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Categories:
vegetable oil sugar fish sauce palm sugar freshly ground black pepper water shallots chiles garlic scallions catfish fillets cilantro rice
Viewed: 61 - Published at: 9 years agoIngredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- Two 1-inch pieces of peeled fresh ginger1 cut into thin matchsticks, 1 cut into 8 thin rounds
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup plain unsweetened coconut water
- 6 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 Thai chiles, halved lengthwise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Four 8-ounce skinless catfish fillets, halved crosswise
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
- Steamed rice, for serving
Method
- In a small skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering.
- Add the ginger matchsticks and fry over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ginger to paper towels to drain.
- In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Cook over moderate heat until a deep amber caramel forms, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk in another 2 tablespoons of water and cook over low heat until the caramel is dissolved, 1 minute.
- Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, black pepper and 3/4 cup of the coconut water and simmer over moderate heat until the caramel sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
- In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering.
- Add the ginger rounds, shallots, chiles and garlic and stir-fry over moderately high heat until the shallots are golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add the caramel sauce and scallions and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Nestle the catfish fillets in the sauce and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until caramelized and cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Using a spatula, transfer the catfish fillets to a serving platter.
- Add the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut water to the casserole and cook over low heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the sauce is hot, about 3 minutes.
- Spoon the caramel sauce over the catfish.
- Scatter the fried ginger matchsticks and cilantro over the fish and serve with steamed rice.
