Salmon Steak In Caramel Sauce Vietnamese Ca Kho Recipes

VIETNAMESE-STYLE CARAMELIZED SALMON

Steps:

• 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, 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.
• In a pan over medium high heat, 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 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, 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 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, flip the fish one (or two) more time. 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's 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.

SALMON STEAK IN CARAMEL SAUCE (VIETNAMESE CA KHO)

Steps:

• Heat heavy sauce pan (large enough to accomodate fish without overlapping) on medium high.
• Add sugar, melt and caramelize (you want it brown, but not burnt). Sugar should be brown and very hot.
• Add minced ginger (be careful, it may sizzle if there's water in the ginger) and stir for about 15 seconds.
• Add fish sauce and fresh cracked pepper. Stir.
• Add fish steaks, do not overlap fish to make sure each piece is soaked in the sauce.
• Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not cover. The sauce needs to thicken into a light syrup. If the sauce gets too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin.
• Turn fish over and cook for another 4 minutes or until fish is cooked depending on the thickness of your fish steaks.
• Serve immediate with steamed white rice. The sauce is good on the rice.

CA KHO RECIPE: VIETNAMESE BRAISED SALMON IN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Ask your fishmonger to clean and prep 4 salmon steaks. Make sure they still have the skin on. Rinse thoroughly under running water. Place them in a deep dish. Barely cover with water and add lime juice. Mix well and let stand for about 5 minutes.
• Discard the water. Pat dry using paper towels. Sprinkle with red chili powder. Drizzle with a little oil. Marinate the fish for no more than 30 minutes.
• Use a wok with its matching lid. Add 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook the finely chopped onion for about 8 minutes until soft and nicely golden. Leaving as much oil as possible in the pan, transfer to a platter. Set aside.
• Pat the fish dry one more time. Using a brush, lightly coat the fish steaks with oil. In the same pan, add the minced garlic and cook until golden. Add the ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Place the fish steaks. Pan-sear for a minute; flip the fish and sear the other side for an additional minute. Transfer the fish to a platter. Set aside. Wipe out the wok.
• Add the granulated sugar to the wok and continuously stir until it heats evenly and becomes an amber, dark-ish syrup. As soon as the color is reached, stop the cooking process with ½ cup warm water and the fish sauce, stirring constantly.
• Add the salmon to the caramel. Add the fried onions, red chiles, green onions and mint. Add water, just enough to barely cover the fish. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Keep stirring every now and then (delicately flipping the fish occasionally and adding more sugar juice as it evaporates). Be careful; it's very delicate and flaky. Season with salt.
• Check the doneness of the fish (add another ½ cup of water and cook a bit longer if not fully cooked). The caramel-colored gravy should be thin. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Check doneness. Transfer to a serving platter.
• Serve with jasmine rice and blanched greens.
• Bon appétit!

SALMON AND GALANGAL SIMMERED IN CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, pepper, salt, caramel sauce, and fish sauce. Add the salmon and turn to coat evenly. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate.
• Select a shallow saucepan in which the fish steaks will fit snugly in a single layer. Arrange the galangal slices on the bottom. Place the fish steaks on top, and drizzle with the marinade. Put the pork in the open spaces between the steaks.
• Bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat. Adjust to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, checking midway to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. If the pan seems dry, splash in a little water. During this stage, the fish will more or less cook in the steam trapped in the pan. The liquid will bubble vigorously, and plumes of steam may shoot from under the lid.
• Uncover, add water almost to cover the fish, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Uncover and adjust the heat, if necessary, to continue at a gentle simmer. Cook for another 15 to 18 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half and has thickened slightly, forming a sauce.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with a pinch of brown sugar to remove any harsh edges, or a sprinkling of fish sauce for more savory depth. Carefully transfer the fish to a shallow bowl. Don't worry if the steaks break up a bit. Surround the fish with the pork pieces, pour the sauce over the fish and pork, and serve. To eat, put fish and pork on your rice and spoon on a bit of sauce.