
Photo/Milk Street via AP
From The Asian Reporter, V31, #7 (July 5, 2021), page 11.
Vietnamese caramel sauce yields complex savory sweetness
By Christopher Kimball
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street
Cooking in Southeast Asia often means incorporating a riot of contrasting
flavors and textures, and the classic Vietnamese technique of simmering meat
or fish in dark, bittersweet caramel is a great example of this.
As we were taught by chef Peter Franklin, owner of the Anan Saigon
restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, we cook chicken thighs in the sauce until it
forms a glaze. Mixing the caramel with fish sauce and a few aromatics yields
rich, wonderfully complex savory-sweet flavors. And the technique, which is
in our book, Milk Street Tuesday Nights, could hardly be simpler.
Instead of a traditional clay pot, we use a 12" skillet to make our
version. Using coconut water as the cooking liquid adds a subtle,
salty-sweet richness that brings even more complexity to the dish.
A generous amount of ginger, cut into matchsticks, mellows and softens as
it cooks, and adds a brightness that perks up the deeper flavors. Bruising
the lemongrass releases its flavor and fragrance.
Be sure to have the fish sauce measured out so that when the caramel
turns mahogany, it can be added immediately to stop the cooking. Serve the
chicken with steamed jasmine rice.
Editor’s note: To view additional recipes, visit <177milkstreet.com/ap>.
* * *
Caramel Chicken
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon
coconut water, divided
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 medium shallots, peeled, halved
and thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and
cut into 1/8" matchsticks (1/3 cup)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut
into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
leaves and tender stems
1 small jalapeño chili, stemmed
and sliced into thin rings
1 tablespoon grated lime zest,
plus 1 tablespoon lime juice
Steamed rice, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
In a 12" skillet over medium-high heat, combine the 1 tablespoon coconut
water and the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until
the mixture turns golden at the edges, about 3 minutes. Reduce to medium
heat and continue to cook, swirling the pan but without stirring, until the
caramel is mahogany in color and smokes lightly, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Off heat, add the fish sauce and stir; the mixture will steam and bubble
vigorously. Set the pan over medium heat, pour in the remaining 1/2 cup
coconut water, and stir until fully incorporated. Add the shallots and
ginger and bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to low, and cook for 5
minutes.
Stir in the chicken. Cover and cook over medium, stirring once or twice,
until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as
needed to maintain a steady simmer. Uncover, increase to medium-high heat,
and simmer vigorously (the sauce will form large bubbles), stirring
occasionally, until the chicken is glazed and the sauce is syrupy, about 8
minutes.
Off heat, stir in half of the cilantro, the jalapeño, lime zest, and lime
juice. Top with the remaining cilantro and serve with steamed rice and lime
wedges.
* * *
Read the current issue of The Asian Reporter in its
entirety!
Go to <www.asianreporter.com/completepaper.htm>!
|