Vietnamese Caramelized Fish Sauce (Mắm Kho Quẹt)
Vietnamese caramelized fish sauce (Mam Kho Quet) is a one-of-a-kind dish that will impress anyone with its immaculate flavor and versatility. Don't hesitate to try it out today!
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 652kcal
Ingredients
- 0.88 pounds (400 grams) pork belly
- 0.22 pounds (100 grams) dried shrimp
- 2.65 ounces (75 grams) scallions
- 0.7 ounces (20 grams) garlic
- 0.53 ounces (15 grams) shallots
- 1 branch of green peppercorn
- 1 chili pepper
Condiment and spices
- 7 tablespoons (100 milliliters) fish sauce
- 7 tablespoons (100 milliliters) water
- 3 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 3 teaspoons Vietnamese caramel sauce (Nuoc Mau)
Vegetables for serving
- Gourd, broccoli, white radish, carrot, etc.
Instructions
- Finely chop the scallions.
- Mince the shallots, chili, and garlic, saving 1 to 2 garlic cloves.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Rinse the dried shrimp with clean water.
- Soak them in warm water to soften them. Drain them afterward.
- Separate the lean and fat parts of the pork.
- Chop both parts into small pieces.
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the pork fat and stir well until they turn golden brown. Set aside.
- Add the garlic, shallots, and chili
- Stir well for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the chopped pork and stir-fry it until cooked.
- Add the softened dried shrimp into the saucepan and stir well.
- Pour in the fish sauce, water, sugar, ground pepper, and caramel sauce.
- Give everything a good stir.
- Cover the saucepan and cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
- After 30 minutes, add the pork cracklings, green peppercorn, and scallions.
- Continue cooking for another 5 minutes on low heat.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add a little salt to the water.
- Once the water has come to a boil, add the vegetables.
- Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes then remove them from the water.
- Serve the sauce in a bowl with the boiled vegetables and steaming hot rice.
Video
Notes
- The cooking time is for making 4 servings.
- The estimated calories do not include the boiled vegetables.
- Traditionally, the Vietnamese will cook this dish in a clay pot, which is believed to add more flavor.
- Besides boiling the vegetables, you can also grill them.
- Always add the scallions and green peppercorn toward the end of cooking. Likewise, don't add the pork cracklings too soon or they'll lose their crispness.
- If you want to try something different, consider swapping steamed rice for Vietnamese crispy burnt rice (Com Chay).
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings and spices to your liking.
Nutrition
Calories: 652kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 356mg | Sodium: 2976mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3mg