Salmon with Fish Sauce Caramel
October 27, 2026
About this Recipe
My first introduction to the Vietnamese dish, Cá Kho Tộ, came from the restaurant Monsoon in Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA. Cá Kho Tộ is a dish of catfish that has been braised in a clay pot with nước màu (fish sauce caramel). The dish comes served traditionally in the claypot steaming, simmering, and fragrant with caramelized sweetness reduced with punchy, savory fish sauce and steeped in aromatics. I was hooked for life.
It was my go-to order every time I dined there almost 20 years ago, and I have rarely found a restaurant that has provided a similar experience to the one at Monsoon. So many of the recipes I cook at home and create for ameliarampe.com are me chasing down a flavor memory. That’s how I came up with this recipe, chasing down a memory that was 3,000 miles away.
Nước màu is a preparation that has many dimensions of flavor and can be used in the kitchen in a myriad of ways- add it to vegetables, steak, chicken, or ground meat crumbles for an extra kick of flavor that will take your palate on a journey. In this recipe, I prepare nước màu, then pour it over salmon fillets in a Dutch oven and roast.
I make this dish for guests because it’s simple to prepare and brings ease to a dinner party if you make the Nước màu in advance. I have never had a guest not go back for more.
If you have a Vermicular Musui-Kamado (don’t @ me, it’s a pricey item that was gifted to me), the results of this recipe are spectacular as the Musui-Kamado traps in the moisture and gives the fish an amazing tender texture.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 small shallot or ½ small white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4-inch piece lemongrass
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil
- 1/2 cup fish sauce, such as Squid brand
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 pounds salmon or steelhead trout (6-8 ounce filets)
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Cilantro leaves, for garnish
- 1/2 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Very finely chop 1/2 small shallot (about 1/4 cup) and 4 garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon). Very thinly slice one 3-inch piece of lemongrass. If roasting the fish right away, heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot and garlic and cook until tender and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup fish sauce, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by one quarter (to about 1 scant cup) and thickened slightly, about 18 minutes.
- Pat 1 1/4 pounds salmon with a paper towel and cut into 6-8 ounce portions, if needed. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
- Add the fillets to a Dutch-oven and pour the fish sauce caramel over the fish. Cover the pot and place in the oven until the salmon is cooked through or has reached an internal temperature of 125 degrees, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the salmon to a serving platter and pour the caramel over the fish. Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.
Do ahead: Fish sauce caramel can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.
