Ca ro dong kho khe gives a pot of firm fish that takes in the gentle sourness of star fruit along with the scent of turmeric and galangal. The difficulty is a long braise that leaves the fish whole and free of any muddy smell.
The fish braises in two rounds: 40 to 45 minutes first, then a rest to cool, then a second round that firms the flesh. When about a third of the liquid is left, a tablespoon of rendered fat brings the fish up to a golden brown.
This batch weighs about 1.5kg, at roughly 126 calories per 100g.
Method
Scale the perch, remove the gills and guts, toss them with a little coarse salt to clean off the slime, rinse several times and drain. Season the fish first with 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt so the flesh firms up.
Cut the pork belly into bite sized pieces. Trim the ridges off the star fruit and cut it into star shaped slices 1.5cm thick. Crush half the turmeric and slice the rest. Slice the galangal and ginger thinly.
Mix the braising sauce from 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 4 tablespoons caramel sauce, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir until it dissolves.
Pour the sauce over the fish along with the turmeric, ginger, galangal, small shallots and 3 dried chilies. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, covered and chilled if there is time.
First round: heat the pot until the fish releases its own liquid, 5 to 6 minutes, then pour in boiling water. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 40 to 45 minutes, adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
Run the second round the same way until the flesh firms up. When about a third of the liquid is left and syrupy, uncover the pot and drizzle in 1 tablespoon rendered pork fat or cooking oil to bring the fish to a golden brown.
Tips
Small perch, two or three finger widths across, soften quickly, and a clay pot is the best vessel for them.
The sourness of star fruit both lifts the flavor and helps the fish soften faster.
Two rounds on the heat with a cooling break between them is what firms the flesh without breaking it.
A layer of pork belly across the base of the pot keeps the fish off the bottom, so a long braise never scorches it.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.