• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Panning The Globe
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
×
Home » Recipes » All Recipes

Caramelized Black-Pepper Fish From Vietnam

June 13, 2013 Updated June 25, 2019 by Lisa Goldfinger 17 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Caramelized Black-Pepper Fish is a delicious Vietnamese dish that's easy to cook at home. The main flavor components are caramelized sugar, shallots and lots of black pepper. The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight (30 minutes) and delicious enough for a special occasion.
Caramelized Black-Pepper Fish is a delicious Vietnamese dish that's easy to cook at home. The main flavor components are caramelized sugar, shallots and lots of black pepper. The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight (30 minutes) and delicious enough for a special occasion l www.panningtheglobe.com

There is tension and excitement in the air. Endings and beginnings are all colliding and I think that's why I frequently have butterflies in my stomach these days. My middle son just graduated from high school.  He's about to start his summer job and then is off to college in New Orleans. My oldest son just started an internship in LA. My husband started a new job last week. My youngest son is studying for finals and leaves for sleep away camp in a week. There's a bag of "Goldfinger" labels waiting to be ironed onto every item my son will be taking to camp; there are forms to be filled out and there are flights to be arranged, but for the past few days I've given myself a reprieve to experiment with caramelized black-pepper fish from Vietnam. 

halibut

I tried the recipe with two kinds of fish: Halibut and Swordfish. Both were equally delicious in their own special way.  If you like your fish tender and falling apart, go with the halibut. The swordfish is just as tender and holds its shape really well.

swordfish

There aren't a lot of ingredients in this - the flavor comes from caramelized sugar, savory fish sauce, sautéed shallots, and lots of black pepper.

shallots

If you've ever made caramel sauce you know that it's about almost burning sugar. What results is something deeper and richer. In Vietnamese cooking caramel sauce, or nouc mao, is commonly used to simmer savory foods such as meat, chicken and fish.

Caramelized Black Pepper Fish from Vietnam is an excellent dish that's easy to cook at home. There aren’t a lot of ingredients – the flavor comes from caramelized sugar, fish sauce, shallots, and lots of black pepper. Serve it with steamed white rice and a simple green vegetable. Dinner in 30 minutes.

In this recipe, the sugar is cooked with fish sauce - a staple in Vietnamese cuisine.  Surprisingly, fish sauce isn't fishy tasting. The fermentation process that's used to make the fish sauce, or nam pla, gives it a deep complex umami mix of sweet, salty, sour, and even a bit nutty.

Caramelized Black Pepper Fish from Vietnam is an excellent dish that's easy to cook at home. There aren’t a lot of ingredients – the flavor comes from caramelized sugar, fish sauce, shallots, and lots of black pepper. Serve it with steamed white rice and a simple green vegetable. Dinner in 30 minutes.

Once the sugar starts to caramelize, the fish is added, along with lots of black pepper and shallots.

Caramelized Black Pepper Fish from Vietnam is an excellent dish that's easy to cook at home. There aren’t a lot of ingredients – the flavor comes from caramelized sugar, fish sauce, shallots, and lots of black pepper. Serve it with steamed white rice and a simple green vegetable. Dinner in 30 minutes.

The intense flavors in this dish call out for simple sides, such as steamed white rice and a green vegetable.

Caramelized Black-Pepper Fish is a delicious Vietnamese dish that's easy to cook at home. The main flavor components are caramelized sugar, shallots and lots of black pepper. The recipe is easy enough for a weeknight (30 minutes) and delicious enough for a special occasion l www.panningtheglobe.com

I love the intense mix of caramel and black pepper that dominates this dish, combined with the saltiness of the fish sauce and the shallots.  I'm off to iron labels now.  Happy cooking.

Here's the recipe for Caramelized Black Pepper Fish. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Caramelized Black Pepper Fish from Vietnam is an excellent dish that's easy to cook at home. There aren’t a lot of ingredients – the flavor comes from caramelized sugar, fish sauce, shallots, and lots of black pepper. The recipe is quick enough for a weeknight and delicious enough for a special occasion.

CARAMELIZED BLACK-PEPPER FISH FROM VIETNAM


★★★★★

4.3 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Panning The Globe
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4-5 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Tender fish cooked in a peppery caramel sauce.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup Asian fish sauce, also called nam pla
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds halibut fillet, or substitute mackerel or swordfish, skin removed, cut into 6-8 pieces
  • Garnish
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat oil (in a skillet large enough to hold the fish) over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften (lower the heat if they start to brown) Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Add sugar, fish sauce, and water to the skillet. Over medium heat, cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, until it starts to turn brown and there are large bubbles throughout. Sprinkle in the pepper and the cooked shallots and cook for a minute more. Add the fish and cook, turning gently with a spatula every three minutes or so, until it is coated evenly with thickened caramel sauce, and just cooked through, 8-10 minutes. (you can add a few tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the pan seems too dry)
  3. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and a simple green vegetable.
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

More All Recipes

  • leafy salad on a small plate with baby romaine, orange segments, toasted pecans and cranberries.
    My Favorite Holiday Salad
  • close up of beef short ribs and cubes of butternut squash in rich gravy with sprinkles of chopped parsley on top
    Beef Stew with Short Ribs
  • Dutch oven on a striped cloth, filled with ratatouille
    The Best Easy Ratatouille Recipe
  • One piece of saucy cheesy eggplant lasagna on a small plate topped with a basil leaf.
    Eggplant Lasagna

Filed Under: All Recipes, Asia, Fish and Seafood, main course, Quick and Easy Tagged With: dairy-free

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

  1. David Y

    August 09, 2023 at 6:45 am

    Made this last night. It came out great!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      August 09, 2023 at 7:04 am

      I'm so glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  2. Jen

    October 17, 2020 at 12:15 pm

    Made this last night for husband's birthday. So delicious and easy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. peter zeman

    February 04, 2018 at 11:06 pm

    Needed vinegar or onion. Adding lime at end was too late. Started out Vietnamese but ended up Jewish (tasted like gefilte fish). But, hey, if like sweet fish.

