At Sap Sua in Denver, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024, chef and co-owner Ni Nguyen wanted to include a version of his favorite Vietnamese meal, cá kho (fish braised in a clay pot), to the menu. Needing a precise approach so the dish could be recreated nightly by the restaurant's cooks, Nguyen and his team eventually settled on a slightly different technique–the dark, glossy sauce is made separately, affording greater control and precision. Deeply savory with a slight sweetness from the coconut water, this dish is weeknight-fancy cooking at its best. Sap Sua uses hamachi collars, but salmon fillets are a more home-cook-friendly stand-in. At the restaurant the dish is topped with cốm dep—delicate flakes of young sticky rice. Ordinary crispy rice cereal proves to be a worthy, restaurant-approved substitute. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
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What you’ll need
Small Saucepan
$155 At Amazon
Large Nonstick Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
½
1
1
3
2
2
1
4
1
Preparation
Step 1
Combine ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan, cover, and heat over medium, undisturbed, until sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Uncover pan and continue to cook, stirring or swirling occasionally, until syrup comes to a boil, then turns a deep brown, 6–10 minutes.
Step 2
Reduce heat and add 1 cup coconut water (stand back—mixture will spatter and seize). Stir in 1 small shallot, finely chopped, 3 Tbsp. fish sauce, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic, and 2 tsp. finely ground pepper. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel is syrupy and thick enough to coat a spoon, 15–20 minutes. Remove coconut caramel from heat; stir in 1 Tbsp. store-bought pickled jalapeño brine.
Step 3
Pat four 4–6-oz. skinless salmon fillets dry; season lightly with kosher salt. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook salmon, flesh side down, until well browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Tilt skillet and blot excess oil from pan with a balled-up paper towel. Turn salmon over and pour coconut caramel into skillet. Cook until sauce is thickened and salmon is mostly opaque but still slightly translucent in the center and flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes.
Step 4
Transfer salmon fillets to plates and spoon coconut caramel over. Top with finely chopped store-bought pickled jalapeños, finely chopped cilantro, and lightly crushed puffed rice cereal and serve with steamed white rice alongside.