chilies, chop the cilantro and slice the cucumber.
- Cut the catfish into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces and pat very dry with paper towels.
- Set the kettle on to boil.
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Ready when: Fish pieces are dry on the surface and all aromatics are within reach of the stove.
Tip: Keep half the shallot and garlic separate if you like; here, use half in the marinade and half for the sauce.
2
Marinate fish, start rice
- In a medium bowl, toss the catfish with 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp of the black pepper, and half of the minced shallots and garlic.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the rinsed rice with 2 cups (480 ml) cool water in a rice cooker, or in a covered saucepan: bring to a boil, reduce to low, cook 15 minutes, then rest off heat 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Rice is tender with all water absorbed; fish is evenly coated in marinade.
Tip: Do not marinate longer than 1 hour; the salt will firm the flesh and make it dry.
3
Make the caramel
- Combine 3 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp cool water in the skillet.
- Heat over medium without stirring, swirling the pan gently, for 5 to 7 minutes.
- The syrup will bubble, turn pale gold, then deepen to a dark amber, like strong tea.
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Ready when: Deep amber color with a toasty, slightly smoky smell. Pull off the heat just before it looks too dark.
Tip: Caramel keeps cooking off the heat and turns bitter if it goes black. If it does, discard it and start over.
4
Build the sauce
- Standing back, carefully pour the ¾ cup (180 ml) boiling water into the caramel; it will sputter and the caramel will seize.
- Return to medium heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the hardened bits dissolve.
- Add the oil, remaining shallots and garlic, ginger and 1 tbsp fish sauce, and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
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Ready when: Caramel is fully dissolved into a smooth, brown liquid with no hard lumps.
Tip: Use boiling water, not cold, to keep the splatter to a minimum.
5
Braise the fish, covered
- Add the catfish and all its marinade in a single layer, spooning some sauce over the top.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, gently shaking the pan once or twice, without stirring.
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Ready when: Fish turns opaque and flakes easily; internal temperature reaches 145°F (63°C).
Tip: Catfish is delicate. Avoid stirring with a spoon, which breaks the pieces apart.
6
Reduce uncovered
- Carefully turn each piece over with a spatula.
- Uncover and simmer over medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the fish every couple of minutes, until the sauce reduces by about half and turns syrupy.
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Ready when: Sauce is glossy, dark brown and coats the back of a spoon; a line drawn with your finger stays clean.
Tip: Taste the sauce. If too salty, add a splash of hot water; if too thin, simmer 2 minutes more.
7
Finish with pepper
- Turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle in the remaining ½ tsp black pepper and the chilies, if using, and gently baste the fish.
- Let it rest for 2 minutes so the sauce settles.
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Ready when: Fish glistens and smells strongly of pepper and caramel.
8
Assemble the bowls
- Fluff the rice with a fork and divide among 4 bowls.
- Top each with a few pieces of fish and a generous spoonful of sauce.
- Add cucumber slices alongside and scatter with scallions and cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Rice is fluffy and the sauce soaks slightly into the top layer.
Tip: Spoon extra sauce over the rice; it is the best part.

Good to know

Tips

Aim for amber, not brown-black, caramel: it should smell like toasted sugar, not burnt.
Fish sauce brands vary in saltiness. Taste the sauce before the final reduction and adjust.
Use a pan wide enough to hold the fish in one layer so every piece sits in the sauce.
Serve with pickled mustard greens or a simple clear soup for a traditional Vietnamese meal.

Make ahead

"The fish braises well a day ahead and tastes even better the next day. Cool, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, then gently reheat. Cook the rice fresh."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: store fish with sauce and rice separately in airtight containers up to 3 days. Freezer: fish with sauce up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat fish gently in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water for 5 to 8 minutes until steaming hot (165°F/74°C); microwave the rice with a damp paper towel."

Substitutions

catfish fillets → Thick-cut tilapia, cod or salmon steaks. Cook only until 145°F (63°C); thinner fillets may need 3 to 5 minutes less covered braising.
water or coconut water → Unsweetened coconut water. Gives a rounder, slightly sweeter sauce, as is traditional in southern Vietnam.
shallots → Small yellow onion, finely minced. Use about ½ cup (75 g); the flavor will be a bit sharper.
jasmine rice → Brown jasmine rice or cauliflower rice. Brown rice needs about 2¼ cups (540 ml) water and 35 to 40 minutes of cooking, so start it earlier.