Cá Kho Tộ with Rice

Ingredients

Quantities are for one portion.

• 1scallion (spring onion), chopped
• 150 gfirm white fish cutlet (catfish or snakehead, bone-in)
• 30 gsugar
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1bird's eye chili, whole
• 70 gdry jasmine rice
• 1garlic clove, minced
• 2 tspfish sauce

Method

1. Rinse and steam the jasmine rice until fluffy. Keep warm.
2. Using a small clay pot (tộ) or a heavy saucepan, heat the dry sugar over medium-low heat until it melts into a dark, bubbling caramel.
3. Add the vegetable oil and minced garlic to the caramel to fry briefly.
4. Carefully lay the fish cutlet into the hot caramel mixture. Pour the fish sauce over the fish and drop the whole bird's eye chili into the pot.
5. Simmer uncovered over medium heat. The sauce will bubble up the sides of the pot.
6. Baste the top of the fish with the bubbling sauce. Baste until the liquid reduces down into a thick, sticky, very dark glaze that coats the fish.
7. Turn off the heat, scatter the chopped scallion over the meat, and serve the hot clay pot alongside the plain white rice to offset the intense saltiness.