Braised Salmon | Cá Kho

1. Cut your salmon fillets into 2” cubes and marinate with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1/3 tsp sugar. Allow to marinate overnight.
2. Prep all your vegetables: white onion, bell peppers, shallot, and garlic.
3. In a non-stick pan, heat 6 tbsp cooking oil over medium-high. Once hot, gently add your marinated salmon cubes and shallow fry for 6 minutes. Make sure to flip the salmon every few minutes to ensure each side is seared. Remove the salmon and place it on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
4. In the same pan using the remainder of the oil, add 2 tbsp of sugar and wait for it to caramelize in color (about 1 minute). Be careful not to turn the sugar.
5. Then add your shallots, garlic, white onion, and bell pepper. Gently combine to make sure the vegetables are coated in the caramelized sugar and oil mixture.
6. Add your salmon cubes and 1 cup of water to the pan. Add 2 tbsp of fish sauce and wait for the liquid to reach a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer.
7. Allow this to simmer for 20 minutes, gently stirring from time to time to ensure the salmon cubes are coated in the sauce.
8. After 20 minutes, the sauce should’ve reduced and thickened. Turn off the heat.
9. Garnish this with a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper and top with fresh cilantro. Serve this with rice!