Microwave Vietnamese caramel fish
Flaky white fish in a glossy, peppery brown sugar and fish sauce glaze over rice, a sweet-salty Vietnamese home dinner that’s done in about fifteen minutes.
- 32 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 1
- About $2.00 a serving
- 390 calories
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 1 servings.
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 5 oz frozen white fish fillets, 1 fillet, thawed
- 1 green onion, torn into small pieces
From your pantry
- ¾ cup water, divided
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch garlic powder
Each serving has about 390 calories, 28 g protein, 65 g carbs and 2 g fat, and costs about $2.00 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice in a large microwave-safe bowl: cover it with cold water, swirl it with the fork, and pour the cloudy water off, holding the rice back with the fork.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Dolly’s tip: That’s how you rinse rice without a strainer. It washes off loose starch, which is what makes rice gummy.Add ¾ cup of the water and the salt, set the bowl on a plate, and microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes, until boiling.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Use your biggest bowl. Rice water foams up and a small bowl boils over.Cover with a plate and microwave at 50% power for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water is gone and little holes dot the surface.
Timer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: If the rice is still firm, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and give it 2 minutes more.Leave the rice covered to steam while you make the fish.
Stir the brown sugar, fish sauce, pepper, garlic powder and the last 2 tablespoons of water in a shallow microwave-safe dish, and microwave uncovered 1½ minutes, until bubbling.
Timer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Sugary sauce gets much hotter than water. Let it settle a few seconds before you touch the dish.the fish dry with a paper towel, lay it in the sauce, and turn it over with the fork so both sides are coated.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: Forgot to thaw it? Leave the sealed fillet in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.Cover with a plate and microwave 2½ to 3 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes when you press it with the fork.
Timer: 2 min 45 sec
Food safety: Fish is done at 145°F, when the middle looks opaque and flakes apart easily with a fork.
Tip the dish and the sauce over the fish with the fork, then microwave uncovered 30 seconds more to the glaze.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Timer: 30 sec
Fluff the rice, lay the fish on top, pour every drop of sauce over it, and scatter the green onion.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
