Caramelized Fish in Clay Pot

Fish steaks glazed in a dark, oily caramel where black pepper heat meets the depth of fish sauce. The flesh is firm, infused with umami, and flakes away in large, succulent pieces.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 40 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 703
• Protein: 28 g
• Carbs: 51 g
• Fat: 43 g

Ingredients

• 600 g Fish stock ( cut into 3cm steaks )
• 150 g Smoked cured pork belly ( cut into thin strips )
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp White sugar
• 2 piece Shallot ( thinly sliced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 1 tsp Black pepper ground
• 2 piece Thai chili ( whole )
• 2 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse ( sliced )
• 2 tbsp Peanut oil
• 200 ml Mineral water
• 600 g Snakehead fish ( cleaned and cut into 3 cm steaks )
• 200 ml Coconut water

Instructions

1. Base preparation

   Mince the shallots and chop the garlic. Cut the pork belly into thin strips. Carefully pat the fish (ca-loc) pieces dry so they don't release water during searing.

2. Caramel making

   In a pot (or clay pot), heat the sugar with oil over medium heat. Wait for it to melt and turn a very dark amber color, almost like coffee. When it smokes slightly, the caramel is ready.

3. Searing pork and aromatics

   Toss the pork into the caramel to glaze it. Add the garlic and shallots. Let sizzle until the aromatics are translucent and the pork fat begins to melt.

4. Simmering

   Place the fish pieces in. Pour in the fish sauce and coconut water. Add the whole chilies. Cover and simmer over low heat. The liquid should gently simmer.

5. Final reduction

   Remove the lid and increase the heat. The sauce should reduce until syrupy and glaze the fish like a shiny varnish. Finish with black pepper and sliced green onions.

Chef's tips

• The secret is the caramel: it must be very dark, on the edge of bitterness, to balance the saltiness of the fish sauce.
• Avoid stirring the fish too much during cooking to prevent the steaks from breaking apart.

Storage

Keeps for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat over very low heat with a splash of water to loosen the caramel sauce.