Ca Kho To Caramelised silver perch
“A father's culinary treasures are revealed, writes Joanna Savill.”
- 1 whole silver perch (300-350g)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 red Asian shallots, diced
- 75g sugar
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 spring onion, sliced
- 1 bird's-eye chilli, sliced
- Cracked black pepper
This recipe is from Secrets of the Red Lantern by Pauline Nguyen, with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen. Published by Murdoch Books, $59.95.
Method
Place the fish flat on a board. Using a cleaver or large knife, remove the tail,
fins and head. Cut the fish from the tail into 2cm sections.
Put the oil in a
small saucepan over a medium heat, add the garlic and shallots and fry until the
garlic turns golden brown. Strain the oil through a fine metal sieve into a
small clay pot, discarding the garlic and shallots.
Add the sugar and 1 tbsp
water to the clay pot over a medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes to make a
rich, dark caramel, then add the fish. Seal the fish on all sides in the
caramel, then add the fish sauce and 3 tbsp of water and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook the fish for about 5 minutes, or
until cooked through. Garnish this dish with spring onion, chilli and black
pepper.
Serves two.
