Daniel and I recently enjoyed this dish at a restaurant, so I wanted to recreate it at home. Marinate catfish in brown sugar, freshly ground black pepper, homemade Vietnamese bittersweet caramel sauce, fish sauce, and a dash of salt for 15 minutes. In the mean time, sauté scallions (whites only, cut into 1 1/2
inch straws) and freshly sliced garlic in a little oil in a wide, high-rimmed pot. on medium heat When the scallion and garlic are fragrant, add marinated catfish (incl. any leftover marinade in bowl). When it starts boiling, reduce to simmer and then cover. Cook for 10 minutes, checking midway to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan (if there isn’t, add a dash of water). Uncover, then add water to almost cover the fish. Raise heat until you get a gentle simmer, then reduce heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (the recipe says 30 minutes, but that’s for thick-cut catfish steaks). Uncover and cook until sauce has reduced by half (about 15-18 mins). Serve with jasmine rice. I also like to serve the Javanese pickle on the side, which provides a nice acidity to this richly flavored (yet fairly light) dish. (Oct. 2012)
This recipe is from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors (Ten Speed Press, 2006) by Andrea Nguyen, with modifications (catfish fillets instead of steaks).
Cooking Adventures 