Ca cam kho mia gives a deeply savory pot with a sauce that stays clear and finishes sweet from the cane. Yellowtail has firm flesh, and a quick fry before the gentle braise keeps the pieces whole. The hardest part is the heat: a hard boil breaks the fish, while too low a flame never thickens the sauce.
Bruised sugarcane laid across the bottom of the pot holds the fish off the base and lends the sauce its natural sweetness. Score both sides of each piece so the seasoning reaches the middle, and let the pot rest for 5 minutes off the heat.
This batch weighs about 1.5kg, at roughly 110 calories per 100g.
Method
Wash 800g yellowtail with salt and lime to clear the smell. Cut it into 4cm pieces and score 2 to 3 lines on each side.
Fry the fish briefly until golden on both sides, then lift it onto a plate.
Rinse 300g sugarcane, bruise it and cut it into 5cm lengths. Mince 30g shallot and 20g garlic and fry them in 30ml cooking oil until golden.
Lay the sugarcane in the bottom of a clay pot, set the fish on top with the fried shallot and garlic. Add 40ml fish sauce, 18g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 200ml water and 5g ground pepper, then bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to a bare simmer and braise for 35 to 40 minutes, tilting the pot gently now and then, until the sauce thickens.
Taste and adjust, scatter over 10g fresh chili and a little more pepper, turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with white rice and boiled water spinach.
Tips
Look for fish with clear eyes, bright red gills, springy flesh and shining scales.
Sugarcane with taut, glossy skin and no cracks or dryness gives the sweetest sauce.
A quick fry before braising holds the shape of each piece so it does not break apart.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend does not caramelize, so a darker pot comes from a little more good fish sauce and a longer braise over low heat.
Five minutes of rest before serving lets the fish draw the sauce back in, which makes it taste much fuller.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.