    ★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 05, 2018 at 2:44 am

      Oh no! I love this dish so much - I'm sorry your experience wasn't the same. You mentioned that it needed onion. Did you use the full amount of shallots called for? And did you top it with chopped scallions and cilantro?

      Reply
  4. Sharon

    March 31, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    Made this last night, and I think it's the best fish that I ever cooked!
    Awesome, simple recipe 😀

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lisa

      April 01, 2017 at 7:25 am

      I'm so happy to hear that Sharon! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Ede

    March 11, 2017 at 5:53 am

    Hello. I love this dish! Nam pla is in Thai. Fish sauce is called nuoc mam in VN.

    Reply
  6. Alaiyo Kiasi-Barnes

    August 03, 2014 at 9:11 am

    Lisa,
    I love Vietnamese food and plan to try this recipe the next time halibut is on sale at the market. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

    Alaiyo

    Reply
  7. M-E

    June 30, 2013 at 1:09 am

    Made this for guests from out of town - fabulous! So simple yet packed with great flavor. Our exchange student from Vietnam also loved it!

    Reply
  8. Daniel @ TickleMyTastebuds

    June 22, 2013 at 10:14 am

    Wow, looks delicious - just saw this up on PhotoGrazing; and looks incredible!

    Reply
  9. celestine anikwe

    June 18, 2013 at 10:50 am

    so tantalizing, happy to have visited your site unn.edu.ng

    Reply
  10. Rob Wilstein

    June 14, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Lisa, I made the caramelized fish tonight for some company. A big hit, very tasty and very easy. Keep 'em coming. Rob

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      June 15, 2013 at 8:33 am

      I Rob. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know! Lisa

      Reply
  11. Marian

    June 13, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    All that going on and time to cook THIS too! WOW....Thank you, Lisa.

    Reply
  12. Alina Duckham

    June 13, 2013 at 7:45 pm

    Lisa,
    This looks super easy. I can't wait to make it!
    Delish!

    Reply
  13. Stefani

    June 13, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Lisa,
    This one looks fantastic! Big fan of Vietnamese Food and this recipe looks simple enough to make with tasty results to look forward to!

    Hope the husband's new job is going well. Maybe your oldest in LA could meet my daughter in San Diego. Tulane a second time around? Thank god for camp! 🙂

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Panning the Globe

Hi, I'm Lisa! I believe we can all make the world's most delicious dishes at home.
I'm excited to share with you hundreds of fabulous, globally inspired recipes to feed your family and entertain your friends.

More about me →

TRENDING FAVORITES

  • Here's an amazing roast chicken recipe from chef Yotam Ottolenghi. Chicken thighs are spiced with za'atar and sumac, tossed with onions, lemons and garlic, and roasted. This is a great dinner party recipe because it's a beautiful dish, you can do all the prep ahead, the chicken is tender and juicy, and the flavors are fantastically delicious!
    Ottolenghi's Roast Chicken with Za'atar and Sumac
  • It's easy to cook a big pot of this award winning white chicken chili, and it's the absolute BEST white chicken chili! Tender chicken, chilies, white beans, spices and a few more goodies in this winning white chicken chili recipe.
    Award Winning White Chicken Chili
  • This Award Winning Chili recipe is hands down the BEST chili con carne I've ever tasted, with the most incredible flavor and texture - made with beef, pork, beans, awesome spices, onions, garlic, tomatoes and beer. Plus it freezes well so you might want to make a double batch.
    Eddie's Award Winning Chili
  • Indian Lamb Biryani: Sumptuous casserole of tender lamb curry with saffron spiced rice with cucumber-mint raita on the side|Panning The Globe
    Indian Lamb Biryani
  • Dutch oven on a striped cloth, filled with ratatouille
    The Best Easy Ratatouille Recipe
  • Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Spinach and Avocado | Panning The Globe
    Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Spinach and Avocado
  • bowl of healthy shepherds pie
    Healthy Shepherd's Pie
  • Senegalese Chicken Yassa by Panning The Globe
    Senegalese Chicken Yassa

MORE POPULAR RECIPES

STAY ON TOP OF WHAT’S COOKING

Subscribe to our free newsletter and get the newest recipes and seasonal menu ideas sent directly to your inbox.

Footer

LET'S CONNECT!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

↑ back to top

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Browse

  • Contact
  • All Recipes
  • Quick & Easy Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes

banner with names of publications that have featured recipes from panning the globe

COPYRIGHT © 2019 · LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE · ALL TEXT, RECIPES, CONTENT AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF LISA GOLDFINGER AND PANNING THE GLOBE.

PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT ME · SUBSCRIBE

813 shares