Caramel Coated Catfish

8 Reviews

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Ready In: 45 min

“Catfish cooked Vietnamese style, coated in a caramel fish sauce.” - by Everett

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Metric US

Original recipe yields 4 servings

Directions

Mix 1/3 cup of water with the fish sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Combine shallots, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a separate bowl and set aside.
Heat 1/3 cup of water and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar turns deep golden brown. Gently stir in the fish sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the shallot mixture and cook until shallots soften, then add the catfish. Cover and cook the catfish until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side. Place catfish on a large plate, cover, and set aside. Increase heat to high and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Stir in the lime juice and any sauce that has collected on the plate. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced. Pour sauce over the catfish and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (4 total)

Calories
404 cal
20%

Fat
17.4 g
27%

Carbs
24.1 g
8%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (8)

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azmomof3

Dec. 2, 2009

"This is definitely a keeper. I substituted the shallots for 1/2 a white onion. I also substituted lemon for lime and did not have any cilantro. It still came out great! Thanks Everret!..." See more"

kortneythoma

Feb. 11, 2010

"Wow! Best fish I've had in a long time. Thanks for the great recipe! My boyfriend was a skeptic about caramelized fish sauce but it was beautiful! I found the sauce to be a bit spicy for my taste so I..." See more think I will reduce the amount of pepper flakes and black pepper the next time. I also used raw sugar instead of white (we try to eat a little more organically around here) and it still worked fine. I also squeezed fresh lime juice onto the final dish in addition to the lime in the sauce. And I don't think the cilantro is necessary though we used it and it was still good. Beautiful recipe! We'll definitely be eating this again!"

LydiaK

May. 21, 2011

"I was afraid this was going to be too sweet but it wasn't. I didn't have fish sauce so I substituted Worcestershire sauce (as it is made from anchovies I've been told) and it added enough saltiness n..." See moreot to have to add anymore. The deep mahogany color is beautiful and the flavor is like a teriyaki sauce but more complex. I cut down on the cooking time just a bit (about 3-1/2 minutes each side) and it came out fine. I also left out the cilantro but that's because I thought the taste would overpower the fish."

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