Caramel ginger salmon
Vietnam, bless it, has some unique ingredients and techniques that we go nuts for. Having been lucky enough to visit the country numerous times over the last 20 years, we can say, hand on heart, it has one of our all time favourite cuisines on the planet. The food is next level; it’s fresh, zingy and so incredibly varied, we never get sick of eating it. There’s always some new dish to discover.
One unique technique that really gets us going is Vietnamese caramel cooking, or "kho". It involves braising meats or fish in a rich, sticky caramel sauce made from sugar, fish sauce, and punchy aromatics —it’s intense and sweet but balanced with a savoury hit of fish sauce. Kind of similar to China’s ‘red cooking, kho is its own beast, born in southern Vietnam where sugarcane reigns supreme. In the Mekong Delta, this method likely started as a way to level up everyday proteins like pork and fish.
This caramel salmon recipe is a total winner. Sure, the Vietnamese would traditionally use catfish plucked from the Mekong, but we reckon Kiwi King Salmon makes for an absolute showstopper. The recipe is a breeze to pull off, too. You can make the caramel ahead of time, then just finish it off with the salmon when you're ready to serve.
We’ve also tried this recipe using French-trimmed chicken legs, with a sprinkle of chopped, toasted peanuts to finish. It’s insanely good, although it takes longer to cook, lots of turning, and you might need to top up the coconut water more than you will here. This salmon version is easier and worthy of a dinner party, served up with some steamed jasmine rice and a side of stir-fried or steamed Asian greens.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL
800g king salmon fillets, skin on
90g caster sugar
125ml (½ cup) coconut water, or more if necessary
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 tsp oyster sauce
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-5cm piece ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
2 red bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced to serve
Remove any pin bones from the salmon, then cut the fish into 4-5 cm pieces. Set aside.
Combine the sugar with 3 tablespoons water in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, for about 3 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is boiling. Cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the mixture has thickened, turned a deep golden colour and smells caramelised. Be careful as the mixture will now be very hot!
Working quickly, remove the pan from the heat, add the coconut water and fish sauce, taking care as the mixture will spit. Add the oyster sauce, garlic and ginger, swirling the pan to combine everything, then return the pan to the heat and simmer for 2 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Add the fish to the pan, skin side up, in a single layer if possible. Bring to a simmer and cook, turning the fish once during cooking time, for about 6 minutes or until just cooked through. Add a little extra coconut water if the sauce reduces too quickly.
Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve with sliced chilli to the side.
