Keyword suggestions: Minh Long Contest Golden Spoon Awards

Vietnamese ‘Cá Kho’ simmered fish

Monday, 03/06/2017 13:24
Healthy diets almost always contain fish, which is high in protein with fewer calories than other meat sources. It's also one of nature's most versatile foods.

Fish can be cooked in several different ways such as baked, fried, steamed or poached but simmering fish, will reduce the strong smell and increase the flavour of the fish.


Cá kho (simmered fish) in Vietnam can be found into two types kho khô and kho nước. Cá kho nước (wet simmering) usually uses sea fish such as tuna, salmon, mackerel, garrup, its taste is quite light and it is often cooked with a lot of water that can be used to add flavor to steamed rice or bún (rice noodle).

In contrast, Cá kho khô (dry simmering) is saltier and cooked until nearly all of the water in the pot evaporates, it is usually made with fresh water fish such as long-jawed anchovy, carp, goby, mullet and many others.

To make both kinds of Cá kho it is neccessary to prepare the ingredients carefully.

First of all, one must make a basic sauce using salt, pepper, nước mắm (fish sauce), sugar and a little nước hàng, a liquid made from well-cooked sugar like caramel syrup, which has a bitter taste and dark reddish-brown colour, it is often used to create a sweet, bitter taste and adds a nice colour to dishes.

Secondly, the cook can use some vegetables, referred to as phu gia in Vietnamese, such as small slices of ripe pine-apple, tomatoes, starfruit, jack-fruit and several chunks of sugar-cane.

Of course, the most important ingredient is fish, fresh fish should be chosen to make the dish more delicious.

First the fish scales are removed, then washed carefully using water and vinegar.

After careful preparation, the fish is chopped up into small chunks and mixed with spices and vegetables for about 30 minutes before cooking.

Then they are put into a pot, clay pots are often used as it increases the taste of the fish and filled with water and a small cup of tea.

The cook lets the fish simmer for several hours depending on the type and size of the fish.

During the cooking process, we must pay attention to the level of fire and always keep the level of water higher than the head of the fish by up to 1-2 centimetres.

The cook leaves the pot stewing until the fish is well-done and gains a desirable level of water, for Cá kho nước we keep quite a lot of water left in the pot but for Cá kho khô there should only be a little water left.

Cá kho is often served with steamed rice or bún and can be kept for up to one week.

By VNN/VnOnline

Write Comment Send Comment
0 Comment

Hot restaurants

Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Top 10 In 10 Dishes

Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2018 Top 10 In 10 Dishes

Enjoy this gallery with amazing dishes from the top 10 restaurants of Latin America's 50 Best 2018, with chef Tsumura's Maido at number 1 for the second year.

Chefstories

Superstar Pastry Chef's 'Food Porn' Has Instagram Drooling

Superstar Pastry Chef's 'Food Porn' Has Instagram Drooling

When Cedric Grolet takes out his pastry knife, millions of mouths water.

Cuisine & Nutrition

Sauces and Herbs to Die For

Sauces and Herbs to Die For

Vietnamese dipping sauce and a huge variety of fresh aromatic herbs are the soul of the country’s cuisine.

© 2014 / All rights & Copyrights reserved.

Golden Spoon Awards