Shrimp And Onion Simmered In Caramel Sauce Tom Kho Food

SHRIMP AND ONION SIMMERED IN CARAMEL SAUCE (TOM KHO)

Steps:

• Choose a small, heavy saucepan and fill sink with enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of pan. Dry pan. Combine 1/4 cup water and the sugar in pan and heat to bubbling over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a metal spoon. After 2 minutes, stop stirring and let cook undisturbed. Bubbles will form over surface and mixture will become clear.
• After about 15 minutes' cooking, mixture will begin to turn golden and then quickly darken; watch closely. When reddish on top and inky dark brown (like black coffee) underneath, quickly stop cooking by placing saucepan in cold water. Add 1/2 cup water; mixture will bubble furiously and seize up (it will dissolve again). Return saucepan to medium heat and stir until smooth. Pour into heatproof container such as a glass jar and let cool at least 10 minutes before using.
• Place shrimp in colander and toss with 1 tablespoon salt. Rinse immediately with lots of cold water and drain well.
• In medium pot, combine shrimp, 1/8 teaspoon salt, fish sauce and 3 tablespoons caramel sauce (remainder can be tightly covered and refrigerated indefinitely) and bring to a simmer over high heat. Add onion and pepper, stir, and boil uncovered 10 to 14 minutes more, until sauce is thick. Shrimp and onions will give off lots of liquid; cook at a strong boil to concentrate flavors (add a little water if sauce seems to thicken too quickly).
• Turn off heat, stir in oil, and taste for salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl, scatter with scallions, and serve over plain rice, with lime wedges.

SHRIMP IN COCONUT CARAMEL SAUCE FROM VIETNAMESE FOOD ANY DAY

Steps:

• SHRIMP:.
• Pat the shrimp with paper towels to remove excess moisture, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the coconut water, sugar, caramel sauce, and fish sauce and stir to mix; taste and make sure it's pleasantly salty-sweet. It will cook down later and intensify but use this opportunity to check the flavor. If needed, add up to 1½ teaspoons sugar or fish sauce, or both. Set aside.
• In a skillet or sauteuse pan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. When the oil is barely shimmering, add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the garlic is pale blond. Remove from the heat and, once the cooking action subsides, add the coconut water mixture.
• Return the skillet to high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, for 10 to 14 minutes, until reduced to between ⅓ and ½ cup, a bit thickened, and slightly darkened. Add the shrimp and continue cooking at a swift simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp curls up and cooks through and the sauce is slightly syrupy. (Expect the shrimp's natural juices to release, thin out, and flavor the sauce.) If the shrimp cooks too fast, remove it from the pan, let the sauce cook down, and then return the shrimp. Remove from the heat, season with lots of pepper, and stir in the green onion. Let sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to settle and deepen.
• Transfer the shrimp to a shallow bowl or plate and serve.
• About the Caramel Sauce:.
• This key Viet ingredient is simply nearly burnt sugar; it's not at all the caramel sauce for topping ice cream. Vietnamese caramel sauce is stealthily employed in savory dishes to impart a lovely mahogany color and build savory-sweet depth. You've likely had caramel sauce in clay-pot (kho) dishes but didn't know it. Like molasses, it can be added to grilled-meat marinades to enhance the appearance of the final dish.
• Don't fear the caramelization process. It's not overly dramatic, and the vinegar prevents crystallization, which can result in crusty failed batches. Employ cane sugar, such as C&H brand, because it caramelizes consistently better than beet sugar. The result is an inky, bittersweet Vietnamese staple. I keep a jar of caramel sauce to cut down on prep work. If you don't have time to make a batch, use the work-arounds in the recipes to make some on the spot. Select a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a long handle and a light interior (such as stainless steel) to observe the caramelization. If you wish, use strained fresh lemon or lime juice in place of vinegar.
• Caramel Sauce Directions:.
• Fill the sink (or a large bowl or pot) with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the saucepan.
• In the saucepan, combine the 2 tablespoons water, vinegar (if using), and sugar. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula or metal spoon; when the sugar has nearly or fully dissolved, stop stirring. Let the sugar syrup bubble vigorously for 5 to 6 minutes, until it takes on the shade of light tea. Turn the heat to medium-low to stabilize the cooking. Turn on the exhaust to vent the inevitable smoke. (Don't worry if sugar crystallizes on the pan wall. But if things get crusty in the bubbling sugar syrup, add another drop of vinegar to correct it.) For even cooking, you may occasionally lift and swirl the saucepan.
• Cook the syrup for about 2 minutes longer, until it is the color of dark tea. The next 1 to 2 minutes are critical because the sugar will darken by the second. Monitor the cooking and, to control the caramelization, frequently pick up the saucepan and slowly swirl the syrup. When a dark reddish cast sets in-think the color of Pinot Noir-let the sugar cook a few seconds longer to a color between Cabernet and black coffee. Remove from the heat and place the pan in the water to stop the cooking. Expect the pan bottom to sizzle upon contact.
• Leaving the pan in the sink, add the remaining ¼ cup water. The sugar will seize up, which is okay. When the dramatic bubbling reaction stops, return the pan to medium-high heat, and cook briefly, stirring to loosen and dissolve the sugar.
• Remove the pan from the heat and return to the water in the sink for about 1 minute, stirring, to stop the cooking process and cool the caramel sauce to room temperature.
• Use the sauce immediately, or transfer to a small heatproof glass jar, let cool completely, and then cap and store in a cool, dark place indefinitely.

VIETNAMESE FISH SIMMERED IN CARAMEL SAUCE (CA KHO TO)

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, cook the sugar over low to medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown and caramelized.
• Remove pan from heat and stir the fish sauce into the caramel.
• It will smoke slightly.
• Return the pan to low heat and gently boil for about couple minutes while stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Stir in the shallots, chili and ginger.
• Add the fish in the caramel sauce and sprinkle with black pepper.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
• Simmer for 30-45 minutes, turning the fish occasionally and carefully.
• Serve with rice.

CA KHO TO (VIETNAMESE FISH IN CARAMEL SAUCE)

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the fish sauce, brown sugar, honey, pepper, garlic and shallots.
• In a dutch oven, melt the sugar and cook until golden brown. Add the water. Add the coconut milk and stir. Add the fish and the contents of the bowl. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for at least ½ hour to 45 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the fish over so that both sides soak in the sauce. Add more coconut milk if the sauce starts to dry out. Before serving, take off the lid so that the sauce can thicken a bit. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.