A fine recipe for fish steaks, from halibut to Spanish mackerel, even swordfish (it’s also good with shrimp or scallops). The lemongrass is essential if you want authentic flavor, though the dish will be good without it, because the real keys are the quickly made caramel and an abundance of black pepper, which is used more in Vietnam than any place I’ve ever been. See page 500 for information on Thai fish sauce (nam pla). Serve with plain white rice.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/4 cup nam pla

　　1/4 cup minced lemongrass (page 143)

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

　　4 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

　　1 1/2 to 2 pounds halibut or other fish steaks or sturdy fillets

　　Salt to taste

　　Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

　　

Step 1

Combine the sugar, nam pla, and 1/4 cup water in a skillet just large enough to hold the fish. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring infrequently, until the sugar melts and the mixture bubbles, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lemongrass, garlic, and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes more.

　　

Step 2

Add the scallions, fish, and another 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, turning the fish occasionally (if you’re using fillets, turn it less often so that it doesn’t break up), until the sauce is very thick and the fish cooked through, about 10 minutes. Taste, add salt if necessary, then garnish and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.