Ca Kho To (Caramelized Fish in Clay Pot)

Ca kho to is the caramelized fish simmered in a clay pot that appears on Vietnamese tables more often than almost anything else. Catfish is braised low and slow in a dark, savory-sweet caramel of fish sauce, sugar, and coconut water. It is home cooking at its most honest, and every family has its own version. The clay pot gives the dish its name, but a heavy skillet does the job at home.

Dark, glossy fish that falls apart in a savory-sweet glaze

The caramel gives the fish a deep amber color and a flavor that is salty, sweet, and slightly bitter in the best way. Cooking low and slow makes the fish silky and the sauce thick and glossy, perfect over a bowl of steamed rice. A few cracks of black pepper and a shower of scallions on top, and dinner is done. Eat it with plenty of rice, because you will want to catch every drop of that sauce. It is the kind of pot you scrape clean.

Craving more? Explore all Vietnamese Kitchen recipes.

This dish leans on the condiments covered in Beginner’s Guide to Asian Sauces & Seasonings.

Vietnamese recipes →