Fish steaks simmer gently in a rich amber caramel of coconut water and fish sauce, enriched with crisp pork belly strips and aromatics browned in a clay pot.
Ingredients
- 700 g skin-on pangasius steaks
- 150 g fresh unseasoned pork belly
- 2 tbsp Vietnamese caramel braising sauce (nước màu)
- 4 tbsp Phú Quốc fish sauce (40°N)
- 250 ml pure unsweetened fresh coconut water
- 1 tbsp light brown cane sugar
- 3 pieces French shallots
- 4 cloves purple garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs garlic chives
- 2 pieces fresh red bird's eye chilies
- 1 tsp whole Phú Quốc black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp high-oleic sunflower oil
Method
- Gently rinse the skin-on pangasius steaks under cold water, pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels, and place them in a shallow dish.
- Finely mince a portion of the French shallots and purple garlic cloves. Coat the fish with part of the Phú Quốc fish sauce, Vietnamese caramel sauce (nước màu), light brown cane sugar, half of the coarsely crushed black pepper, and the minced garlic and shallot. Gently rub the marinade into the flesh to coat evenly and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to develop flavor.
- Cut the fresh pork belly into thin, uniform strips. Thinly slice the remaining shallots and lightly crush the remaining garlic cloves. Separate the white and green parts of the garlic chives; cut the white parts into short segments and thinly slice the greens on a bias. Lightly score the whole fresh red bird's eye chilies without cutting through them.
- Heat the high-oleic sunflower oil in a traditional Vietnamese clay pot over medium heat to around 320 °F (160 °C). Add the pork belly strips to the hot pot and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until nicely browned, crisp on the edges, and their flavorful fat has rendered.
- Add the remaining crushed garlic, sliced shallots, and white garlic chive segments to the sizzling pork fat. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant, lightly golden, and translucent.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, then gently arrange the marinated pangasius steaks in a single layer at the bottom of the pot, tucking the browned pork strips around and beneath them. Pour all the remaining marinade over the fish and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes until the edges of the fish turn visibly opaque.
- Gently pour the fresh pure coconut water down the inside edge of the pot to submerge the fish halfway without washing away its caramel coating. Add the remaining Phú Quốc fish sauce and place the whole bird's eye chilies on top.
- Bring to a gentle boil uncovered over medium heat for 3 minutes. As soon as a steady simmer is reached, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle, even bubble, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
- Simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes to reduce the sauce. Spoon the braising juices over the steaks every 4 to 5 minutes to glaze them, until the sauce turns glossy, syrupy, deep amber brown, and coats the back of a spoon, with the fish reaching an internal temperature of 149 °F (65 °C).
- Turn off the heat when the bottom of the pot sizzles gently in a rich, concentrated glaze. Scatter the remaining crushed black pepper and sliced garlic chive greens over the top, let rest in the hot pot for 3 minutes, and serve directly from the clay pot on a trivet alongside steamed white rice.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 334.1 kcal
- Protein
- 36.6 g
- Carbohydrate
- 12.37 g
- Fat
- 13.91 g
- Fibre
- 1.54 g
- Calcium
- 12.2 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 11.66 mg
