Ca Thu Kho (Braised Mackerel in Savory Sweet Sauce) Recipe
Vietnamese dishesBraised DishesNationwide1 hour
Ca thu kho gets its appeal from a thick, glossy braising liquid and pieces of fish that are firm but still tender. Heat control is the hard part: too high and the fish breaks up and dries out, too low and the sauce never takes on color.
Season the fish with fish sauce, nuoc mau, kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and pepper for ten minutes, then braise gently for 35 to 40 minutes until the liquid reduces and thickens. White rice and fresh greens round out the meal.
This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 142 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 800g mackerel, cut it into bite sized steaks and drain.
Peel and finely chop 50g shallot and 20g garlic, and thinly slice 5g fresh chili.
Season the fish with 30ml fish sauce, 20ml nuoc mau, 18g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and a little of the 3g ground pepper, and leave it for 10 minutes.
Heat 15ml cooking oil in the braising pot and fry the chopped shallot and garlic until fragrant.
Add the seasoned fish to the pot with 100ml water, enough to just cover the pieces.
Braise over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, until the liquid thickens and the fish is well seasoned.
Adjust the seasoning, scatter over 20g chopped spring onion and the rest of the ground pepper, then turn off the heat. Serve on a plate with white rice and 20g fresh herbs.
Tips
Choose mackerel that is moderately fresh with glossy skin, firm flesh and no strong smell.
Braise low, around 90C, for 35 to 40 minutes, which thickens the sauce while the flesh stays sweet.
Add water only to cover the fish, since too much leaves the pot thin after forty minutes.
Marinate for a full 10 minutes before braising, as fish that has not taken the seasoning stays bland however long it cooks.
Turn the fish gently as the sauce reduces so the pieces do not break.
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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.