Recipe: Ca Kho To (Vietnamese Caramelized Catfish) and Garlic Baby Bok Choy

I was looking for another way to make catfish besides blackened catfish or frying the hell out of it.  I was also looking for a recipe on the healthier side and Pinterest, as always delivered.

Ingredients

Ca Kho To

1 lb catfish fillets, cut into chunks

1 tsp dark soy sauce (we used lite soy sauce)

2 ½ tbsp fish sauce

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp light brown sugar

¼ cup coconut water

½ tsp black pepper

1 stalk green onions, minced

Baby Bok Choy

½ pound of baby bok choy

2 teaspoons of canola or vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ Tablespoon of soy sauce

½ Tablespoon of Chinese mushroom sauce*

sesame seeds for garnish

salt and pepper

crushed red pepper flakes to taste

*Lo Note: mushroom sauce can be easily found in any Asian market…or on Amazon if you don’t have any markets in your area.

Directions

Ca Kho To

1. Marinate catfish in the soy sauce and fish sauce for 10 minutes.

2. After the fish is done marinating, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook until shiny and translucent (about 30 seconds). Then add in the garlic and coconut sugar, and cook for another 30 seconds.

3. Add in the marinated catfish, the marinade, and the coconut water. Bring the liquid to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.

4. Simmer for 20 minutes with the pan uncovered. Leaving the pan uncovered will let the fish braise and thicken the sauce at the same time.

5. After 20 minutes, flip over the fish and add in the green onions. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the fish every 3 minutes. Once done, top it off with black pepper.

6. Serve over white rice or opt for just the bok choy if you’re looking to cut out some carbs.

Recipe from HERE.

Baby Bok Choy

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the bok choy, and cook for one minute. Drain the bok choy, transfer to the ice bath to stop the cooking, and when cool, drain again, and dry with a clean towel or paper towels.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the bok choy and toss to coat, cooking and stirring until just beginning to brown, 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the soy sauce and mushroom sauce, stir to coat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer to a serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle sesame seeds over as a garnish.

Recipe from HERE.