Vietnamese Caramelized Salmon (Cá Hồi Kho)
User Reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
3 people
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Calories
761 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Vietnamese
Vietnamese Caramelized Salmon (Cá Hồi Kho)
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This Vietnamese-style Caramelized Salmon features salmon prepared in a classic way. The fish is simmered with fish sauce and caramel sauce which gives it a delicious savory taste and beautiful color. Served with rice, this dish makes a very satisfying meal.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 - 1.75 lb salmon steaks (about 1.5 - 2 inch thick)
- 1 large shallot
- 2 thumb-sized pieces of galangal (or ginger if galangal is not available)
- 2 tomatoes (one is fine if large)
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 - 2 birds-eye chili
- cooking oil
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 2/3 tablespoons fish sauce
- plenty of black pepper
For the Caramel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons water (divided)
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt on both sides of the salmon steaks and set a side. (Note: 1/2 teaspoon of salt is the total amount to use for all the salmon steaks)
- Thinly slice shallot, galangal (or ginger) and tomatoes. Smash the garlic. Remove seeds from the bird's-eye chili. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, the sugar will fully dissolve. Lower the heat to medium, continue to simmer. You will see that a lot of bubbles on the surface. The mixture will then turn from clear to yellow, and get darker as you simmer it. When it has a honey color, reduce the heat slightly. Keep watching closely, until it has a dark caramel color, turn off the heat and carefully add 1 tablespoon of water. Swirl the saucepan to combine (add 1/2 - 1 more tablespoon of water if the caramel sauce is too thick) and remove it from the stove. Set aside.
- Place a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and once the oil is hot, sear salmon steaks for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer them to a plate.
- Place a pot that can fit all the salmon in a single layer on medium heat. Add oil and sauté shallots for a few seconds. Add garlic and galangal (or ginger) and sauté for a few more seconds until fragrant. Arrange them to cover the bottom of the pot and place tomato slices on top. Place salmon steaks on top of the tomatoes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water or enough to cover the fish, also add fish sauce, caramel sauce and bird's-eye chili and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer (low - medium low heat). Sprinkle plenty of black pepper and simmer 10-15 minutes then gently flip the fish. You can taste the braising liquid and adjust to taste, but remember it will get saltier as we continue cooking and reduce the liquid further.
- Continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Occasionally spoon the braising liquid over the salmon. If the liquid reduces too rapidly, you can add a little more water. In the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, watch closely because it may burn. The liquid will reduce, thicken like a sauce. Turn off the heat when there is just enough sauce to coat the bottom of the pot (or sooner if you prefer more sauce).
- Transfer salmon to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle some more black pepper. Serve with rice.
Notes
- When making the caramel sauce, once the mixture turns yellow, you should watch very closely. Don't go anywhere because from that point, it can burn really fast.
- My recipe for caramelized salmon is Northern style. You can make it more like Southern style by adding sugar to the braising liquid to your liking. I suggest start with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, taste and adjust to your liking.
- The bird's-eye chili which gives the dish a nice kick, but you can leave it out if you don't like spicy food.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
761kcal
(38%)
Carbohydrates
15g
(5%)
Protein
99g
(198%)
Fat
31g
(48%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
270mg
(90%)
Sodium
1402mg
(58%)
Potassium
2690mg
(77%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
11g
(22%)
Vitamin A
880IU
(18%)
Vitamin C
13mg
(14%)
Calcium
80mg
(8%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 761 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 761kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 99g | 198% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 270mg | 90% |
| Sodium | 1402mg | 58% |
| Potassium | 2690mg | 57% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 11g | 22% |
| Vitamin A | 880IU | 18% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 80mg | 8% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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