Clay Pot Braised Iridescent Shark Catfish

Method

1. 1 Toss the fish with salt and ginger, then rinse and cut into 3 cm thick pieces.
2. 2 Caramelize the sugar in an earthenware pot until it turns a deep amber color, then pour in the fish sauce while it's still hot.
3. 3 Cooking in an earthenware pot is key; the earthenware pot retains heat evenly, so the sauce thickens without the fish burning.
4. 4 Arrange the fish in the pot, then pour in enough coconut water to cover them and sprinkle with chopped shallots and garlic.
5. 5 Simmer over the lowest heat for 25 minutes, tilting the pot to pour the broth over the surface.
6. 6 Simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy brown, then sprinkle with plenty of pepper, chili, and green onions.

With an appliance

• Oven 50 min

  Replace step 5: cover the pot and braise the fish with coconut milk on the middle rack of the oven at 160 degrees for 25 minutes; step 6: keep the lid open and simmer for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens, without stirring the fish.